Pedro Juan Soto
Encyclopedia
Pedro Juan Soto was a Puerto Rican
writer.
, and went to primary and secondary school in Bayamón
. At the age of eighteen, he moved to New York
and attended Long Island University
. He initially studied to become a doctor
, but after being influenced by the works of Ernest Hemingway
, he decided to dedicate his life to the study of literature
.
After graduating from Long Island with a Bachelor of Arts
degree, he served in the United States Army
for a year, and then went to Columbia University
to obtain a Master of Arts
degree. It is around this time that Soto began to publish his first works, Garabatos and Los inocentes, for which he won awards. He also published stories in Revista Asomante, a Hispanic magazine.
s, and he later became a professor at the University of Puerto Rico
.
Among Soto's most famous works are Spiks, which deals with the struggles he and many other Puerto Ricans faced in New York, and Usmaíl, a story set in the Puerto Rican island of Vieques in the early 20th century. Soto was a supporter of the Puerto Rican independence movement
, a theme that often shows up in his books.
On July 25, 1978, one of his sons, Carlos Soto Arriví
, was killed by police officers in the Cerro Maravilla Incident
. Soto sued the commonwealth government and United States federal authorities for what he called "outright assassination".
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...
writer.
Early life
Pedro Juan Soto was born in Cataño, Puerto RicoCataño, Puerto Rico
Cataño is a municipality located on northern coast of Puerto Rico bordering the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent to the north and east by San Juan; north of Bayamón and Guaynabo; east of Toa Baja and west of Guaynabo and is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. Cataño is spread over 7 wards and...
, and went to primary and secondary school in Bayamón
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
. At the age of eighteen, he moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and attended Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
. He initially studied to become a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, but after being influenced by the works of Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, he decided to dedicate his life to the study of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
After graduating from Long Island with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree, he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for a year, and then went to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
to obtain a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree. It is around this time that Soto began to publish his first works, Garabatos and Los inocentes, for which he won awards. He also published stories in Revista Asomante, a Hispanic magazine.
Return to Puerto Rico
In 1955, Soto moved back to Puerto Rico, where he continued to write novels and short stories, as well as a few dramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, and he later became a professor at 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...
.
Among Soto's most famous works are Spiks, which deals with the struggles he and many other Puerto Ricans faced in New York, and Usmaíl, a story set in the Puerto Rican island of Vieques in the early 20th century. Soto was a supporter of the Puerto Rican independence movement
Puerto Rican independence movement
The Puerto Rican independence movement refers to initiatives throughout the history of Puerto Rico aimed at obtaining independence for the Island, first from Spain, and then from the United States...
, a theme that often shows up in his books.
On July 25, 1978, one of his sons, Carlos Soto Arriví
Carlos Soto Arriví
Carlos Enrique Soto Arriví was an activist for the independence of Puerto Rico. On July 25, 1978 he was killed by police officers after being lured into bombing the communication towers on Cerro Maravilla by undercover agent, Alejandro González Malavé.The killing of both men spawned a...
, was killed by police officers in the Cerro Maravilla Incident
Cerro Maravilla Incident
The Cerro Maravilla incident, also known as the Cerro Maravilla case or the Cerro Maravilla killings is the name given by the Puerto Rican public and media to describe the events that occurred on July 25, 1978 at Cerro Maravilla, a mountain in Puerto Rico, wherein two young Puerto...
. Soto sued the commonwealth government and United States federal authorities for what he called "outright assassination".
Books
- Los perros anonimos, 1950
- Garabatos, 1953
- El huesped, 1955
- Spiks, 1956
- Usmaíl, 1959
- Ardiente suelo, fría estacion, 1961
- El francotirador, 1969
- Temporadora de duendes, 1970
- Un oscuro pueblo sonriente, 1982
Other works
- Los inocentes, 1954
- Las máscaras, 1958
- La Nueva Vida, 1966
- A Solas con Pedro Juan Soto, 1973
- El huesped, las mascaras y otros disgraces, 1973
- Un decir, 1976
- En busca de J.I. de Diego Pandro, 1990
See also
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature