(1902-1974) novelist, poet
Jaime Torres Bodet was born in Mexico City. He was the son of Alejandro Torres Girbent, a theatrical producer, and Emilia Bodet. Torres Bodet believed it was important for a writer to work a “regular” job and to be involved in the world. He was an educator and would eventually be appointed minister of education for Mexico.
He and his literary group, the Contempora-neos, were seminal in bringing modern European literature to the attention of Mexican intellectuals in the first half of the 20th century. His novel Movie Star (1933) contrasts the world of psychology and imagination with the reality of everyday life in a modern style that brought intellectual vitality to the Mexican novel.
Later in his life, when he was involved in his political career, he dedicated himself almost exclusively to the writing of poetry. In 1965, he published a volume titled Poems by Jaime Torres Bodet, which included his own selection of his 50 most important poems. His poetry demonstrates his ideas about the importance of everyday life as a subject for literature. In it, he writes passionately about simple experiences.
Torres Bodet is remembered for his great expressive force in writing. He received the National Literature Award in 1966, and the Mexican government issued a commemorative stamp in his honor in 1975. Torres Bodet’s poetry is considered thoughtful, sensitive, and humanistic.
Another Work by Jaime Torres Bodet
Selected Poems. A bilingual edition with translations by Sonja Karsen. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1964.
A Work about Jaime Torres Bodet
Karsen, Sonja. Jaime Torres Bodet: A Poet in a Changing World. Saratoga Springs, N.Y.: Skidmore College, 1963.
