Octavio Paz, Mexican Poet, and Nobel Prize Winner

Octavio Paz was a Mexican poet and writer considered to be one of Latin Americas most important literary figures of the 20th century. He was known for his mastery of a wide range of writing styles, including a prolific collection of poetry and non-fiction works, and for his contributions to the cultural history of Latin America. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990. Fast Facts: Octavio Paz Full Name: Octavio Paz LozanoKnown For:  Prolific Mexican poet, writer, and diplomatBorn:  March 31, 1914 in Mexico CityParents:  Octavio Paz Solà ³rzano, Josefina LozanoDied:  April 18, 1998 in Mexico CityEducation:  National Autonomous University of MexicoSelected Works: Sun Stone, Configurations, Eagle or Sun?,  A Draft of Shadows and Other Poems,  The Collected Poems 1957-1987, A Tale of Two Gardens: Poems from India 1952-1995, The Labyrinth of SolitudeAwards and Honors: Nobel Prize for Literature, 1990; Cervantes Prize (Spain), 1981; Neustadt International Prize for Literature, 1982Spouses:  Elena Garro (m. 1937-1959), Marie-Josà © Tramini (m. 1965 until his death)Children: HelenaFamous Quote: â€Å"Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition. Man is the only being who knows he is alone.†Ã‚   Early Life Octavio Paz was born in Mexico City to a prominent family in 1914. His father, Octavio Paz Solà ³rzano, was a lawyer and journalist who also served as legal counsel to Emiliano Zapata, taking part in Zapatas agrarian uprising in 1911. His childhood was spent in the nearby village of Mixoac, where he was raised by his mother, Josefina Lozano, and his paternal grandfather, who had been a writer and intellectual and owned an impressive personal library. After Zapatas assassination in 1919, the family was forced to flee Mexico and live for a time in Los Angeles. The family eventually returned to the Mexican capital, but had lost all their wealth during the Mexican Revolution. Early Works and Political Ideology Paz published his first book of poetry, Luna Silvestre (Wild Moon) in 1933 at the age of 19. He was attending law school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and found himself drawn to leftist politics. He decided to send some of his work to the famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who praised Paz and encouraged him to attend a congress of anti-fascist writers in Spain in 1937. Spain was in the midst of a brutal Civil War (1936-1939), which would lead to four decades of dictatorship by Francisco Franco. Paz, like many other international volunteers, decided to join the Republicans fighting against the fascist-leaning Nationalists. Upon his return to Mexico in 1938, he advocated for the republican cause and founded an important journal, Taller, which published emerging poets and writers. In 1943, he was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship to study American modernist poetry, and spent time in Berkeley, California, and other American cities. Mexican poet Octavio Paz, Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University, with students.   Al Fenn / Getty Images His time abroad led to him being offered a post as Mexico’s cultural attachà © to France in 1946, where he met major figures like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. For the next two decades he served as a Mexican diplomat in Switzerland, Japan, and India. Throughout this period, he continued to write, publishing dozens of works of poetry and prose. In 1968, he resigned his post as a statement of protest against the Mexican governments suppression of student demonstrations during the Olympics. Notwithstanding his leftist views and unlike some of his contemporaries, like Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez, Paz did not support either the socialist Castro regime in Cuba or the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. Even more significantly, he didnt support the Zapatista uprising in 1994. A Poetry Foundation article quotes Paz as stating, Revolution begins as a promise... is squandered in violent agitation, and freezes into bloody dictatorships that are the negation of the fiery impulse that brought it into being. In all revolutionary movements, the sacred time of myth is transformed inexorably into the profane time of history. Pazs Prolific and Diverse Literary Works Paz was incredibly prolific, publishing dozens of works in various styles. Many of Pazs books of poems have been translated into English. They include  Sun Stone (1963), Configurations  (1971),  Eagle or Sun?  (1976),  A Draft of Shadows and Other Poems  (1979), and The Collected Poems 1957-1987  (1987). He also published a number of essay and non-fiction collections. In 1950, Paz published the original, Spanish-language version of The Labyrinth of Solitude, a reflection on the cultural hybridity of Mexicans as mixed-race ancestors of native Indians and Spanish colonizers. It established Paz as a major literary figure and it became a critical text for students of Latin American history. Ilan Stavans writes about Pazs perspective: He saw little point in a one-sided portrayal of Spaniards and other transatlantic newcomers as abusers. After all, their impact on native culture was ubiquitous, undeniable, and indelible. He did not settle for the easy liberal polarity oppressor/oppressed but attempted to understand the side effects of the historical encounter between the Old World and the New. Another aspect of Pazs work often recognized was his tendency to maintain elements of prose—most commonly philosophical thought—in his poetry, and poetic elements in his prose. The Monkey Grammarian (1981) demonstrates the ways Paz integrated elements of poetry with non-fiction writing. Similarly, his 1982 book on Sor Juana Inà ©s de la Cruz, a 17th-century nun writing poetry in New Spain (colonial-era Mexico), was a cultural history as much as it was a biography. Pazs writing was also greatly influenced by his work as a diplomat. For example, living in India as the Mexican ambassador between 1962 and 1968 introduced him to eastern spirituality, which made its way into his writing. The 1997 anthology A Tale of Two Gardens: Poems from India, 1952-1995 includes poems in ancient Sanskrit, and Paz was praised by critics for his thorough understanding of Indian culture. He also met his second wife, French artist Marie-Josà © Tramini, in India. In 2002, Figures and Figurations, a collaborative book that features her artwork and Pazs poems, was published. 