Rafael Menjívar Ochoa
Encyclopedia
Rafael Menjívar Ochoa (born and died in San Salvador, August 17, 1959 - April 27, 2011) was a Salvadoran
writer
, novelist, journalist
and translator.
His father, the economist Rafael Menjívar Larín
, was director of the University of El Salvador
. When the army
occupied it in 1972, during which his father was jailed for a short period, after being exiled in Nicaragua
they were forced out in January of 1973 towards Costa Rica
. In 1976 they settled in Mexico
, where Menjívar Ochoa lived for 23 years. He studied music, theatre and English Literature, and published many books, his first of note being Historia del Traidor de Nunca Jamás, a novel written in 1984.
In 1999 he settled in El Salvador, where in 2001 he became a Coordinator of Letters (Literature director) and founded the La Casa del Escritor (House of the Writer), a project aimed at providing a formation of young writers, located at the house of Salvador Salazar Arrué. Despite being based in El Salvador he continued to be active in Mexican projects, publishing books there. His widow is Salvadorean poet Krisma Mancía.
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
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, 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...
and translator.
His father, the economist Rafael Menjívar Larín
Rafael Menjívar Larín
Rafael Menjívar Larín was a Salvadoran economist and politician. An outspoken Rafael Menjívar Larín was a [[El Salvador|Salvadoran]] [[economist]] and [[politician]]...
, was director of the University of El Salvador
University of El Salvador
The University of El Salvador or Universidad de El Salvador is the oldest and one of the most prominent university institutions in El Salvador. It serves as the national university of the country...
. When the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
occupied it in 1972, during which his father was jailed for a short period, after being exiled in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
they were forced out in January of 1973 towards Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. In 1976 they settled 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...
, where Menjívar Ochoa lived for 23 years. He studied music, theatre and English Literature, and published many books, his first of note being Historia del Traidor de Nunca Jamás, a novel written in 1984.
In 1999 he settled in El Salvador, where in 2001 he became a Coordinator of Letters (Literature director) and founded the La Casa del Escritor (House of the Writer), a project aimed at providing a formation of young writers, located at the house of Salvador Salazar Arrué. Despite being based in El Salvador he continued to be active in Mexican projects, publishing books there. His widow is Salvadorean poet Krisma Mancía.
Published works
- Historia del traidor de Nunca Jamás (1985), novel
- Algunas de las muertes (1986), poetry
- Histoire du Traître de Jamais Plus (1988), novel
- Los años marchitos (1990) , novel
- Terceras personas (1996), narrative
- Los héroes tienen sueño (1998), novel
- Manual del perfecto transa (1999)
- De vez en cuando la muerte (2002), novel
- Trece (2003), novel
- Instructions pour vivre sans peau (2004), novel.
- Un buen espejo (2005), novel
- Tierces personnes (2005)
- Tiempos de locura. El Salvador 1979-1981 (2006), history essay for FLACSO
- Treize (2006), novel translation
- Miroirs (2006), translation
- Cualquier forma de morir (2006), novel