Vicente Leñero: Biography and most important works

Biography of Vicente Leñero

La Biography of Vicente Leñero Otero tells us that he was born in Guadalajara in 1933, the son of Vicente Leñero and Isabel Otero. He is a Mexican novelist, playwright, journalist, civil engineer, and film and television screenwriter.

Vicente Leñero, after finishing his secondary school studies, entered the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he studied Civil Engineering, but his passion, dedication and commitment to reading and writing were so great that he neglected his attention and progressively lost interest in his engineering studies, which generated a poor and low academic index, resulting in the writer not completing his degree in the established time.

However, after being expelled, mocked, and even expelled from the Hyperstatic Structure course, a decision made by his teacher Heberto Castillo, two years passed and by 1959 he would be receiving his degree in Civil Engineering.

His love of literature led him to train as a journalist at the Carlos Septién García School of Journalism, which helped him gain recognition as one of Mexico's most distinguished journalists. He even served as Director of Revista de Revistas. His early work was in the media, and in journalism, he collaborated as a scriptwriter for radio soap operas.

Due to the quality of his writing, his versatility, and his outstanding professionalism, Vicente Leñero won first and second place in the National University Talent Competition in 1958.

Vicente Leñero soon saw writing as a way to earn a living, publishing his first novel entitled "La Polvareda."

In 1961, one of his first writings, "The Sorrowful Voice," appeared. This monologue, which would begin to show the psychological realism that would characterize him in his writings, is a monologue in which a mentally ill person recounts part of his life just before he was admitted to a mental asylum. In this context, it is interesting to mention the novel "Those Below" which explores similar social themes.

Likewise, in 1963, Vicente Leñero continued with his work "Los albañiles" (The Masons), which stood out for its complex structure and symbolism. In it, he describes the story of a night watchman at a construction site. This novel led him to win the Brief Library Award from Editorial Seix Barral, this being a literary recognition, a year after (1964) it was published.

In 1969 it was released in a theater version with a script adapted by Vicente Leñero himself and under the direction of Ignacio Retes. By 1979 a film version of it would be appearing, conducted by Jorge Fons, and represented by Ignacio López Tarzo.

The novel was developed within a police plot to describe the social and political environment developing at the time in Mexico City. This situation of vulnerability of working-class rights, the different ideals of the Mexican judicial system, and the values ​​of the different characters were portrayed in the narrative.

Vicente Leñero began writing theatrical scripts, adapting his novels, starting with The Masons 1964, later Carp in 1971 and a year later in 1972 included Oscar's Los Hijos de Sánchez Lewis. He was part of the pioneering documentary genre in Mexican theater, and his most notable works include Pueblo Rechazado and El Juicio. In 80, Vicente Leñero successfully published several of his documentary books, including: The Drop of Water and the murder: The double crime of Los Flores Muñoz.

Next we will quote in this interesting article an important and brief thought:

I don't like stories to end: not in film, not in literature, not in life. There always have to be more possibilities, more paths, more answers.

In 1956, Vicente Leñero obtained his degree as a journalist and from that moment he became the teacher of several generations of journalism professionals, due to his multiple obligations he had to be absent from his work as a teacher.

However, in 1985 he returned to his journalism chair. In the course of that same year, the writer published his non-fiction murder novel, the double of the Flores Muñoz.

In 1986, the Journalism Manual was published, a work he worked on in 1961, consisting of 40 lessons. Before the manual was published, there was a dispute over its authorship between journalist Carlos Marín Martínez and the writer, but despite these conflicts, Leñero decided to give full credit to Marín, refuting that the journalist had written the Manual based on notes he had given him.

Venturing into other genres, the writer made great cinematographic works. He made 18 feature film scripts, thus giving an important boost to Mexican cinema.

Four times he won the ariel award, A film award given by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences to professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, technicians, and producers. He won this award for: Mariana, Mariana (1987), The Alley of Miracles (1993)

Herod's Law (1999), and the crime of Father Amaro (2002) managed to become one of the most successful Mexican films. The film was inspired by the novel of the same name. Eca de Queiros. He was part of the elaboration of the script of the film the doodle (2008). Based on the homonymous novel of her authorship, among her various responsibilities was directing the literary workshop at the General Society of Writers of Mexico, a workshop that took place only on Thursdays.

On March 11, 2010, he was appointed full member of the Mexican Academy of Language. A year later (2011) he took possession of the XXVIII chair with the speech "In defense of dramaturgy" on September 21 of that same year together with José Agustín Mexican writer known for the so-called literature of the waves was awarded the Bellas medal Arts of Mexico, awarded by the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA), this medal is the highest award given by INBA.

