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Méndez (Miguel) papers
CEMA 141
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Title: Miguel Méndez papers
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 141
Language of Material:
Spanish; Castilian.
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Physical Description:
12 Linear Feet
(19 letter size document boxes, 1 legal size document box, 1 over size box and audio/video files)
Creator:
Méndez M., Miguel
Date (inclusive): 1930-2006
Date (bulk): 1960-2006
Abstract: Miguel Méndez es una gran figura literaria en el mundo de la ficción Chicana. Sus papeles representan la importancia de este
escritor Chicano y sus obras. El es un novelista y un profesor universitario retirado. Información personal y biográfica,
correspondencia, artículos, fotos, audio, y archivos de videos son incluidos en su colección. Los escritos de Méndez consisten
de ensayos, novelas, poesía y cuentos cortos. Manuscritos originales de su trabajo más notable titulado
Peregrinos de Aztlán son parte de estos papeles.
Abstract: Miguel Méndez is a major literary figure in the world of Chicano fiction. His papers represent this important Chicano writer's
life and his writings. He is a novelist and retired university professor. Personal and biographical information, correspondence,
articles, photos, audio, and video files are included in his collection. Méndez's writings consist of essays, novels, poetry
and short stories. Original manuscripts of his most notable work titled
Peregrinos de Aztlán are part of these papers.
Physical Location: A portion of the collection is located at the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF).
The collection is open for research Service copies of audiovisual items may need to be made before viewing or listening. Please
consult Special Collections staff for further information. A portion of the collection is stored offsite. Advance notice is
required for retrieval.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Miguel Méndez es uno de los escritores líderes en el campo de la literatura Chicana. Sus trabajos incluyen novelas, cuentos
cortos, ensayos y poesía. En su revisión de
Entre letras y ladrillos: Una novela autobiográfica – Miguel Méndez (1997), Marco Portales lo describe como un famoso autor Yaqui-Chicano, uno de los pocos escritores en su género, quien como
Tomás Rivera, escogió escribir casi exclusivamente en español, "continuando hilar las historias que ya había publicado por
muchos años cuando el había suscitado interés, haciéndose en el proceso uno de los primeros autores mexico-americanos que
ha ampliado la población de la literatura Chicana con materias de su propia experiencia y con personajes, situaciones e historias
que se ha imaginado y experimentado". Miguel Méndez ha escrito más de 57 obras literarias durante el lapso de su carrera,
escribiendo su primer novela a la edad de 18 años.
Miguel Méndez escribe sobre el area de la frontera mexico-estadounidense.
The Chicano Literature: A Reference Guide lo describe como "una de las principales voces de la ficción Chicana socialmente comprometida".
The Dictionary of Literary Biography's Chicano Writers First Series (DLB) dice de el: "La literature Chicana tiene en Miguel Méndez a uno de sus mejores y más sensibles escritores". El DLB continua
a decir que en 1969, sus dos cuentos cortos "Tata Casehua" y "Taller de imágenes", publicados en la antología semanal de literatura
Chicana
El Espejo , "escrito en prosa poética por un ponedor de ladrillos con una educación de sólo sexto de primaria, dejó una profunda impreción
en lectores y críticos".
Retirado como profesor de tiempo completo de la Universidad de Arizona, el se describe a sí mismo como un hombre autodidacta
que aprendió mucho de lo que sabe por pasar largas horas en la biblioteca pública. Su dominio del lenguaje, él dice, "fue
el fruto de muchas horas escribiendo en solitario a la luz de las velas." El dice que su madre le enseñó a leer, habiendo
sido criado en la pobreza y sin ningún tipo de educación formal más allá del 6to. grado. El vivió parte de su vida siendo
obrero, albañil, trabajador agrícolo, y trabajó en construcción hasta 1970, cuando le ofrecieron un trabajo de enseñanza sobre
la literatura hispana en Pima College de Arizona, después de solicitar para el puesto y haber aprobado el exámen con excelente
nota. En 1984, la Universidad de Arizona le confirió un Doctorado Honorario en Letras Humanas. En 1991 fue galardonado con
el "Premio Nacional de Literatura Mexicana José Fuentes Mares". Dice Gary Keller de Editorial Bilingüe: "Tenemos un compromiso
con Miguel Méndez, cuyo trabajo seguramente continuará siendo un componente duradero del canon Chicano". Los trabajos de Miguel
Méndez se establecieron en CEMA en 2004. Se incluyen papeles personajes que documentan la vida del escritor y su carrera literaria,
manuscritos literarios originales y ensayos, archivos de correspondencia, fotografías, una novela inédita sin publicar, materiales
ephemera, cintas de audio, y archivos relacionados con la revista literaria que él dirigió en Pima College.
Miguel Méndez is one of the leading writers in the field of Chicano literature. His work includes novels, short stories, essays
and poetry. In his review of
From Labor to Letters: A Novel Autobiography – Miguel Méndez (1997) Marco Portales describes him as the famous Yaqui-Chicano author, one of the few writers in this genre who like Tomas
Rivera choose to write almost exclusively in Spanish, "continuing to spin out stories that he has published for many years
wherever he has elicited interest, becoming in the process one of the first Mexican-American authors who has amply peopled
Chicano literature with the stuff of his own existence and with characters, situations and stories he has imagined and experienced."
Miguel Méndez has written over 57 literary works over the span of his career, writing his first novel at the age of 18.
Miguel Méndez writes about the U.S. - Mexico border area.
The Chicano Literature: A Reference Guide describes him as "one of the principal voices of socially committed Chicano fiction."
