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Without a doubt,
Gabriel García Márquez
is a multi-faceted and plural man.
A man of the world that belongs to the ages.
His fame has been frequently compared with the greatest soccer players
and rock stars;
he's as famous as the Pope,
but if we see him as a star,
as a superstar
we can see him as a supernova
whose light will shine forever.
I'm Ruben Pelayo
Ph.D. in Latin American Literature
professor at Southern Connecticut State University
and specialist in Gabriel García Márquez.
and specialist in Gabriel García Márquez.
García Márquez is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982
García Márquez is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982
he's the most famous
and most read author in Spanish,
but in essence
he's a "costeño,"
which is much more than just being Colombian.
His writing, the tone that he writes with, the cadence of his speech
--everything about him identifies him as a Colombian costeño.
So different from the Colombian cachaco or the paisa,
who also have their own way of being.
He was born in the small town of Aracataca,
but his birth year is not 1928,
but his birth year is not 1928,
but his birth year is not 1928,
as many books and biographies state.
The greatest of all living authors
was born
under the sign of Pisces,
on 6th of March, 1927
on 6th of March, 1927
Seen at large,
he is first
a writer of international fame and stature
in all modern languages,
But one should not forget that he's also a great journalist.
He is a master of journalism,
as Carlos Monsiváis referred to him, for his chronicles.
Therefore, there is a Gabriel García Márquez
who can be seen from different points of view.
On the one hand are the general readers,
in all possible languages.
In China,
in 2012,
one million copies of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" were sold in six months
and the Chinese writer,
Mo Yan,
Nobel-Prize winner in Literature,
mentions García Márquez as one of his influences
mentions García Márquez as one of his influences
along with William Faulkner.
My approach to Gabriel García Márquez,
of whom I am proud
and honored to know
is as an academic, with a North American touch.
I view him from a critical point of view
both in English
and in Spanish.
But there is also a personal García Márquez
to whom very few have access.
No one knows this private and unique man better than Mercedes Barcha,
No one knows this private and unique man better than Mercedes Barcha,
his wife of a lifetime
and the mother of his two children:
Rodrigo
and Gonzalo García Barcha
Although Gabriel García Márquez studied law at the National University of Colombia
Although Gabriel García Márquez studied law at the National University of Colombia
in Bogotá
and at the Cartagena campus,
he never finished his degree.
As a writer, nevertheless, his career has been extraordinary.
Some have compared "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
with "Don Quixote"
and the "Amadís of Gaul."
In the personal realm,
among his great friendships
with great public figures,
his best friend was probably Alvaro Mutis
but the world press has seen fit to mention Fidel Castro and Pablo Neruda;
Carlos Fuentes and President Bill Clinton.
Carlos Fuentes and President Bill Clinton.
In the next segment we will discuss his literary output.