José Soler Puig

An important Cuban novelist who achieved great prestige in literature from his first novel, a rare occurrence that consecrated him on the path of narrative creation. He obtained the Casa de las Américas Prize in 1960, in its first edition, with the novel Bertillón 166; the Annual Literary Criticism Prize in 1982 for the work A World of Things and in 1986 he was awarded the National Literature Prize in recognition of his literary trajectory.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba. He completed his primary and secondary education in his native city.

According to an interview, at the age of 15 he set out to write a story a day; however, after a long period he would want to burn them, but his attempt would fail, as a friend rescued them from the fire and later, thanks to the good judgment of the latter, they would be published.

Some time later, Carteles Magazine published another story, and then he felt something more than curiosity, although afterward the miracle would not happen again. He moved to Guantánamo (Oriente) and later to the Isle of Pines, where he worked in a coconut oil factory. Subsequently he moved to Gibara, also in the eastern part of the Island.

During his life he held numerous occupations: he worked as a day laborer, street vendor, sugarcane cutter, house painter, coffee picker, lottery ticket seller, and brake fluid vendor.

In 1959 he moved to Havana, where he wrote for film and radio. In 1960 he won, with Bertillón 166, the novel prize in the first Casa de las Américas competition. Returning to Santiago de Cuba, he began studies, which he left incomplete, in the School of Letters at the University of Oriente.

His works appeared, among others, in the magazines Galería, Taller Literario and Cultura ´64; in Havana he collaborated in Cúspide, Carteles, the literary magazine of the newspaper Noticias de hoy, Lunes de Revolución and El Caimán Barbudo.

He wrote several theatrical works, including El macho y el guanajo, staged by the dramatic ensemble of Oriente. He was a screenwriter for the Cuban Institute of Broadcasting. His novels have been translated into several languages. Among the best known are: In the Year of January (1963), The Collapse (1964), The Sleeping Bread (1975), The Big House (1977) and A World of Things (1984).

He died on August 2, 1996 at the age of 80.

Active Bibliography
Ánima sola, Editorial Letras Cubanas, Havana, 1996.
Año nuevo, Ediciones Caserón, Santiago de Cuba, 1989.
[[Bertillón 166]], Ministry of Education and Casa de las Américas, Havana, 1960. (Novel)
Bertillón 166, Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 2000. (Novel)
El caserón, Editorial Unión, Havana 1976.
El caserón, Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 1995.
El caserón, University of Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 1964.
El derrumbe, University of Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 1964.
El derrumbe, Letras Cubanas, Havana, 1981.
En el año de enero, Ediciones Unión, Havana, 1963.
Los cuentos de José Soler Puig, Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 1999.
El nudo, Letras Cubanas, Havana, 1983.
El pan dormido, UNEAC, Havana, 1975.
El pan dormido, National Literature Prize Collection, Letras Cubanas, Havana, 2000.
Un mundo de cosas, Ediciones Unión, Havana, 1982.
Un mundo de cosas, Heredia Collection, Santiago de Cuba, 1986.
Una mujer, Ediciones Caserón, Santiago de Cuba, 1987.
Una mujer, Ediciones Caserón, Santiago de Cuba, 1990.

Passive Bibliography
AIN (Las Tunas):"Tribute to Soler Puig", Granma, Havana, 22/6/87:5.
Alonso Yodú, Odette: "Celebrating the I Meeting of Literary Research", Perfil de Stgo, Santiago de Cuba, 1(19):2, Oct. 24 1987.
Álvarez Álvarez, Luis: "The Sleeping Bread: time and perspective", Letters, culture in Cuba, People and Education, Vol. VII, pp. 361-377, Havana, 1992.
____: "On literary time and space in the narrative of José Soler Puig", Scientific Tribute Meeting to José Soler Puig and José A. Portuondo (Proceedings), pp. 76-93, Santiago de Cuba, November 1986.
Álvarez García, Imeldo: "Assault on Heaven: from Bertillón 166 to El Cdte veneno and El Candidato", in his The Cuban Novel in the 20th Century, Ed. Letras Cubanas, pp. 58-127, Havana, 1980.
____: "From Man to Man", El caimán barbudo, Havana, (109): 7, Dec. 1976. On the Cuban author and his novel The Sleeping Bread.
____: "JSP: enamored will", in his Glosses and Critiques, Havana, (152): 4-5, Jan. 1977.
Arango, Arturo: "From Paradiso to The Sleeping Bread", Unión, No.3, pp. 50-59, 1987.
Augier, Ángel: "In the Year of January", University of Havana (Magazine), Havana, (165): 88-89, Jan-Feb 1964.
____: "Tribute to Soler Puig", Bohemia, Havana, 68 (48): 35, Nov. 1976.
Baragaño, José A.: "The Master Among the Tobacco Workers", Unión, Havana, 1 (1): /109/-113, May-Jun. 1982. (Debate of the novel by José Soler Puig, The Master, in the H. Upman tobacco factory).
Barroco, Ríos, Carlos M.: "Short Story Writing: an aspiration; Novel Writing: a reality", Sierra Maestra, Stgo. de Cuba, Nov. 18 /84:/4/. Interview conducted with JSP who discusses narrative in Stgo. de Cuba and his work.
Benedetti, Mario: "The Feat of a Provincial", Santiago, No. 28, pp. 52-66, Santiago de Cuba, December 1977.
Benítez Rojo, Antonio: "The Sleeping Bread: toward a new perspective", Casa de las Américas, Year XIX, No. 112, pp. 150-161, Havana, January-February 1979.
Bonet, Padrón: "El nudo", new novel by José Soler Puig will be launched today at the Provincial Book Fair, Sierra Maestra, Santiago de Cuba, Dec. 23. 1983.
Bondet, Rosa Ileana: "Conversation in Santiago, Revolution and Culture, Havana, (46): /81/-84, Jun. 1976. ill.
Bueno, Salvador: "B166: the novel of the insurrection", Carteles, Havana, 41 (28): 34, Jul. No. 1960.
Cámara, Madeline: "To Untie The Knot", Revolution and Culture, Havana, June, 1984.
Cardoso, Onelio Jorge: "From Bertillón to Salt", People and Culture, Havana, (11): 3-5, 1963.
____: "Words in Soler's Seventies", Gaceta de Cuba, Havana, (152): 3-4, Jan. 1977.
Carpentier, Alejo: "B166", Lunes de Rev., Havana, Feb. 15. 1980:18.
Catalán, José: "The Bourgeoisie Collapses", El caimán barbudo, Havana, (5): 23, Aug. 1966.
Cedeño Pineda, Reynaldo: "JSP beyond his works", Perfil de Santiago, Santiago de Cuba, 2 (36): /8/, Jun 25, 1988. ill.
Cuza Malé, Belkis: "Dialogue with Soler Puig", Bohemia, Year 57, No. 9, p. 25, Havana, February 25, 1965.
Figueroa Esteva, Max: "Semantic Keys in The Collapse", Cuban Literature Review, Year 1, No.1, pp. 45-59, Havana, July, 1983.
Fornes, Enmanuel: "Approach to The Sleeping Bread", University of Havana Review, Havana (213): 62-72, January-April, 1982.
Fornet, Ambrosio: "From Provincial to Provincial", Cultura´ 64, Year 1, No.8, pp. 6-7, Santiago de Cuba, August 1964.
Galano Gilarte, Nélida H: "Continuity and Rupture in José Soler Puig's Novels", Scientific Tribute Meeting to José Soler Puig and José A. Portuondo (Proceedings), pp. 140-151, Santiago de Cuba, November 1986.
____: "The Narrative World of José Soler Puig", Letras Cubanas, Havana, 1985.
González Bolaños, Aimée: "A Different Way of Narrating", in Scientific Tribute Meeting to José Soler Puig and José A. Portuondo (Proceedings), pp. 113-138, Santiago de Cuba, November 1986.
Hart Dávalos, Armando: "At the Tribute to Soler Puig", Casa de las A., Havana, 23 (133) 8-15, July-August. 1982.
Hernández, Jorge Luis and Aida Bahr: Conversation with José Soler Puig, Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 1991.
Hernández, Jorge Luis: "Pure Fire", La Gaceta de Cuba, Havana.
