Nemir Matos-Cintrón
Encyclopedia
Nemir Matos-Cintrón is a Puerto Rican author who currently resides in Florida
. She has published several books of poetry and parts of a novel. She has openly thematized her lesbianism in much of her work.
, Puerto Rico
. She attended public schools on the Island and graduated from Central High School at the time when this institution had revolutionized the public school system by bringing in top caliber educators from the University of Puerto Rico
mostly, to teach advanced or “gifted” students in a project that produced extraordinary
results. Matos-Cintrón graduated from Central High in 1966 at the age of 16. Internal strife in her home life, as portrayed in her autobiographical “fragmento de novela” (fragment of a novel): “Amordio de Amanda,” published recently in the Puerto Rican LGBT anthology Los Otros Cuerpos (2007), made her abandon her parents’ home at the age of 18. By then, she had proclaimed herself not only as independent, but as a Lesbian. She received her B.A. in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico and later her Master’s of Science at
the prestigious S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
at Syracuse University
. During the 1980s, Matos-Cintrón became an important figure in this field in Puerto Rico. Some of her impressive job titles include: script writer, Executive Producer, Executive Story Editor and professor of Telecommunications, these are but a few of her endeavors which occurred until the 1990s. These same endeavors carried her
into her life in exile
, first as Lecturer at Brooklyn College
to be followed by her work at Hunter College
where she developed (in 2000) Puerto Ricans in the USA: A Hundred Years, a 2 volume CD-ROM
used in Latino studies. Eventually, in the decade of 2000, she moved to Florida where she has pursued Doctoral Studies in Educational Instructional Technology
and Distance Learning from Nova Southeastern University
while being an Instructional designer at Valencia Community College
. Matos-Cintrón refers to herself as being a “multimedia individual” and can also be thought of as a true Humanist
in terms of her incursion into multifaceted fields in her life—from poetry, to script writing, to producer, to educator, to new media. Matos-Cintrón seems to be constantly immersing herself into challenges of the mind and
soul.Recent accolades to her include a homage held in her honor in Puerto Rico under the title "Labiosas" and an invitation to be a Guest Writer at the Festival de la palabra, San Juan, P.R.2010.
.
Matos' collection: "El arte de morir" has appeared published, together with the collection "La pequeña muerte," in Puerto Rico in 2010. Her newest poems deal with the subject of exile. They are gathered in the book "Aliens in NYC" with an Introduction by Luz Maria Umpierre (2011, Atabex).
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. She has published several books of poetry and parts of a novel. She has openly thematized her lesbianism in much of her work.
Life
Matos-Cintrón was born on November 19, 1949 in SanturceSanturce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. She attended public schools on the Island and graduated from Central High School at the time when this institution had revolutionized the public school system by bringing in top caliber educators from the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
mostly, to teach advanced or “gifted” students in a project that produced extraordinary
results. Matos-Cintrón graduated from Central High in 1966 at the age of 16. Internal strife in her home life, as portrayed in her autobiographical “fragmento de novela” (fragment of a novel): “Amordio de Amanda,” published recently in the Puerto Rican LGBT anthology Los Otros Cuerpos (2007), made her abandon her parents’ home at the age of 18. By then, she had proclaimed herself not only as independent, but as a Lesbian. She received her B.A. in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico and later her Master’s of Science at
the prestigious S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications is the communications school at Syracuse University. It has programs in print and broadcast journalism; advertising; public relations; and television and film....
at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. During the 1980s, Matos-Cintrón became an important figure in this field in Puerto Rico. Some of her impressive job titles include: script writer, Executive Producer, Executive Story Editor and professor of Telecommunications, these are but a few of her endeavors which occurred until the 1990s. These same endeavors carried her
into her life in 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...
, first as Lecturer at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
to be followed by her work at Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
where she developed (in 2000) Puerto Ricans in the USA: A Hundred Years, a 2 volume CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
used in Latino studies. Eventually, in the decade of 2000, she moved to Florida where she has pursued Doctoral Studies in Educational Instructional Technology
Instructional technology
In education, instructional technology is "the theory and practice ofdesign, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning," according to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Definitions and Terminology Committee...
and Distance Learning from Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
while being an Instructional designer at Valencia Community College
Valencia Community College
Valencia College, formerly known as Valencia Community College, is a public state college in Orlando, Florida, United States. Valencia is the third-largest member institution of the Florida College System....
