Early lessons from a mentor in Hispanic American literature

Abstract

Alonso Zamora Vicente was a precursor of works on Julio Cortázar (1953) or César Vallejo (1957) when the former was not yet the celebrated writer he would become later, and the latter was scarcely known in Spain or taken into consideration by academic critics. This article highlights the importance that his interest in César Vallejo had for Roberto Paoli, who was a foreign language teacher in Salamanca when Zamora Vicente started writing about César Vallejo, and later would become a top expert on the poet’s work. Likewise, Zamora Vicente was tutor of the first PhD thesis in Spain about this writer. His friendship with Julio Cortázar and Jorge Luis Borges (and his differences with the latter), his keen interest in Rubén Darío, his role as a tutor of Vargas Llosa's thesis about García Márquez and his renewing editorial work around American literature are also discussed. In conclusion, his wide knowledge of linguistic and literary disciplines directly related to his passion for Hispanic America is recalled, reassessing the inspiring cultural lessons he offered.