David Viñas
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David Viñas (July 28, 1927 – March 10, 2011) was an Argentine dramatist, critic, and novelist.


Life and career

Viñas was born and raised in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, and enrolled in the
University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires ( es, Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) is a public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1821, it is the premier institution of higher learning in the country and one of the most prestigi ...
, becoming head of the
Argentine University Federation The Argentine University Federation ( es, Federación Universitaria Argentina; FUA) is the most important student organization in Argentina. The FUA was created on April 11, 1918 within the University Reform student movement originated in Córdob ...
student organization. He published his first novel in 1955, and first came to wide attention when he won the Gerchunoff Prize for his novel ''Un Dios Cotidiano'' (1957). He received the National Prize for ''Jauria'' (1971). The following year, his play '' Lisandro'' won the National Prize for Theater. Viñas' work centers on
Argentine history The history of Argentina can be divided into four main parts: the pre-Columbian time or early history (up to the sixteenth century), the colonial period (1536–1809), the period of nation-building (1810–1880), and the history of modern Argenti ...
, and generally does not partake of the
magical realism Magical is the adjective for magic. It may also refer to: * Magical (horse) Magical (foaled 18 May 2015) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who excelled over middle distances and was rated in the top twenty racehorses in the world in 2018 and ...
favored by many of his contemporaries. He is deeply concerned with Argentina's legacy of
authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voti ...
and the problems posed by the nature and historical dominance of the Argentine military. Two of his children
disappeared An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organi ...
during the 1976-83
military regime A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer. The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
, and he spent that era in exile, returning to Argentina in 1984. He was an early mentor of critic and essayist
Beatriz Sarlo Beatriz Sarlo (born 1942) is an Argentine literary and cultural critic. She was also founding editor of the cultural journal '' Punto de Vista'' ("Point of View"). She became an Order of Cultural Merit laureate in 2009. Biography Beatriz Sarlo ...
, although he adhered to a more traditional leftist position than did Sarlo in later years. Following the election of left-wing Peronist
Néstor Kirchner Néstor Carlos Kirchner (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, Governor of Santa Cruz Province from 1991 to 2003, Secretary General of UNASUR and ...
in 2003, he became a vocal supporter of his, and in 2008 co-founded '' Carta Abierta'' ("Open Letter") with journalist
Horacio Verbitsky Horacio Verbitsky (born February 11, 1942) is an Argentine investigative journalist and author with a history as a leftist guerrilla in the Montoneros. In the early 1990s, he reported on a series corruption scandals in the administration of Pre ...
, an informal
think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...
of left-wing public figures in literature, journalism and academia who regularly publish opinion columns in defense of
Kirchnerism Kirchnerism ( es, Kirchnerismo ) is an Argentine political movement based on populist ideals formed by the supporters of Néstor Kirchner and his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who consecutively served as Presidents of Argentina. Althou ...
.''Noticias'', March 28, 2009: Los pensadores de la corona. Viñas directed the Institute of Argentine Literature at his Alma Mater.


References


Further reading


''Argentina's Jewish Short Story Writers''
Rita M. Gardiol, 1986.


External links



1927 births 2011 deaths People from Buenos Aires Argentine people of Spanish descent University of Buenos Aires alumni Academic staff of the University of Buenos Aires Latin Americanists Argentine male novelists Argentine dramatists and playwrights Members of Carta Abierta Male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Argentine novelists 20th-century dramatists and playwrights {{argentina-writer-stub