Jorge Volpi
Encyclopedia
Jorge Luis Volpi Escalante (born July 10, 1968) is a Mexican
author best known for his 1999 novel
En busca de Klingsor. Volpi was born in Mexico City
. He studied law
and literature
at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
and received a PhD
in Spanish philology at the University of Salamanca
in Spain
. After his career as a student, Jorge Volpi became a lawyer
, and for two years he was a secretary for Diego Valadés, the Mexican general state lawyer. After being Valadés’ secretary for two years, Volpi helped found the "Crack Movement
". The authors that are a part of this Mexican literary group, for instance Eloy Urroz
, Ignacio Padilla
, and Pedro Angel Palou, write beyond magic
al realism and mimick the ideals of the 1968 Latin America
n literary ‘Boom.’ These authors were not interested in defining ‘Mexican Literature,’ instead they wanted Mexican authors to find their own voice and implement that into their writings. Volpi, himself, was influenced by authors such as Juan Rulfo
, Carlos Fuentes
and Octavio Paz
.
Volpi is best known for his novels and essays. As a former lawyer and a successful scholar, Volpi’s academic interests are abundant in his work. His most famous book, 'En busca de Klingsor' (In Search of Klingsor, 1999) is a novel that fuses a story of Nazi generals in World War II
and the history
of physics
. In this novel an American physicist and a German mathematician
are on a mission to discover information about Klingsor, the codename for the person in charge of the Nazi party's scientific research. On their odyssey the two are lead to some of the greatest scientist
s of all time. For his work on this novel, Volpi won the Spanish literary prize, Premio Biblioteca Breve, in addition to the French Deux-Océans-Grinzane-Cavour-Prize. He is currently teaching in the literature department at the UDLA in Puebla, Pue..
In January 2007 he was appointed the director of Canal 22
, a State sponsored cultural TV channel
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...
author best known for his 1999 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
En busca de Klingsor. Volpi was born in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. He studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...
and received a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Spanish philology at the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. After his career as a student, Jorge Volpi became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and for two years he was a secretary for Diego Valadés, the Mexican general state lawyer. After being Valadés’ secretary for two years, Volpi helped found the "Crack Movement
Crack Movement
The Crack Movement or literature of the Crack generation , describes a literary movement in Mexico that began in the mid-1990s. It was initiated by a number of young Mexican authors who broke with literary conventions in what is thought to have been a reaction to the Latin American Boom...
". The authors that are a part of this Mexican literary group, for instance Eloy Urroz
Eloy Urroz
Eloy Urroz is a Mexican writer. He is currently a professor at The Citadel and College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1996...
, Ignacio Padilla
Ignacio Padilla
Ignacio Padilla is a noted Mexican novelist and short story writer whose works have been translated into several languages. Padilla helped found the "Crack Movement" along with fellow Mexican writers Eloy Urroz, Jorge Volpi, and Pedro Angel Palou as a means for Mexican authors to find their own...
, and Pedro Angel Palou, write beyond magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
al realism and mimick the ideals of the 1968 Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n literary ‘Boom.’ These authors were not interested in defining ‘Mexican Literature,’ instead they wanted Mexican authors to find their own voice and implement that into their writings. Volpi, himself, was influenced by authors such as Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo was a Mexican author and photographer. One of Latin America's most esteemed authors, Rulfo's reputation rests on two slim books, the novel Pedro Páramo , and El Llano en llamas...
, Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes Macías is a Mexican writer and one of the best-known living novelists and essayists in the Spanish-speaking world. He has influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.-Biography:Fuentes was born in...
and Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
.
Volpi is best known for his novels and essays. As a former lawyer and a successful scholar, Volpi’s academic interests are abundant in his work. His most famous book, 'En busca de Klingsor' (In Search of Klingsor, 1999) is a novel that fuses a story of Nazi generals in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. In this novel an American physicist and a German mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
are on a mission to discover information about Klingsor, the codename for the person in charge of the Nazi party's scientific research. On their odyssey the two are lead to some of the greatest scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s of all time. For his work on this novel, Volpi won the Spanish literary prize, Premio Biblioteca Breve, in addition to the French Deux-Océans-Grinzane-Cavour-Prize. He is currently teaching in the literature department at the UDLA in Puebla, Pue..
In January 2007 he was appointed the director of Canal 22
XEIMT-TV
XEIMT-TV channel 22, also known as "Canal 22", is a cultural and educational television station owned and operated by Televisión Metropolitana S.A...
, a State sponsored cultural TV channel
Works (Selection)
- A pesar del oscuro silencio. Joaquín Mortiz, 1993 ISBN 978-9682705328
- La paz de los sepulcros. Editorial Aldus, 1995 ISBN 978-9686830446
- El temperamento melancólico. Nueva Imagen, 1996 ISBN 978-9683912985
- (de) Der Würgeengel. Klett-Cotta, 2002 ISBN 978-3608930658
- En busca de Klingsor. Seix Barral, 1999; Rayo, 2008 ISBN 978-0061626722
- (en) In Search of Klingsor. 1999; Fourth Estate, 2004 ISBN 978-1841153896
- (de) Das Klingsor-Paradox. Klett-Cotta, 2001 ISBN 3-608-93066-3
- (fr) À la recherche de Klingsor. Éditions Plon, 2001 ISBN 978-2-7578-1115-3
- (pl) Na tropie Klingsora. WWL Muza SA, 2002 ISBN 83-7200-099-9
- El fin de la locura. Seix Barral, 2003 ISBN 978-9686941845
- No será la tierra. Alfaguara, 2006 ISBN 978-9707706545
- (de) Zeit der Asche. Roman in drei Akten. Klett-Cotta, 2009 ISBN 978-3608937015
- (en) Season of Ash. Open Letter, 2009 ISBN 1934824100