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VOLUME: 2.5 linear feet

ACCESS: This collection is open to the public upon request.

COPYRIGHT: Please consult the archivist for information about duplication or publishing of any materials from this collection.

Biographical Note

Felisberto Hern谩ndez was born in Montevideo, Uruguay on October 20, 1902, the eldest child of Prudencio Hern谩ndez Gonz谩lez and Juana Hortensia Silva. Born into poverty, Hern谩ndez was a writer and self-taught pianist who, at times, earned a living playing in movie houses of the silent picture era. Married three times 鈥 to Mar铆a Isabel Guerra (1925-1935), Amalia Nieto (1937-1942), Mar铆a Luisa las Heras (1949-1950) 鈥 Hern谩ndez also had extended relationships with Reina Reyes and Paula Medeiros.

Over the course of his life, Hern谩ndez was published a number of times, but he never achieved the kind of success that resulted in financial stability. Often in debt, he relied upon his skills a pianist and a stenographer to make a living. Hern谩ndez, notwithstanding his modest means, was well-received by other Latin American writers and is generally acknowledged as the forerunner to such authors as Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez, Italo Calvino, and Julio Cort谩zar, although he never achieved broad acclaim outside of Uruguay. Felisberto Hern谩ndez died on January 13, 1964 from complications related to Leukemia.

For additional biographical information, please consult Box 3: Printed Materials: Newspaper clippings, literary criticism, biographical materials.

Scope and Content Note

The Felisberto Hern谩ndez Collection is comprised primarily of research materials gathered by Frank Graziano, Associate Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies in 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Foreign Languages from 1991 to 1999; much of the material contained in the collection has been copied from the files of Norah Giraldi dei Cas in support of his research. During his time at 17吃瓜在线, Dr. Graziano鈥檚 output on the topic of Felisberto Hern谩ndez and his works included articles, conference papers, and one monograph, The Lust of Seeing: Themes of the Gaze and Sexual Rituals in the Fiction of Felisberto Hern谩ndez (Bucknell University Press, 1997).

The collection is organized alphabetically, primarily according to type of materials, with some arrangement by subject matter. The bulk of the collection is photocopy and/or photographic reproductions of original and secondary source materials related to the life and work of Felisberto Hern谩ndez; this includes correspondence, family photographs, notebooks, journals, legal documents (including birth certificates and civic registration documents), literary criticism, musical compositions, published articles, and manuscript drafts. The next largest grouping in the collection Is comprised of materials gathered in preparation for and execution of a conference held at 17吃瓜在线 in April 1993; this includes conference programs; invitations, registration information; and photographs, slides, audiocassettes, and videocassettes from conference sessions.

Provenance

Frank Graziano donated this collection to the 17吃瓜在线 Library in 1998. An additional set of slides was donated in 2014.

Processing Note

As this collection was assembled by reproducing materials from other collections whose order was no longer intact, the collection was rearranged and all folder titles were provided by the processing technician. Notes on previous inventories and arrangement of materials can be found in Box 4: Research notes and miscellany, though these are not comprehensive of the entire collection; additional information regarding previous inventories can be located in the collection鈥檚 accession file.

Box & Folder Listing

Box 1

  • Audiocassettes
    • Interview with Mabel Hern谩ndez Guerra 4/18/93
    • [readings of works by FH]
    • 鈥淧or los Tiempos de Felisberto Hern谩ndez鈥 A. C谩ceres, Ph.D.
    • Intermezzo, dramatized from two stories by Felisberto Hern谩ndez
    • Felisberto Hern谩ndez / 1. Cables (?) Pelados 2. Carta Abierta al Presidente
  • Book Cover: Hern谩ndez, Felisberto. Piano Stories.
  • Conference (Felisberto Hern谩ndez: An International Homage):
    • Audiocassettes
      • The Slide Presentation / Discussion鈥擬enos Julia Part I (2 copies)
      • Discussion鈥擬enos Julia Part II
    • Programs, Registration Information, Invitations, Amalia Nieto Exhibit
    • Photographs
    • Videocassettes
      • Thursday April 15, 1993, Homage to Felisberto
      • Thursday April 15, 1993, Discussion 鈥 Menos Julia / Friday April 16, 1993, The Fantastic and the Unfinished.
      • Friday April 16, 1993, Norah Giraldi dei Cas, Roberto Echavarren
      • Friday April 16, 1993, El Cocodrilo, Three Rereadings
      • Saturday, April 17, 1993, Lisa Block de Behar, Cristina Peri Rossi