11th October 1990: After winning a Nobel Prize for literature, Mexican poet and critic Octavio Paz, seated in an armchair holding papers, laughs while his wife Marie-Jose stands behind him in a suite of the Drake Hotel, New York City.   Fred R. Conrad / Getty Images The Nobel Prize In October 1990, Paz received news that he had won the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first Mexican to do so. Apparently, he had been in the running for several years before this as a finalist. The following year, he published an important literary criticism book called The Other Voice: Essays on Modern Poetry (1991),  where he analyzed contemporary poetry and critiqued postmodernism and consumerism. Legacy Paz’s death in 1998 was announced by then Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, who stated, â€Å"This is an irreplaceable loss for contemporary thought and culture—not just for Latin America but for the entire world.† He was also honored with a memorial service at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Paz left his large literary archive to his widow, Marie-Josà ©. When she died in 2018, the Mexican minister of culture declared Pazs work a national artistic monument in order to guarantee that his archive would remain in Mexico. Sources Octavio Paz. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/octavio-paz, accessed 4 September 2019.MacAdam, Alfred. Octavio Paz, The Art of Poetry No. 42. The Paris Review, 1991. https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2192/octavio-paz-the-art-of-poetry-no-42-octavio-paz, accessed 4 September 2019.Stavans, Ilan. Octavio Paz: A Meditation. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2001.

The Cultural Considerations Involved With Counseling The...

Counseling the LGBT Community Yvette Morales University of the Incarnate Word August 2014 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore various considerations when counseling members of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community (LGBT). When counseling LGBT members, the psychology professional must be aware of various factors that may influence effective treatment. For instance, the historical treatment of the LGBT community by the mental health profession is important to understand in order to make strides at improving institutional attitudes and approaches. Other factors such as community perceptions, interfamily relations and cultural bias are all relevant to successful therapeutic outcomes. This paper aims to discuss these factors in order to present a comprehensive review of the cultural considerations involved with counseling the LGBT community. Cultural competence as it pertains to counseling is a vital skill to possess in today’s ever-changing society. Counseling is a high demand profession which involves interaction with person from all walks of life and all types of backgrounds. As we become more sensitive to cultural diversity around us, we must make an effort to understand those who are different from us. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or LGBT community has come to the forefront of our social consciousness with much media attention given to the issue of marriage equality in many states. Anytime a person deviatesShow MoreRelatedBeing A Homosexual Male Or Female?940 Words   |  4 PagesBecause of the many risks that comes along with being a homosexual youth, it is crucial for professionals to know about certain stigmas and to work towards relieving the obstacles that adolescents face by giving a sheltered, unbiased environment for LGBT youth, keeping in mind the end goal to conceivably diminish their potential hazardous wellbeing. 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Assessing Competency Free Essays

The information provided in the scenario was actually very detailed; however it did not cover everything. There are a few things I would like to know about the suspect. One of the things discussed were his mental issues he has been suffering for quite some time. We will write a custom essay sample on Assessing Competency or any similar topic only for you Order Now What the scenario does not specify is what is determined to be the cause of his illness. The scenario also mentions that he had been taking anti psychosis medicines however it does not say for how long or what kind. As a psychologist it would be crucial for me to find this information out. The reason for this would be that if a patient is taking anti psychosis medicine for a period of time and abruptly stops taking them it could cause the patient to actually go into a psychotic state of mind. The scenario states that the patient was not taking the medicine at the time of the murder. As a psychologist I would want to find out how long he was taking them prior to the murder and when did he stop taking the medicine before the murders occurred. As this persons psychologist in order to completely give them a full review and determine with the best of judgment how competent this person is I would also need to obtain all of the