Carlos Monsivais dies at 72; Mexican author and activist

[Judi Lynn]

Carlos Monsivais dies at 72; Mexican author and activist
An intellectual of the Mexican left, he was a highly regarded critic of the nation's social and political adventures.
By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times

June 20, 2010

Reporting from Mexico City —

Carlos Monsivais, Mexico's preeminent man of letters and a highly regarded critic of the nation's social and political adventures for half a century, died Saturday after a long struggle with lung disease, the government health ministry announced. He was 72.

As a prolific writer and unflagging activist, Monsivais was one of his nation's most lauded and consulted commentators and a leading intellectual of the Mexican left who championed causes but also fought back when ideals were betrayed.

In hundreds of books, columns, essays and other writings, he recounted difficult chapters of Mexican history, including the 1968 army massacre of student protesters and the 1985 earthquake that destroyed parts of Mexico City and killed thousands of people. But he also enjoyed critiquing art, movies, literature — even soccer — and often wrote with humor and irony.

"This is an enormous loss for Mexico, an enormous loss for the Spanish-speaking world," Elena Poniatowska, famed Mexican writer and long-time friend of Monsivais, told Mexican TV.

"He was always at the side of those who suffered most," she said.

Carmen Aristegui, a journalist who recently interviewed Monsivais for a new book, wondered if as acerbic an analysis of Mexico's political reality will be possible without Monsivais' eye.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon expressed "profound sorrow" for the loss of "an exceptional pen, an exceptional intellect." He was echoed by other senior figures in government and the arts as Mexico City Hall prepared formal ceremonies including an overnight vigil at a downtown museum.

Monsivais was born May 4, 1938, in Mexico City and studied in the schools of economics and arts and letters at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he was part of the student protest movement that eventually helped push Mexico toward democracy.

Known early on as a chronicler of street life, he gave voice to Mexico's minorities and oppressed while challenging those who abused their power. He became part of the generation of Mexican writers, including Poniatowska and Carlos Fuentes, who came of age in the 1960s. He wrote articles, columns and essays for most of Mexico's major newspapers and magazines and became one of the country's most recognized intellectuals.

His 50 or so books included a biography of Frida Kahlo and works that experimented with various genres, including "Dias de Guardar" (Days to Remember), "Amor Perdido" (Love Lost) and "Rituales del Caos" (Rituals of Chaos).

More:
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-carlos-monsivais-20100620,0,4662367.story

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