Mexican Author Jose Emilio Pacheco Dies at 74

The Hispanic Division is saddened by the passing of Mexican writer Jose Emilio Pacheco, winner of the Cervantes Prize in 2009. He recorded for the Library's Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape in 1976. Pacheco was a prominent poet, prose-writer, and literary critic who influenced an entire generation of Mexican writers coming of age in the late 1950s and 60s.

One of his most well known works is his novella "Battles in the Desert," which examines themes of memory and social and economic change in Mexico. His short story and poetry collections enjoyed tremendous public success. Pacheco also translated works by Samuel Beckett, Tennessee Williams, and T.S. Eliot.

To find out more about Jose Emilio Pacheco's legacy, come and visit us in the Hispanic Reading Room to listen to his AHLOT recording or consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov). If you have questions, contact the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.