Eliseo Alberto
Encyclopedia
Eliseo Alberto de Diego García Marruz (September 10, 1951 – July 31, 2011) was a Cuba
n-born Mexican
writer
, novelist, essayist and journalist
. His numerous works included the novel Caracol Beach. Alberto was nicknamed Lichi.
Alberto was born in Arroyo Naranjo, Cuba
, on September 10, 1951. His mother was Bella García Marruz. His father, Eliseo Diego, was one of Cuba's best known poets and a member of a well known Havana
-based family which included writers, screenwriters and musicians. Alberto's father often held tertulias, or gatherings of writers and other Cuban literary figures, at their home when he was growing up. He worked as a journalist
, based in Havana.
Alberto fled into exile
in Mexico
in 1990. The Cuban government had executed Arnaldo Ochoa
and had begun to more strictly persecute writers and other intellectual
s during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez
reportedly helped Alberto escape Cuba and find a new home in Mexico City. He became a Mexican citizen in 2000. Alberto never returned to Cuba and spoke of his experiences in exile, "The worse thing about exile is that the places you inhabit don’t remind you of anything"...."exile becomes your homeland
."
Alberto's novels often touched on the themes of Christian morality, including punishment
, redemption
and forgiveness
. He focused much of his attention on characters living in his native city, Havana. Some of his novels set in Havana include La fábula de José ( José’s Fable) and La eternidad por fin comienza un lunes (Eternity Finally Begins on a Monday), about the life of a lion trainer, Tartufo, who grieves after the death of the lion, named Goldwyn Mayer.
Although known as a novelist, Alberto was also a poet
and screenwriter
for films and television shows. He worked as a professor at film school
s in Cuba, Mexico and the United States
, including the Sundance Institute
. His credits as a screenwriter included the film Guantanamera
.
A fierce critic of Cuba's Communist government, Alberto released a 1997 book criticizing Fidel Castro
, entitled Informe contra mi mismo or Dossier Against Myself. In the 1997 book, Alberto revealed that the Cuban government had asked him to spy on his father's tertulias in 1978 while he was serving in the Cuban military. He was also asked to spy on Cuban exiles returning to the country. Alberto spoke about the book at the Miami Book Fair in 1997.
He was awarded the Premio Alfaguara de Novela
literary prize for Caracol Beach in 1998. The novel, perhaps his best known work, follows a war veteran living in a fictitious town in Florida who is haunted by visions of a Bengal tiger with wings. Caracol Beach was translated into English for publication in the United States.
Eliseo Alberto died of complications from a kidney transplant, including heart and respiratory failure, in Mexico City on July 31, 2011, at the age of 59. He had been diagnosed with kidney failure in 2009 and received the transplant on July 18, 2011. His funeral was held in Mexico City, while his ashes were returned to Havana.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-born Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, novelist, essayist and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. His numerous works included the novel Caracol Beach. Alberto was nicknamed Lichi.
Alberto was born in Arroyo Naranjo, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, on September 10, 1951. His mother was Bella García Marruz. His father, Eliseo Diego, was one of Cuba's best known poets and a member of a well known Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
-based family which included writers, screenwriters and musicians. Alberto's father often held tertulias, or gatherings of writers and other Cuban literary figures, at their home when he was growing up. He worked as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, based in Havana.
Alberto fled into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1990. The Cuban government had executed Arnaldo Ochoa
Arnaldo Ochoa
Arnaldo T. Ochoa Sánchez was a prominent Cuban general who was executed after being found guilty of treason.-Career:Ochoa was born from an old Oriente area family of farmers...
and had begun to more strictly persecute writers and other intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
reportedly helped Alberto escape Cuba and find a new home in Mexico City. He became a Mexican citizen in 2000. Alberto never returned to Cuba and spoke of his experiences in exile, "The worse thing about exile is that the places you inhabit don’t remind you of anything"...."exile becomes your homeland
Homeland
A homeland is the concept of the place to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin...
."
Alberto's novels often touched on the themes of Christian morality, including punishment
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
, redemption
Redemption
- Religion :* Redemption , an element of salvation to express deliverance from sin* Redemption, absolution for the past sins and/or protection from damnation* Pidyon haben, redemption of the firstborn son in Judaism...
and forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
. He focused much of his attention on characters living in his native city, Havana. Some of his novels set in Havana include La fábula de José ( José’s Fable) and La eternidad por fin comienza un lunes (Eternity Finally Begins on a Monday), about the life of a lion trainer, Tartufo, who grieves after the death of the lion, named Goldwyn Mayer.
Although known as a novelist, Alberto was also a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
for films and television shows. He worked as a professor at film school
Film school
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into...
s in Cuba, Mexico and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including the Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
. His credits as a screenwriter included the film Guantanamera
Guantanamera
"Guantanamera" is perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song.-Music:The music for the song is sometimes attributed to José Fernández Diaz, known as Joseíto Fernández, who claimed to have written it at various dates , and who used it regularly in one of his radio...
.
A fierce critic of Cuba's Communist government, Alberto released a 1997 book criticizing Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, entitled Informe contra mi mismo or Dossier Against Myself. In the 1997 book, Alberto revealed that the Cuban government had asked him to spy on his father's tertulias in 1978 while he was serving in the Cuban military. He was also asked to spy on Cuban exiles returning to the country. Alberto spoke about the book at the Miami Book Fair in 1997.
He was awarded the Premio Alfaguara de Novela
Premio Alfaguara de Novela
Premio Alfaguara de Novela is a Spanish-language literary award. The award is one of the most prestigious in the Spanish language. It includes a prize of $175,000 making it one of the richest literary prizes in the world. It is sponsored by Alfaguara, a publisher.The prize was created in 1965 by...
literary prize for Caracol Beach in 1998. The novel, perhaps his best known work, follows a war veteran living in a fictitious town in Florida who is haunted by visions of a Bengal tiger with wings. Caracol Beach was translated into English for publication in the United States.
Eliseo Alberto died of complications from a kidney transplant, including heart and respiratory failure, in Mexico City on July 31, 2011, at the age of 59. He had been diagnosed with kidney failure in 2009 and received the transplant on July 18, 2011. His funeral was held in Mexico City, while his ashes were returned to Havana.