patients mental health records, what type of treatment has been given in the past, rather it was effective or ineffective, what the patients state of mind was at the time of the hospitalization, thus being pre and post functioning of the patient. The most important thing of all when assessing competency in this particular type of case is rather or not the patient understands the full consequences of their actions. In order for a person to be legally declared incompetent to stand trial they must be evaluated and found to not understand the difference between right from wrong. It is morally and legally unethical to prosecute someone who does not understand what they are being prosecuted for. Some people who I would want to contact for collateral information on the patient would be those who have had the closest contact with him. First I would start off with the medical professionals that have had contact with him in the past such as his previous psychologists and doctors. These people would be the best when obtaining the most professional and unbiased opinions about his mental health issues. Next I would interview the patients friends and get their personal opinions on what type of behavior they have experienced with the patient. The true character of the patient would be most accurately revealed here because they are friends not nessicarily people who have negatively affected him. If anything these would be the people who have most likely kept him in control of his feelings because they would be the ones who are his support network. Friends can be someone he could talk to without personal judgment and ridicule. Family members of course would also be crucial in getting information about the patient because they are the ones who interact with him on a daily basis. In the scenario it says that he has been especially violent towards family members for example he had violently attacked his sister in an attempt to seriously hurt or otherwise kill her. Finally I might want to contact previous employers and teachers. These people would be able to give their testimony about his character on a professional level. Past school teachers may be able to shed some light on his social status when it comes to interaction with his peers. For example I would find out things like was he a loner, was he social or anti-social, was he quiet or was he very out spoken, and did he ever show any type of aggressive behavior towards other students or teachers. He may have been teased in school so I would want to find out if that situation has occurred. Those who are ridiculed by their peers will tend to act out in adverse ways. It is very hard to determine rather or not the patient is competent to stand trial or not. There is just too much information missing. I would need to conduct a better evaluation of the patient myself instead of going by the information obtained in the scenario report. For instance I would have to evaluate the patient by reviewing how his mental state is before taking the anti-psychosis medicine; and then conduct a study of how his behavior is when he is taking the anti-psychotics. Then I would have to determine if any of his past behaviors are possibly linked to not taking the medicine or not. In the scenario it says that he was taking anti-psychosis medicine for a period of time however he was not taking them at the time of the murder. I would want to find out what type of medicine he was on, how it was working for him, and when he stopped. If he just abruptly stopped taking the medicine it could have caused his lucid state of mind and caused the actions that had occurred. However if he was on anti-psychotic medicine and still believed stuff like the delusions he was experiencing pertaining to the mayor being part of the CIA and his sister needing to be destroyed then it is highly unlikely that he is even remotely competent to stand trial. In order to assess his competency I would need to ask a series of questions. I would want to ask things like : Can you explain to me the charges that are being pressed against you? Can you tell me some of the consequences that could occur if you are convicted? What happened to your parents that has brought you to this situation? What could some of the verdicts be? What are some of the consequences of those verdicts? Basically just to get an understanding of rather or not the patient thoroughly understands the charges that are brought against them and some of the consequences of those charges. I would also want to determine if the patient understands the entire trial process and the role that each person plays within the trial. If I was called to testify on behalf of my professional opinion of the risk of future violence of the victim I would. However I would make it clear that when the patient is taking his anti-psychosis medicine his symptoms are mild and for the most part controlled. I would also let the judge and jury know that he does suffer from his schizophrenia and that while he may be taking anti-psychosis medicine it is no guarantee that he will not have a future hallucination or outburst that could cause a violent reaction. After all he does suffer from an incurable disease and all he can do is manage it. I could however provide information on the levels of violence that has occurred throughout his treatment starting from beginning to end and see if the violence has increased or lessened over the course of treatment. This type of thorough presentation would help the judge and jury to better understand and determine the risk that the patient may or may not cause to society. I would also provide my professional opinion on the competency level of the patient and rather or not he is fully competent to stand trial for his accused actions. How to cite Assessing Competency, Papers