Box 2

  • Correspondence, sent: Hern谩ndez, Felisberto 1922-1956 (bulk 1939-1950)
  • Correspondence, received
    • Hern谩ndez, Felisberto 1943-1948
    • Giraldi dei Cas, Norah; Graziano, Frank; Hern谩ndez Silva, Ismael (1964, 1977, 1993-1994)
  • Legal Documents (1924, 1969, 1973)
  • Manuscripts, handwritten
    • Journals & notebooks by Felisberto Hern谩ndez
    • 鈥淟a casa inundada鈥 variant, 1963 by Felisberto Hern谩ndez
    • [鈥淟as hortensias鈥?] by Felisberto Hern谩ndez
    • Notebooks by Felisberto Hern谩ndez [2 folders]
    • Stenography by Felisberto Hern谩ndez (1948, n.d.)
  • Manuscripts, typed: Journals by Felisberto Hern谩ndez [transcribed from unknown source] (1935, 1936, 1940, 1941)
  • Maps
  • Musical Compositions (1927, n.d.)
  • Photographs
    • By Alvaro Lopez Giraldi (subjects selected by Deolinda 鈥淩onga鈥 Hern谩ndez) (2/1993)
    • People and Places (1915, 1924, 1961 ,1962, 1968, n.d.)
    • For Exhibit w/captions on sheet (1907, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1929, 1939, c1960, 1961, n.d.) (see also: Box 3, Photographs, mounted)

Box 3

  • Photographs, mounted: for Exhibit w/captions on sheet (1907, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1929, 1939, c1960, 1961, n.d.) (see also: Box 2, Photographs: for exhibit)

Box 4

  • Photographs
    • Negatives (1962, n.d.)
    • Slides (8/1988, 3/1993, 2/1994, 4/1994, n.d.)
  • Printed Materials
    • Books and Journals/Magazines
      • Ca?nepa, Aldo L. Felisberto Hern谩ndez. Manuales de literatura, 55. Montevideo: Editorial Te?cnica, 1979.
      • D铆az, Jos茅 Pedro. El Espect谩culo Imaginario. Montevideo: Arca Editorial, 1986.
      • 鈥淔elisberto Herna?ndez notas cri?ticas.鈥 Cuadernos de Literatura, 15. 聽
      • [Montevideo]: Fundacio?n de Cultura Universitaria, 1970.
      • Giraldi dei Cas, Norah. Felisberto Hern谩ndez: del Creador al Hombre.
      • Montevideo: Ediciones de la Banda Oriental, 1975.
      • Hern谩ndez, Felisberto. Las Hortensas. Barcelona: Editorial Lumen, 1974.
      • Medeiros, Paulina. Felisberto Hern谩ndez y Yo. Uruguay: Libros del Astillero, n.d.
      • Medeiros, Paulina. Fronda Sumergida: Poesia. Montevideo: Biblioteca Alfar, n.d.
      • Pallares, Ricardo and Reina Reyes. 驴Otro Felisberto? Montevideo: Editorial Imago, 1983.
      • El Paseante, 10. Madrid: Ediciones Siruela, S.A., 1988
      • Newspaper clippings, journal articles, dedication, conference papers by Felisberto Hern谩ndez (1934, 1944, 1945, 1950, 1951, 1966, 1969, n.d.)
      • Newspaper clippings, literary criticism, biographical materials (published and unpublished) (1926, 1934, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1950, 1955, 1964, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982, n.d.)
  • Programs: Concert programs, announcements, invitations (1934, 1936, 1937, 1945, 1952, 1969, 1991, n.d.)
  • Research notes and miscellany (Graziano, Giraldi dei Cas)
  • Signature Book: Homage to Felisberto Hern谩ndez, 1929
  • Superville, Jules (1945, n.d.)