The Life and Works of José Joaquin Fernández de Lizardi

by Jefferson Rea Spell

Overview

A Mexican literary and political figure of the early nineteenth century whose writings present the best existing portrayal of Spanish colonial society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512820430
Publisher:	University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication date:	01/29/1931
Series:	Anniversary Collection
Edition description:	Reprint 2016 ed.
Pages:	141
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

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Preface

Little is generally known of the culture of Mexico; little is understood of the struggles of the people of that republic to attain a place among progressive nations. As a key to the understanding of both, I have here attempted to present the life and to interpret the work of the Mexican who, to me, best personifies the spirit of his age. For José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi not only sketched the best existing pictures of Spanish colonial society, but he also took an active part in the political, social, and religious upheavals in the Mexican capital in the early nineteenth century.

Adequate material for the preparation of such a work was first made available to me through the purchase by the University of Texas of the private library of Genaro García, an eminent authority on the history of Mexico. In this collection, which consisted of some ten thousand printed volumes and over four hundred thousand folios of manuscript dealing with many phases of Mexican life, I found the greater part of the authorities cited. The largest known collection of Lizardi's pamphlets, owned by D. Luis González Obregón of Mexico City, was generously placed by him at my disposal. Additional material was secured from the Archivo general y público in Mexico, the Archivo general de Indias at Seville, the Bancroft Library, the Library of Congress, and the Library of the Hispanic Society.

There are many to whom I am indebted for assistance in the preparation of this work, but especially do I wish to express my appreciation to D. Luis González Obregón, whose articles on Lizardi first brought the importance of the subject to my attention, to Dr. J. P. W. Crawford, and to Dr. Miguel Romera-Navarro, both of the University of Pennsylvania, under whose joint direction the study was put into final form.