Added to his delirium for writing each text, script, novel, among others. He reflected the obsessive care by which Vicente Leñero writes his copies and with great discipline, writing by hand over and over again, as many times as necessary, in order to achieve the quality of his work.

Leñero had a great love and passion for chess, which he made known in his novel the life that goes away.

His passion and commitment to chess led him to the International Chess Federation, where he became champion in 2005, defeating chess master Veselin Topalov.

The journalist and playwright Vicente Leñero, who matured at an early age, despite his superstitious thoughts, affirmed that thanks to his faith in Christ he did not fear death.

Career path

The professional career of the writer was developed in the world of arts and letters. Here are the most significant works of his-

Film Works

The best-known cinematographic works of Vicente Leñero were:

Mariana, Mariana

This was an adaptation of José Emilio Pacheco's novel, which tells the story of Carlito who falls in love with his friend's mother. Directed by Alberto Isaac.

The Alley of Miracles

Considered by critics as one of the great successes that Leñero would create with Jorge Fons, Mexican film director, it was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Naguih Mahfuz that with its narrative style surprised as it told, chapters and different types of view of life according to the characters of a neighborhood.

Vicente Leñero was internationally recognized, and his films won the GOYA award for best Ibero-American film, and his narrative was recognized with an honorable mention at the Berlin Festival.

Herod's Law

On this occasion, Leñero, in this political film about the corruption of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, changed the genre to Satire, considered one of the playwright's first projects in cinema.

The Crime of Father Amaro

This work was made by Leñero and Carrera and is an adaptation of the homonymous work by the writer from Eca de Queiroz, in its context it narrates a tragic romance between the priest and a beautiful woman from the town, this was recognized and nominated for the Oscar Awards and the Golden Globe.

In 1994, he published his interview with Subcomandante Marcos in Proceso magazine, which received widespread international coverage. That same year, he was awarded the Manuel Buendía Prize for his career.

In 1998, he was decorated with the Fernando Benítez Award for Cultural Journalism, on the occasion of the Celebration of the Fair of Guadalajara Book.

Literary Works of Vicente Leñero

In the course of his life he executed different creations of all kinds from novels, stories, participation in magazines and much more.

Novels

There were many stories that he made, among them are:

• 1961 – The sore voice
• 1964 – The masons
• 1965 – Studio Q
• 1967 – The Doodle
• 1972 – Sheepfold
• 1978 – The journalists
• 1979 – The Gospel of Lucas Gavilán
• 1983 – The drop of water
• 1985 – Murder. The double crime of the Flores Muñoz
• 1999 – The life that goes away

Tales of Vicente Leñero

There are various stories that we find and the ones that stand out the most are:

• 1959 – The dust storm and other stories
• 1981 – A mixed bag.
• "The dust", "The dead bricklayer", "Rage", "San Tarsicio", "Camino de tierra", "Pity", "Next September", "Zona rosa".
• 2002 – Self-portrait at 33 and six stories Feeling of guilt”, “Flashbacks”, “Played piece”, “Stanley Ryan”, “Where did I put my glasses”, “The day Carlos Salinas”, “The city in the center ”.
• 2008 – People like that, truths and lies. 2013 – More people like this
• 2017 – Much more people like this
• “To smoke or not to smoke”, “To the harassment of Marcos”, “Yulieth”, “Funeral prayers”, “The devil's locker”, “Manual for sellers”, “Tomorrow my father is going to die”, “The chess of Capablanca”, “The crush”, “The little thorn of Alfonso Reyes”, “The night of Lightning López”, “Queen Frederika”.

published theater

Among Vicente Leñero's theater works there is a great variety:

• 1969 – People rejected
• 1970 – The masons
• 1972 – The trial: the jury of León Toral and mother Conchita
• 1980 – The move
• 1980 – The White Nights
• 1981 – The visit of the angel
• 1981 – Martyrdom of Morelos
• 1981 – Documentary Theater Includes: Rejected People; Companion; the judgment
• 1985 – They will fight ten rounds
• 1986 – Jesus Christ Gomez
• 1987 – Do you remember Rulfo, Juan José Arreola? interview at an event
• 1989 – Hell (paraphrase of “Hell”, first part of the Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
• 1989 – Lady
• 1989 – Three plays (Nobody knows anything, Jesus Christ Gomez, Martyrdom of Morelos)
• 1992 – The night of Hernán Cortés