. Matos-Cintrón refers to herself as being a “multimedia individual” and can also be thought of as a true Humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
in terms of her incursion into multifaceted fields in her life—from poetry, to script writing, to producer, to educator, to new media. Matos-Cintrón seems to be constantly immersing herself into challenges of the mind and
soul.Recent accolades to her include a homage held in her honor in Puerto Rico under the title "Labiosas" and an invitation to be a Guest Writer at the Festival de la palabra, San Juan, P.R.2010.
Literary Production
Many people think of Matos-Cintrón as belonging to the "generation of 1980" (a Puerto Rican literary group) because that is when her first two books were published. To do this is to deny the magnitude of her work which continues to this day and which still carries on in unpublished poetry. Unfortunately, the literary establishment has abandoned and framed her work as that of a Lesbian spur from her first two books: Las mujeres no hablan así (San Juan, Puerto Rico: Atabex, 1981) and A través del aire y del fuego pero no del cristal (San Juan, Puerto Rico: Atabex, 1981); these two books have begun to attract more attention in 2009. One of the few people who has written on Matos' poems is the Puerto Rican poet and scholar Luz María UmpierreLuz María Umpierre
Luz María Umpierre-Herrera is a Puerto Rican poet, scholar, and human rights activist who lives in the United States. She is also known as Luzma Umpierre. She is widely recognized for her open exploration of her lesbianism, immigrant experience, and bilingualism, and for her poetic exchange with...
.
Matos' collection: "El arte de morir" has appeared published, together with the collection "La pequeña muerte," in Puerto Rico in 2010. Her newest poems deal with the subject of exile. They are gathered in the book "Aliens in NYC" with an Introduction by Luz Maria Umpierre (2011, Atabex).
Works
- Las mujeres no hablan así. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial Atabex, 1981. Second edition, 2010.
- A través del aire y del fuego pero no del cristal. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial Atabex, 1981.
- "El arte de morir" and "La pequeña muerte." San Juan, Puerto Rico: Mariita Rivadulla Professional Services, 2010.
- Aliens in NYC. Introduction by Luz Maria Umpierre.New Jersey: Editorial Atabex, 2011.
Secondary Bibliography
- Colón Zayas, Eliseo R. “Insólito y los monstruos del espectador.” El Mundo, Puerto Rico Ilustrado, 13 May 1990, pp. 14–16.
- Cordero, Margarita. “La mujer migrante.” El Mundo, Puerto Rico Ilustrado, 13 May 1990.
- Echeandía, Servando. “Sobre Nemir Matos.” Reintegro, April 1983, p. 12.
- Matos-Cintrón, Nemir. “On Women’s Experimental Film.” 1990 Film Festival sponsored by the Puerto Rican Atheneum, published in Cineasta, no date.
- Ramos Otero, ManuelManuel Ramos OteroManuel Ramos Otero was a Puerto Rican writer. He is widely considered to be the most important openly gay twentieth-century Puerto Rican writer who wrote in Spanish, and his work was often controversial due to its sexual and political content...
. "La luna ultrajada." Claridad, Puerto Rico, 1981.
- Umpierre, Luz MaríaLuz María UmpierreLuz María Umpierre-Herrera is a Puerto Rican poet, scholar, and human rights activist who lives in the United States. She is also known as Luzma Umpierre. She is widely recognized for her open exploration of her lesbianism, immigrant experience, and bilingualism, and for her poetic exchange with...
. "Visiting Nemir Matos Cintrón." Luzma Speaks (Blog), 22 November 2009. - Luz Maria Umpierre:
- Nemir Matos Cintron: A Poetic Diva Returns: Dialogo Digital, UPR, On Line, 2011.
- Introduction to Nemir Matos Cintrón’s collection “ Aliens in NYC,” 2011.
- “Una visita a Nemir Matos Cintrón, Revista Surco Sur, Oct.-Dec. 2010.
- Entry on Nemir Matos-Cintrón for Wikipedia. 2009.
- Velázquez, Rosa. “Nemir Matos Cintrón.” Siempre, 13–26 November 2003, p. 18.
See also
- List of lesbian literature
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- Puerto Rican literature