Gabriel Zaid (1934) is a Mexican writer, poet and essayist, whose work is one of the most current and recognized in this century. Although all his literary work has been prolific, where he has obtained the most recognition is in the genre of the essay, in which he has encompassed the politics, history, economy and culture of his nation.
The work of this author is characterized by being precise and clear in terms of language, despite presenting complex content on certain occasions. Some of the most prominent titles are: Narcissus and Ariadne's Fable, Nudist Field, Sundial Y Poetry in practice.
Little is known about Zaid's personal life, perhaps due to his reserved and somewhat mysterious personality. What is known is that he is a man who has tried to keep up to date within Mexican literature, and that his work as a writer has made him worthy of many recognitions and awards..
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Gabriel Zaid was born on January 24, 1934 in Monterrey, Nuevo León. The data on his family are scarce, but it is known that he comes from middle-class Palestinian immigrants, who instilled in him the love of knowledge from an early age, providing him with a quality education.
Zaid's early years of education were spent in his native Monterrey. After finishing high school, he studied mechanical engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), from where he graduated in 1955 at the age of twenty-one..
The degree work with which he received his degree was named Organization of manufacturing in printing shops for the book industry in Mexico and dealt with everything related to the book industry in Mexico.
Three years after graduating, Gabriel went to the capital of the country to make his way professionally, where by then he already carried with him his passion for literature and writing. He began working in a consulting office and quickly published his first book of poetry: Fable of Narcissus and Ariadne (1958).
Around this time, he also worked independently and became part of the publishing industry. By the end of the sixties it achieved a space on the pages of Culture in Mexico, in which he published some of his essays.
Although the writer had already obtained recognition with his first literary works, he did not stop producing. In 1969 and 1973 he published two collections of poems: Nudist camp Y Deadly practice. During those years the essays also came to light: To read poetry Y Too many books.
The intelligent and meticulous work of Gabriel Zaid opened the doors of several printed media in his country, giving him greater rise to his talent as a writer. His writings appeared in: Plural, Fine Arts Magazine, Vuelta, University of Mexico, to name a few means. He also stood out as a columnist.
The last years of Zaid's life have been spent dedicated to writing and publishing. The details about his personal and family life are unknown because he is a person who is rarely seen, does not usually give interviews and for some reason does not allow himself to be photographed in public events.
- Floral Games of Tehuacán in 1954, with the poetic work Fable of Narcissus and Ariadne.
- Xavier Villaurrutia Award in 1972 for To read poetry.
- Banamex Economics Prize, honorable mention in 1979 for the essay Unproductive progress.
- Member of El Colegio Nacional since 1984.
- Member of the Mexican Academy of Language since March 20, 1986. He then held the XVI chair on September 14, 1989; however, thirteen years later he decided to resign.
Gabriel Zaid's literary style has been characterized by being innovative and thoughtful in terms of topics of interest. His writings enjoy a well-elaborated, clear and precise language, where humor and satire have been outstanding features..
His poetry has been constantly evolving with a balanced rhythm and musicality. Although it is not easy to understand, it requires readers concentration, knowledge and humor. On the other hand, his essays have been deep and reflective related to current affairs in Mexico..
- Fable of Narcissus and Ariadne (1958).
- Tracing (1964).
- Nudist camp (1969).
- Deadly practice (1973).
- Sonnets and songs (1992).
- Sundial (nineteen ninety five).
- Vidyapati Songs (2008).
- Organization of manufacturing in printing shops for the book industry in Mexico (1959).
- Poetry, foundation of the city (1963).
- The singing machine (1967).
- Too many books (1972).
- To read poetry (1972).
- Unproductive progress (1979).
- The progress fair (1982).
- Poetry in practice (1985).
- The presidential economy (1987).
- From books to power (1988).
- Legitimate defense of the copyright exemption made by numerous Mexican authors with good reasons and examples from pre-Hispanic times (1993).
- The new presidential economy (1994).
- Entrepreneurs creators of entrepreneurs are needed (nineteen ninety five).
- Goodbye to the PRI (nineteen ninety five).
- Three Catholic poets (1997).
- The secret of fame (2009).
- Oppressed businessmen (2009).
- Money for culture (2013).
- Timeline of progress (2016).
- A thousand words (2018).
- Quiz: poems 1952-1976 (1976).
- General anthology (2004).
- Read (2012).
- Gabriel Zaid: section M 8534, anthology (2014).
- The cost of reading and other essays (2014).
- Mexican poetry bus (1971).
- Assembly of young poets of Mexico (1980).
- Poetic anthology (1980).
