Enrique Lihn
Enrique Lihn was a prominent Chilean poet, born on September 3, 1929, in Santiago, Chile. Initially aspiring to be a painter, he eventually turned to literature, publishing his first poetry collection, *Nada se escurre*, at just twenty years old. Lihn's significant work, *La pieza oscura y otros poemas*, published in 1963, established his reputation within the Chilean literary scene and was later translated into English as *The Dark Room and Other Poems*. Throughout his career, he was actively involved in academia, teaching literature at the University of Chile and serving as a visiting professor at various universities in the United States.
Lihn's writing is characterized by its innovative style, blending traditional themes of love and death with experimental and intertextual approaches. He contributed to numerous anthologies and published works across various genres, including short stories and essays. His contributions to poetry earned him several prestigious awards, including the Atenea Prize and fellowships from UNESCO and the Guggenheim Foundation. Lihn passed away from cancer on July 10, 1988, leaving a lasting impact as a major voice in Latin American poetry.
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Enrique Lihn
Fiction and Nonfiction Writer and Poet
- Born: September 3, 1929
- Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
- Died: July 10, 1988
- Place of death: Santiago, Chile
Biography
Enrique Lihn was born September 3, 1929, in Santiago, Chile. His parents were Enrique Lihn Doll and Maria Carrasco. He spent much of his childhood in the house of his grandmother. Originally, he had wanted to become a painter. His first mentor was his uncle, Gustavo Carrasco, his grandmother’s youngest child and an artist who tutored him in drawing.
Lihn received his secondary schooling at Liceo de los Padres Alemanes, dropping out before graduation. He also attended the Institute of Fine Arts in Santiago. He studied drawing and painting under the impressionist Pablo Buchard, but largely educated himself in art and literature. In 1947, he met the poet Nicanor Parra, who lived in his neighborhood. He and his friends would visit the poet often. In 1957, Lihn married Yvette Mingram; they had a daughter, Andrea, and divorced in 1960.
Lihn’s first collection of poetry, Nada se escurre (nothing slips away), was published in 1949, when he was just twenty years old. His third collection, La pieza oscura, y otros poemas, published in 1963, established him as a major Chilean poet. This collection was published in an English translation in 1978 under the title The Dark Room, and Other Poems. From 1969 to 1971, he served as coeditor of the journal Cormorán. From 1970 to 1973, he directed the poetry workshop of the Vicerectory of the Catholic University.
Lihn’s teaching career began in 1973, when he became professor and researcher of literature at the University of Chile, Santiago. In 1976, he served as visiting professor at University of California, Irvine; and in 1986, he served as visiting professor at University of Texas, Austin. His poetry appeared frequently in anthologies, including, among others, Antologia crítica de la nueva poesia chilena in 1957, Poesía hispanoamericana 1960-1970 in 1972, Catorce poetas hispanoamericano de hoy in 1984, and Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry: a Bilingual Anthology in 1996. Lihn also published collections of short stories, novels, essays, comics, and video. He died of cancer on July 10, 1988.
Lihn received numerous awards. From the P.E.N. Club of Chile, he received third prize in 1954 and first prize in 1957. He received the 1956 Juegos de Poesia. In 1964, he earned the Atenea Prize from Universidad de Concepcion for his short-story collection, Agua de arroz (rice water). He won the 1965 municipal prize for narrative for the same work. His fellowships include a 1965 UNESCO and a 1977 Guggenheim.
The publisher of a prodigious number of volumes, and a writer of multiple genres, Enrique Lihn is a major voice in Chilean poetry. Although showing traits of neorealism, often pursing the traditional themes of love and death, and exploring the form of pastoral poetry, he is recognized for his originality and his innovative, experimental, and intertextual approach.