In this interesting article about the biography of the Mexican playwright, novelist, journalist, civil engineer, and film and television screenwriter Vicente Leñero, we will quote an important and brief thought:

I started studying journalism because I thought they would teach me how to write there. Writing was a huge effort for me, and it always has been. I'm not a writer: although I've written many things, half of them I shouldn't have written.

published scripts

• 1982 – Righteous for sinners. Three film scripts (“Assassination”, “The bricklayers”, “Life imprisonment”)
• 1995 – Miroslava
• 1997 – The Alley of Miracles (adapted from the novel by Naguib Mahfuz)
• 2003 – Father Amaro (adaptation of the novel by Eça de Queiroz)

Essay, memoirs, testimonials and others

• 1967 – Early Autobiography
• 1974 – Trip to Cuba
• 1982 – Live from the theater
• 1989 – Jorge's footsteps
• 1990 – Live from theater II
• 1992-Full Body

Children's Stories

• 1997 – The little cord worked as an editor
• 1976 – He who does it pays. Eight Famous Detectives Production as a writer
• 1968 – People rejected
• 1969 – The Bricklayers (premiered at the Antonio Caso Theater in Mexico City on June 27, 1969, directed by Ignacio Retes)
• 1970 – Companion
• 1971 – The tent
• 1972 – The trial: (the jury of León Toral and mother Conchita)
• 1972 – The children of Sánchez
• 1979 – The move
• 1980 – Alice, maybe
• 1981 – The White Nights

Screenplays written for film

Thanks to Leñero's participation in the cinema, we find:

• 1973 – The Monastery of the Vultures (directed by Francisco del Villar) (Script written with the director; modification of the play Pueblo Rejectado)
• 1975 – The cry of the turtle (director Francisco del Villar) (Script made together with the director)
  1976 – The Bricklayers (directed by Jorge Fons) (Screenplay written with Jorge Fons and Luis Carrión; theatrical adaptation and novel of the same name)
• 1978 – Los de abajo (Servando González) (Script written with the director based on the novel of the same name by Mariano Azuela)
• 1978 – Life sentence based on the novel Lo de antes by Luis Spota)
• 1979 – When the spiders weave (director Roberto Gavaldón) Screenplay written with Fernando Galiana and Francisco del Villar)
• 2002 – The Crime of Father Amaro (dir. Carlos Carrera (Based on the homonymous novel by José María Eça de Queirós)
• 2003 – The move (dir. Lourdes Elizarrarás and Gabriel Retes) (Script written with Gabriel Retes)
• 2006 – Out of the sky (dir. Javier Patron) (Script written with Guillermo Ríos)

Journalism

Vicente Leñero was widely accepted in his journalistic work. We will name you below:

• 1968 – The right to cry and other reports
• 1972 – The pink zone and other reports
• 1986 – Manual of journalism (with Carlos Marín)
• 1989 – journalistic talacha
• 2007 – Emergency Journalism (A new edition of Journalistic talacha reorganized and increased with seven new texts)
• 2019 – Journalism only. Compilation of texts published in Proceso from 1976 to 2015.

Vicente Leñero Awards & Accolades

Vicente Leñero, was awarded several prizes and evocations throughout his career as a writer, among the most outstanding prizes the following can be mentioned:

• 1963 Brief Library Award with the novel Los albañiles
• He received the 1987 Mazatlan Prize for Literature with the volume Pure stories
• Xavier Villaurrutia Award 2001
• He is awarded the National Prize for Sciences and Arts in the area of ​​Linguistics and Literature 20017
• Silver Mayahuel 2007 at the Guadalajara International Film Festival for his contributions to Mexican cinema
• Sinaloa Literature Prize 2009, by the Sinaloense Institute of Culture
• He is awarded the Carlos Septién García National Prize for Journalism 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUSYf_73o3w

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Brief review: The Masons

Below we will quote a brief review of the most important and transcendental work of the Mexican playwright, novelist, journalist, civil engineer and film and television screenwriter Vicente Leñero.

This work, "The Bricklayers," inspired the author to pay homage to an engineering professional, which was never realized. The story is about Don Jesús, a construction supervisor at a building under construction, in which writer Vicente Leñero explores the miseries and needs of human nature, which many people and a system of government steeped in corruption suffer.

The death, real or imagined, of the old and ailing night watchman prompts confessions from the workers who worked with him and the staff who surrounded him. The writer poses a question to the reader: Who is to blame? Or who isn't?

We hope this article has been of interest to you. We would like to know which author you want us to write about.