I once thought the term "romance language” meant language about romance and love, not realizing that it refers to languages of the Roman Empire descended from Latin. I think my misunderstanding stemmed from the fact that so many of my favorite Spanish-language authors write about love.
I started studying Spanish in middle school and enjoyed practicing by reading bilingual poetry. Immediately I was swept away by the extraordinary magical, sensual and fantastical elements of Latin American Literature. Perhaps you, too, will be swept off your feet by the titles I've treasured for their gorgeous use of language, imagery and emotion.
Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez took me on one of the most unique journeys, mesmerizing me with his mysterious, dreamy accounts of the town of Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Mexican author Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate made me laugh and blush—it's a fun, outrageous story about forbidden love and cooking that yields wild results due to its simmering, emotion-filled ingredients.
Octavio Paz, a Mexican poet who is celebrated around the world, made me contemplate love, time and life. A lifetime of his thoughtful poems—beginning with the first one he published at age seventeen—can be found in this special collection, The Poems of Octavio Paz.
Perhaps one of my most favorite Latin American authors, Pablo Neruda is from Chile. His sonnets seem so relatable and urgent; Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon is a perfect example, chock-full of metaphors of love, journeys, seaweed and crushed mud.
Last but not least, there's Argentinian author, poet, philosopher and librarian, Jorge Luis Borges. There are essays and interviews, but most lovely to me are his Selected Poems.
Who is your favorite Latin American writer?
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