Roberto José Méndez Martínez

Poet, essayist, art critic, literary researcher, and narrator. Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of La Habana, Cuba (1980). Doctor in Art Sciences from the Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana (2000). He holds the scientific rank of Auxiliary Researcher and the teaching rank of Auxiliary Professor. He has been Professor of History and Culture of Cuba since 2013 at the Instituto de Estudios Eclesiásticos Padre Félix Varela.

His research focus is on the History of Catholic, academic, and cultural personalities and institutions in Cuba (Father Felipe Rey de Castro and the Catholic University Group) and interdisciplinary artistic, linguistic, and literary studies in Spanish America. (Elements of Christian spirituality in the work of José Martí).

Roberto has delivered lectures or readings of his work at cultural and educational institutions in Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and South Korea.

He is a member of the National Council of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and of the Executive Committee of the Association of Writers of Cuba. He also belongs to the Union of Historians of Cuba (UNHIC).

He holds the Distinction "For National Culture." He has recently been appointed by His Holiness Benedict XVI as Consultant of the Pontifical Council for Culture, representing Latin America.

He has published approximately thirty volumes of poetry, essays, criticism, and narrative works, in addition to having been included in more than twenty anthologies and collective works.

He has written forewords to works by San Juan de la Cruz, Cintio Vitier, José Lezama Lima, and Roberto Fernández Retamar, among other authors. He is also the founder and coordinator of the Poetry Workshop at the "Dulce María Loynaz" Cultural Center and has served as a judge for major national and international competitions held in the country.

He won the "Nicolás Guillén" Poetry Prize in 2000 and the "Alejo Carpentier" Essay Prize in 2007. He has received the Annual Critics' Prize on four occasions.

Corresponding Member of the Cuban Academy of Language since 2006, later accepted the following year as Corresponding Member in residence, he was elected in February 2009 as a Full Member. In February 2022 he was elected director of the Cuban Academy of Language.

Published Works
Published Books

Carta de relación (poetry), La Habana, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1988.

Manera de estar solo (poetry) La Habana, Editorial Unión, 1989.

Desayuno sobre la hierba con máscaras (poetry), Camagüey. Editorial Ácana, 1991.

El fuego en el festín de la sabiduría (essay), Matanzas, Ediciones Vigía, 1992.

Desayuno sobre la hierba con máscaras (poetry), La Habana, Ediciones Unión, 1993.

Elogio de la máquina voladora (criticism), La Habana, Editoral Universidad de La Habana, Departamento de Extensión Universitaria, 1994.

Cifra de la granada (essay), Matanzas, Ediciones Vigía, 1994.

Conversación con el ciervo (poetry), Camagüey, Editorial Ácana, 1994.

Música de cámara para los delfines (poetry), La Habana, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1995.

Soledad en la plaza de la Vigía (poetry), Matanzas, Ediciones Vigía, 1995.

Variaciones de Jeremías Sullivan (novel), La Habana, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1999.

Cuaderno de Aliosha (poetry), Editorial Ácana, 2000.

El ballet: guía para espectadores (essay), Editorial Oriente, 2000.

La dama y el escorpión (essay), Editorial Oriente, 2000.

Viendo acabado tanto reino fuerte (poetry), Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2001.

Imagen fragmentada de la ciudad (essay, in collaboration with Ana María Pérez), Camagüey, Editorial Acana, 2001.

Elogio de la noche (essay), Sed de Belleza, Santa Clara, 2002.

Los cuerpos del siglo (criticism), Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, 2002.

Libro del invierno (poetry), Editorial Letras Cubanas, La Habana, 2002.

Los misterios de la Ópera (essay), Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 2002.

Leyendas y tradiciones del Camagüey (narrative), Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, 2003.

José María Heredia, la utopía restituida (essay), Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 2003.

San Juan de la Cruz: Cántico espiritual (selection, foreword, chronology and notes), Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, 2004.

Castillo interior (essay), Editorial Capiro, Santa Clara, 2004.

Otra mirada a La Peregrina (novel), Letras Cubanas, 2007.

Amalia Simoni. Una vida oculta (co-authored with Ana María Pérez Pino) (biography), Nuevo Milenio, 2009.

Ritual del necio (novel), Letras Cubanas, La Habana, 2010. (Literary Criticism Prize 2011).

Los misterios de la Ópera (essay), Editorial Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, 2014

Passive Bibliography

Cuba: en su lugar la poesía. Compilation: Víctor Rodríguez. Cuadernos Temporales 9. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Azcapotzalco, Mexico, 1982.

Usted es la culpable. Nueva poesía cubana. Compilation: Víctor Rodríguez. Editora Abril, Habana, 1985.

Viento y pájaros. Comp: Pavel Grushkó. Editorial Joven Guardia, Moscow, 1985.

Un grupo avanza silencioso. Compilation Gaspar Aguilera. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1990.

No me dan pena los burgueses vencidos. Compilation: Luis Suardíaz. Editorial Unión, 1990.

Anuario 1994. Poesía. Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, Habana, 1995.

El pasado del cielo. Compilation: Víctor Rodríguez. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia, 1994.

Los ríos de la mañana. Compilation: Norberto Codina. Editorial Unión, Habana, 1995.

Donde irrumpe la luz. Compilation: Jorge Yglesias. Ediciones Diálogo. Universidad del Magdalena. Colombia, 1995.

Pórtico. Compilation: León Estrada. Ediciones Pórtico, Brazil, 1997.

La isla poética. Compilation: Jorge Luis Arcos. Editorial Unión, 1998.

Arpa de troncos vivos. Compilation: César López. Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1999.

Las palabras son islas. Compilation: Jorge Luis Arcos. Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1999.

Antología de la poesía cubana. Compilation: Álvaro Salvador and Ángel Esteban. Madrid, Verbum, 2002.

Foreword Works

Cintio Vitier: Poemas de mayo y junio, Matanzas, Ediciones Vigía, 1991

César López: Silencio en voz de muerte. La Habana, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2005.

Marcos Tamames: La ciudad como texto cultural. Camagüey: 1514 - 1837. Editorial Ácana, 2005.

Luciano Castillo: Carpentier en el reino de la imagen. Ediciones Unión, 2006.

José Lezama Lima: Paradiso. Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2006.

Work as Judge

2002: Judge of the Nicolás Guillén Poetry Prize (Instituto Cubano del Libro)

2002: Judge of the Rafael Alberti International Poetry Prize (Rafael Alberti Foundation and Universidad de La Habana)

2004: Judge of the Casa de las Américas Prize – Poetry.

Awards and Distinctions
Alejo Carpentier Prize 2017 (Essay)

1989: Letra y Solfa Criticism Prize. Centro Alejo Carpentier. La Habana.
1991: March 13 Criticism Prize. Universidad de La Habana.
1992: Poetry Prize Revolución y cultura.
1992: Award Seal from the National Union of Culture Workers
1993: Poetry Prize for the Tercentenary of the City of Matanzas.
1999: Oriente Essay Prize, for the book La dama y el escorpión.
2000: Literary Criticism Prize for his essay La dama y el escorpión.
2000: Espejo de Paciencia Distinction
2000: Diploma for Pedagogical Merit from the Ministry of Culture.
Nicolás Guillén National Poetry Prize.
2001: Literary Criticism Prize for his poetry book Viendo acabado tanto reino fuerte.
2002: Silvestre de Balboa Prize, Centro Provincial del Libro y la Literatura, Camagüey, in recognition of his overall body of work.
2002: Distinction For National Culture.
2002: Distinction 488th Anniversary of the Founding of the Town, Camagüey.
2002: Jorge Luis Betancourt Distinction, UNEAC, Camagüey.
2002: Adopted Son and Key of the Municipality of Guáimaro.
2003: Razón de ser Prize. Fundación Alejo Carpentier.
Literary Criticism Prize for his essay José María Heredia, la utopía restituida.
2004: International Essay Prize for the Bicentenary of José María Heredia. (Toluca, Mexico)
2004: Distinction 490th Anniversary of the Founding of the Town, Camagüey.
2007: Alejo Carpentier Novel Prize for his work Otra mirada a la peregrina
2010: Alejo Carpentier Novel Prize for his work Ritual del necio
2011: Mariano Picón Salas International Essay Prize for his work El tiempo dorado por el Nilo; otra lectura de José Lezama Lima.
2017: Alejo Carpentier Essay Prize for his work Plácido en el laberinto de la Ilustración.

LECTURES
Nicolás Guillén and Carlos Enríquez: confluences in El son entero. University of Zaragoza, Spain, October 2001.
The poetics of José Lezama Lima. Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), Guadalajara, Mexico, December 2001.
Paradiso, the architecture of the absolute. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Tlatelolco Building, February 2010.
Introduction to a poetic system. UNAM, Casa del Lago "Juan José Arreola", February 2010.
Andrés Bello and José María Heredia, two founders. Library, Fundación "Rómulo Gallegos", Caracas, October 2011.
Ethics and spirituality in The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. Museo Iconográfico del Quijote, Guanajuato, Mexico, November 2014.
Santa Teresa and her time. Casa de la Poesía, La Habana, April 2015.
May 20, 1902: a current perspective. Aula Magna, Instituto de Estudios Eclesiásticos "Padre Félix Varela", May 2015.
Giselle are you. Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura, La Habana, 2015.
Catholic education in Cuba: balance and perspectives. Prima lectio at the opening ceremony of the 2015-16 school year, Aula Magna, Instituto de Estudios Eclesiásticos "Padre Félix Varela", October 2015.
Verbum, Espuela de Plata and Nadie Parecía: three magazines and one resistance. Academia Cubana de la Lengua, Fernando Ortiz Room of the San Gerónimo School, November 2015.
Church-State Relations in Cuba (1959-2015). Some milestones. Aula Bartolomé de las Casas, Convent San Juan de Letrán of the Order of Preachers, November 2015.
God's time and man's time. Centro de Espiritualidad Loyola, April 2016.
May 20. "Dulce M. Loynaz" Library, Faith and Culture Loyola Center (Sagrado Corazón de Reina Parish), May 2016.
Rafael Montoro, the man of the impossible. Academia Cubana de la Lengua, Fernando Ortiz Room of the San Gerónimo School, May 2016.
Mariano Brull, the man, the poet. Academia Cubana de la Lengua, Fernando Ortiz Room of the San Gerónimo School, December 2016.
Varela and Luz, educators for all times. At the opening of the annual meeting of the Chair of Pedagogical Studies "José de la Luz y Caballero" of the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Pedagógicas "Enrique José Varona". Walfredo Piñera Hall, "Padre Félix Varela" Cultural Center, April 2017.