- Daniel Cosío Villegas. Printing and public life (1985).
- Minimal anthology (2001). Author: Carlos Pellicer.
It is one of Zaid's most important essay works, in which he collected one of the most complete analyzes of Mexican morals, anthropology, culture, and political economy. It was a play about modernization and how it affected productivity over time..
One of the most outstanding reflections of the writer was on progress and equality, he considered that the poorest society was provided services that it did not need. He also referred to the limiting factors of the population: physical, economic and personal attention.
The author structured the work in three parts, each one consisting of ten chapters. The first phase referred to philosophical issues to open its intelligent and detailed analysis. He then spoke about economics, and finally he developed the subject of politics.
“The original corruption from which all the others are derived is in denying being on one's own account; in imposing the investiture, the representation, the theater, the official being ".
"The first reason for being the job is that it takes care of what is needed".
This publication by the Mexican writer belonged to the free trial genre. In it he evaluated, interpreted and analyzed topics such as literature, ingenuity, creativity and computerized or artificial intelligence. The work was well received by critics and the general public.
Zaid was in charge of dividing the book into two main parts and, these in turn, were made up of essays that represented the chapters. He titled the two main phases: "The city and the poets" and "The singing machine", in each one he made special considerations about poetry..
In this section the intellectual referred to the work of being a poet as an act of creativity and not to profit or earn money. He based his affirmation on the little or no liking that society had towards poets and the ignorance of literature.
Zaid also referred to the recognition that an author reaches, and how this has a direct impact on the economic boom. So he mentioned the rise of the work of Octavio Paz, for being a writer of international fame, and for writing texts of quality and interest..
In this second part the writer made reference to the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. He speaks of an "apparatus" with the ability to create poetry, without using ingenuity, that is, a singing machine. The subject of the computerized was comparative with the practicality of reading and writing.
On the other hand, Gabriel Zaid mentioned the non-lasting capacity of sonnets in relation to the existence of the world. He also mentioned reading as an almost miraculous need to understand texts, without conscious reading what is written would not make sense.
“Culture is not a specialty. It is not owned by anyone. It is not something that is and can be acquired. We 'acquire' ourselves through culture…. ”.
"Culture is the way to make the world habitable and to understand each other, a way that we do and that makes us, never completely done, always given in part and in part to be done, in personal history as well as in collective history ...".
"The ignorance are not missing parts of a whole (unattainable): they are all supposed (supposedly reached) who ignore each other".
"Near to death,
I come back to tell you I don't know what
happy hours.
Against the tide.
I don't know if I fight not to walk away
of the conversation on your shores
or to rub myself in pleasure
to come and go from the end of the world.
At what point does the page go to limbo,
still believing to read, the one who dozes?
The deer on the ground jumps to be chased
to the bottom of the sea for the dolphin,
that nothing and be stunned, that submerges
and comes back to say I don't know what ".
"How good it is for you, my life!
Many women do it well
but none like you.
La Sulanita, in glory,
he looks out to see you do it.
And I say no,
let us, I'll write it.
But if I wrote it
you would become legendary.
And I don't believe in autobiographical poetry
nor do I want to advertise you ".
"This is how you arise from the water,
very white,
and your long hair is still from the sea,
and the winds push you, the waves carry you,
like the sunrise.
Thus happiness shelters like a cloak ".
"Water springs,
already perennial, deep life
open in your eyes.
The earth coexists in you
populated, its truth
novel and simple.
Open its fullness
quiet, its mystery,
the fable of the world.
... It breaks out one noon
night, burn in grace
the night, silence the sky.
Faint wind of birds
of hidden fire
speak in mouths and hands.
Vineyards, those of silence.
Vineyards, those of words
loaded with silence ".
- “Oral literature did not disappear with writing, nor is it going to disappear. It circulates carelessly, without signature or control ".
- “Curiosity has been fundamental for the development of humanity. At what point did we begin to consider it unhealthy? ".
- “An unread book is an unfulfilled project. Having unread books in view is like writing bad checks: visitor fraud ".
- "There are phrases that draw attention to themselves, distract from the topic they were talking about and surprise even the person who said them, as a revelation, for what they say and how well they say it".
- "The problem of the book is not in the millions of poor people who hardly know how to read and write, but in the millions of university students who do not want to read, but to write".
- "We do not accept the given, hence the fantasy".
- "How to read poetry? There is no possible recipe. Each reader is a world, each reading is different ".
- "The art of praise is difficult, misfit for the speed and magnitude that modern praise production requires".
- Don't be ashamed to cry. Neither of not crying ".
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