The Dictionary of Literary Biography's Chicano Writers First Series (DLB) says of him "Chicano literature has in Miguel Méndez M. one of its finest and most sensitive writers." The DLB goes on to
say that in 1969 his two short stories "Tata Casehua" and "Taller de Imagenes" published in the seminal Chicano literature
anthology
El Espejo/The Mirror, "written in poetic prose by a brick layer with only a sixth grade education, left a profound impression on readers and critics."
Retired as a full professor at the University of Arizona, he describes himself as a self-taught man who learned much of what
he knows by spending long hours at the public library. His mastery of language, he says, "was the fruit of long hours writing
in solitude by candlelight." He says his mother taught him to read, having been raised in poverty and lacking any formal education
beyond the 6th grade. He spent much of his life as a laborer, brick-layer and farm worker and worked in construction until
1970 when he was offered a job teaching Hispanic literature at Arizona's Pima College after applying for the position and
passing the exam with flying colors. In 1984 the University of Arizona conferred on him the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
In 1991 he was awarded the "Premio Nacional de Literatura Mexicana Jose Fuentes Mares." Says Gary Keller of Bilingual Press/Editorial
Bilingue, "We are committed to Miguel Méndez, whose work is sure to continue to be a lasting component of the Chicano canon."
Miguel Méndez' papers were established in CEMA in 2004. They include personal papers documenting the writer's life and literary
career, original literary manuscripts and essays, correspondence files, photographs, an unpublished novel, ephemera, audio-tapes,
and files related to the literary magazine he directed at Pima College.
[Identification of item], Miguel Méndez papers, CEMA 141, Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library,
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Initial acquisition made in 2004, additional acquisition in 2006.
Processed by Callie Bowdish and Lilian Gomez, May 23, 2012. CEMA staff helped with the additional Spanish updates in 2013.
Los papeles personales incluyen ensayos, correspondencia, fotografías, novelas, archivos de enseñanza, y manuscritos, que
están organizados alfabeticamente. La caja grande contiene artículos sobre y por Méndez, y están ordenados cronológicamente.
La colección consiste de cuatro series: Personal y biográfica, Correspondencia, Escritos, y Audio y video. Todos estos están
organizados en 21 cajas.
Personal papers include essays, correspondence, photographs, novels, teaching files, and manuscripts, which are arranged alphabetically.
The oversized box contains articles about and by Méndez and they are ordered chronologically. The collection consists of four
series: Personal and biographical, Correspondence, Writings, and Audio and Video. All of these are organized in 21 boxes.
Información personal y biográfica, 1930s - 2000s
Esta sección contiene papeles de su niñez hasta su carrera como profesor universitario y autor. Logros, conferencias, reconocimientos,
entrevistas, revisiones y periódicos sobre Méndez son incluidos en ésta sección. Fotos y otros documentos misceláneos también
son incluidos. Las subseries son Documentos biográficos, Artículos sobre y por Miguel Méndez, Entrevistas, y Fotos.
Correspondencia, 1970s - 2000s
Los registros de correspondencia contienen cartas salientes, entrantes de su carrera como profesor y escritor. Se incluye
correspondencia personal y profesional con familia, amigos, escritores, compañeros de trabajo, y con organizaciones sin fines
de lucro. La sección de correspondencia también incluye algunas tarjetas postales. La correspondencia de la Universidad de
Arizona está en ésta sección. Cada sección está organizada por fecha y hay también una sección para la correspondencia en
la que no se proporcionó fecha. Las subseries son Borradores, Entrantes, y Salientes.
Escritos
Borradores y manuscritos para muchos de sus trabajos son incluidos. Los títulos están organizados en orden alfabético y están
listados por subseries como ensayos, revistas, notas, novelas, cuentos cortos, poemas, teatro y manuscritos mecanografiados.
Audio y Video, 1989 - 2002
Esta sección incluye cintas de VHS y audio, algunas de sus entrevistas de radio y televisión.
Personal and Biographical Information, 1930s - 2000s
This section contains papers from his childhood through his career as a University professor and author. Accomplishments,
conferences, awards, interviews, reviews and newspapers articles about Méndez are included in this section. Pictures and other
miscellaneous documents are also included. The subseries are Biographical documents, Articles about and by Miguel Méndez,
Interviews, and Photos.
Correspondence, 1970s - 2000s
Correspondence records contain drafts and incoming and outgoing letters from his career as a professor and writer. It includes
personal and business correspondence with family, friends, writers, co-workers, and non-profit organizations. The Correspondence
section also include some postcards. University of Arizona correspondence are in this section. Each section is organized by
date and there is also a section for the correspondence in which date was not provided. The subseries are Drafts, Incoming,
and Outgoing.
Writings
Rough drafts and manuscripts of many of his works are included. The titles are arranged in alphabetical order and are listed
by subseries as Essays, Magazines, Notes, Novels, Short stories, Poems, Theater and Typed manuscripts. Most of the material
provided is undated and handwritten in Spanish. When available the author's comments are included. Very few dates were provided.
Audio and Video, 1989 - 2002
This section includes VHS and audio tapes, some from his radio and television interviews.
Collection was previously identified as Miguel Mendez papers, Mss 239.
Callie Bowdish with the assistance of Lilian Gomez, and CEMA staff
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Mexican American authors
Mexican Americans -- Fiction
Mexican-American Border Region - - Fiction
Articles
Audiovisual materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Writings (documents)
Méndez M., Miguel
- Collection Overview
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Collection Details
- Conditions Governing Access
- Conditions Governing Use
- Nota Biográfica/Histórica
- Biographical/Historical note
- Preferred Citation
- Immediate Source of Acquisition
- Processing Information
- Nota de contenidos
- Scope
- Descripciones de las series
- Series Descriptions
- Processing Information
- Processing Information