Layve Guerra, Juan: "Soler Against Soler", Interview conducted with José Soler Puig in 1981-83. Unpublished.
Marques, Bernardo: "JSP", Bohemia, Havana, 68 (2):26, Jan. 9, 1976.
____: "Yes to Soler Puig", Bohemia, Havana, 69 (23): 29, Jun 10, 1977.
Menton, Seymour: Prose Fiction of the Cuban Revolution, University of Texas Press, Austin and London, 1975.
Neiva Villar, José: "The Creative Will of Soler Puig", Chemistry, Havana, (9): 48-49, Sep. 1977.
Noderau Maceo, Defrain: Lecture "Regarding the Novels of José Soler Puig", Sierra Maestra, Santiago de Cuba, Feb. 27 1979: 3.
Oráa, Francisco de: "A Conjecture about The Big House", Unión, Havana, (1): 159-161, Jan-Mar. 1979.
Otero, José Manuel: "The Seventies of Soler Puig and the 25th of Bertillón 166", Granma, Havana, Nov. 8, 1986:4.
____: "The Narrative Work of JSP", Sierra Maestra, Stgo. de Cuba, Apr. 13.1986 /4/.
Papastamatiú, Basilia: "The Knot: an Invitation to Delve into the Problems of Our Society", Juventud Rebelde, Havana, Feb. 29, 1984:4.
Parra, Risell: "Notes on A World of Things, by José Soler Puig", The Sea and the Mountain, No.1, Guantánamo, 1987.
Paz, Senel: "Soler at the End of a Novel", Revolution and Culture, Havana (7): 2-7, Jul. 1985.
Pérez, Ezequiel: "A Pioneer of Contemporary Cuban Novels", Bohemia, Havana, 72 (29): 14-18, Jul. 22, 1983. ill.
Pérus, Francoise: "The Sleeping Bread, by José Soler Puig", Káñina, Vol X, No.1, University of Costa Rica, pp. 39-46, January-June 1986.
Pogolotti, Graziella: "The Novelist of Waiting", Granma, Havana, Mar. 15, ´83: 3.
Portuondo, José Antonio: "José Soler Puig and the Novel of the Cuban Revolution", Bibliography Bulletin, Santiago de Cuba, (5): 2-5, May, 1964. ill.
____: "Prologue to the novel The Collapse by José Soler Puig".
____: "Prologue to José Soler Puig The Sleeping Bread", Editorial of Art and Literature, pp. 7-9, Havana, 1977.
Puñal, Francisco Lázaro: "B166", Bohemia, Havana, 67 (29): July 25 1975.
Querejeta, Alejandro: "Conversation with José Soler Puig", Santiago, Santiago de Cuba, 5/29/75:3.
Redonet Cook, Salvador: "(Almost) Six Years Later. A Conversation with José Soler Puig)", Letras Cubanas, Year III, No. 11, pp. 149-245, Havana, January-June 1989.
____: "The Narrator in José Soler Puig's Novels", Letters, culture in Cuba, People and Education, Vol. VII, pp. 321-348, Havana,1992.
Repilado, Ricardo: "Some Roads to The Sleeping Bread", Santiago, Santiago de Cuba, (20): 257-290, Dec. 1975.
____: "The Novelistic Work of José Soler Puig", in his Harvest from Two Plots, Editorial Letras Cubanas, pp. 202-257, Havana, 1985.
Rivero García, José: "The Big House", El caimán barbudo, Havana, (111):25, Feb. 1977.
Rodríguez Coronel, Rogelio: "The New Novel by José Soler Puig in the Seventies", Del Caribe, Santiago de Cuba, 1 (3-4): 21-22, Jan-Jun., 1984.
____: The Novel of the Cuban Revolution (1959-1979), Editorial Letras Cubanas, Havana, 1986.
Rodríguez Sosa, Fernando: "The Latest from José Soler Puig", Bohemia, Havana, May 13, 1977.
____: "Another Exemplary Lesson from Soler Puig", Casa de las Américas, 24 (143): 153-159, Mar.-Apr., Havana, 1984.
____: "Soler Puig: like any other Santiago de Cuba native", Revolution and Culture, Havana, 127:22-25/3/83.
Rojas, Marta: "Soler Puig is preparing a new novel... A Woman", Granma, Havana, May 3, 1986: 3.
Rosales, Arsenio J.: "The Big House: Psychopathology and Violence in José Soler Puig", Literary Workshops 1980.
Saruski, Jaime: "José Soler Puig", Bohemia, Havana, 69 (35):86-87,Sep. 2, 1977.
____: "José Soler Puig on His 60th Anniversary", Bohemia, Havana, 68 (48): 34, Nov. 26, 1976.
Sexto, Luis: "José Soler Puig. The Secrets of the Trade", Bohemia, Havana, 80 (45): 34-36, Nov. 4, 1988.
Soler Puig José: "Confessions of a Santiago de Cuba Native", Bohemia, Havana, 80 (53): 90-99, Dec., 30, 1988.
____: "Reality and Memory of...", Revolution and Culture, Havana, 98-99: 8-9, Oct.-Nov., 1980.
"Soler Puig and Portuondo Have Earned a Top Place in Hispanic Letters", Granma, Havana, 11/13/86:5.
Vázquez, Antonio: Soler Receives the Order "Félix Varela", The Big House, Santiago de Cuba (1), 9-10, Mar., 1983.