PUBLICATIONS
Articles (only the most important ones are listed)
"El fuego en el festín de la sabiduría", Revista Epéctasis. Universidad Pontificia de México
(December 1991).
"José Lezama Lima, from fabulous cities to the imago", Revolución y Cultura. No. 1, (January-February 1993).
"Poetry and forgetfulness of Father Gaztelu", La Gaceta de Cuba, No. 3, (May-June 1994).
"Mariano Brull, introduction to transparency", Letras Cubanas. No. 20, (1994).
"Amelia, the defining logos", La Gaceta de Cuba, No. 5, (September-October 1996).
"The dream of reason in Juana de Asbaje", Cuadrivium. No. 7. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, (February 1996).
"María Zambrano, prophetess of ruins", La Gaceta de Cuba, No.2, (March-April, 1999).
"Painting and engraving in the poetry of Eliseo Diego", Revista del Caribe, Santiago de Cuba, no.29, (1999).
"Seven gestures about Gestures". Severo Sarduy. Written on a face. Compilation by Oneyda González. Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, (2003).
"Eliseo Diego against time and shadow". República de las letras. Colegial Association of Writers of Spain. No.91-92, (2005).
"Gómez, without a smile or a tear". Máximo Gómez 100 years. Selection by Ana Cairo. Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, (2006).
"Carpentier-Vivaldi, opera as allegory of history". Alejo Carpentier: here and there.
Selection by Luisa Campuzano. University of Pittsburgh, United States, 2007.
"Amalia Simoni". Emigrazione e presenza italiana in Cuba, Volume VIII. Collection of historical studies edited by Domenico Capolongo. B. G. Duns Scoto Cultural Circle, Roccarainola, Italy, (2009).
"Miguel Hernández, as in a song". Presence of Miguel Hernández in Cuba.
Anthology of texts (1937-2008). Selection and introduction by Concepción Allende and Aitor Larralde. Miguel Hernández Cultural Foundation of Orihuela, (2009).
"A Dio per la bellezza". Nuova Umanitá. XXXI, November-December, (2009/6).
"Paradiso, the architecture of the absolute". Returns. Approaches to Lezamian poetics. Ediciones La Luz, Holguín, (2010).
"José Lezama Lima, introduction to a poetic system". The games of the index: approaches to José Lezama Lima. Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, 2010.
"Some reflections toward the plenary". Culture and faith. Pontificium Consilium de Cultura. Civitas Vaticana. Vol XIX, no.1, (2011).
"Air, shadow, fountain, flame". In: Readings without borders (Essays on Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda 1990-2012). Compilation by Cira Romero. La Habana, Ediciones Unión, (2013).
"Culture and humanism in Guy Pérez Cisneros". Proceedings of the Colloquium Homage for the Centenary of Guy Pérez Cisneros. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, (2015).
"Like the body of snow – Fina García Marruz and dance". Casa de las Américas, La Habana, no.78, (January-March, 2015).
"Through the dangerous ladies of Social". La Siempreviva, La Habana, no.20 (2015).
"The Church at the service of Cuban education". L'Osservatore Romano, (September 18, 2015)
"Fina and Charlot, the other chimera". La letra del escriba, La Habana, no.135, (May-2015).
"Plácido and Heredia". Plácido in his bicentenary, Academia Cubana de la Lengua, Centenarios Collection, Ediciones Boloña, (2015).
"Return to the Chronicles". Works of Octavio Smith. Compilation and presentation by Enrique Saínz, Ediciones Unión, (2015).
"The accumulative and indecipherable smile of the Cuban. José Lezama Lima and the plastic arts". José Lezama Lima in his centenary, Centenarios Collection, Academia Cubana de la Lengua and Ediciones Boloña, (2016).