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Lino Novás Calvo and the Revista de Avance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Raymond D. Souza*
Affiliation:
Department of Spanish and Portuguese, The University of Kansas

Extract

It is significant that Lino Novás Calvo began his literary career by publishing in the Revista de Avarice, for there are certain similarities between the problems involving artistic expression with which that journal dealt and Novás’ early development of his own art. One scholar has pointed out that one can see in the works published in the Revista de Avarice“ el impulso renovador de una época ansiosa de cambios profundos.” This desire for change manifested itself in the political as well as cultural spheres and led the journal to consider the relationships between artistic expression and political commitment. Novás’ early works reveal that he dealt with this same problem, and it is the intention of this article to consider the general orientation of the Revista de Avance in regard to this conflict and to examine the evolution of Novás’ own solution as revealed in the poetry he published in that journal.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1968

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References

1 Carlos Repoll, “La Revista de Avance (1927-30) vocero de vanguardismo y pórtico de revolución,” Revista Iberoamericana, XXX, No. 58 (julio-diciembre, 1964), 260. This article contains a detailed survey of the contents of the Revista de Avance.

2 Interview, New York City, June 8, 1962. For more biographical information on Novás Calvo see Salvador Bueno, “Semblanza biográfica y crítica de un narrador,” in Medio sigh de literatura cubana (La Habana, 1953), pp. 211-34.

3 “Cuba literaria,” Gaceta Literaria, Año V, No. 116 (15 de octubre de 1931), p. 9.

4 Revista de Avance, XI, No. 21 (15 de abril de 1928), 88. It is usually stated that Novás began his literary career with the publication of his poem “Proletario” in the Revista de Avance. Actually, “Proletario” was the second poem he published in that magazine. Although he used a pseudonym with “El camarada,” his real name was listed in the annual index.

5 Concerning his own generation Novás has written: “Todos los jóvenes escritores de Cuba somos hijos o de la Revista de Avance o del doctor Fernando Ortiz o del doctor Chacón y Calvo o tenemos influencias extrañas.” “Cuba literaria II,” Gaceta Literaria, Año V, No. 118 (15 de noviembre de 1931), p. 2.

6 Editorial comment, I, No. 2 (30 de mayo de 1927), 17.

7 Editorial comment, I, No. 11 (15 de septiembre de 1927), 273.

8 “Cuba literaria,” Gaceta Literaria, No. 116, p. 10.

9 Ibid., p. 9.

10 Ibid., p. 10.

11 Novás, “Cuba literaria II,” Gaceta Literaria, No. 118, p. 1.

12 Editorial comment, V, No. 50 (15 de septiembre de 1930), 259.

13 Interview.

14 Interview.

15 Jorge Mañach, Historia y estilo as quoted by Cintio Vitier in “Lo cubano en la poesia,” (La Habana, 1958), pp. 314-15.

16 Lo cubano en la poesía, p. 315.

17 Interview.

18 Lo cubano en la poesía, pp. 315-16.

19 Interview.

20 “Medio siglo de literatura narrativa,” in Medio siglo de literatura cubana, p. 80.

21 Idem.

22 Revista de Avance, III, No. 27 (15 de octubre de 1928), 267.

23 Ibid., p. 268.

24 Following are the questions in their entirety: “1. ¿Cree usted que la obra del artista americano debe revelar una preocupación americana? 2. ¿Cree usted que la americanidad es cuestión de óptica, de contenido o de vehículo? 3. ¿Cree usted en la posibilidad de caracteres comunes al arte de todos los países de nuestra América? 4. ¿Cuál debe ser la actitud del artista americano ante lo europeo?” Revista de Avance, III, No. 26 (15 de septiembre de 1928), 235.

25 “Los ánimos literarios en Cuba,” Revista de Occidente, XLI, No. ccxii (agosto 1933), 238-39.

26 Following are the nine poems in their order of publication: “El camarada,” II, No. 21 (15 de abril de 1928), 8; “Proletario,” III, 23 (15 de junio de 1928). 146; “Panorama,” III, 24 (15 de julio de 1928), 199; “Nena,” “Daisy tornasol,” “Lejanía,” “Hermano,” and “Miedo,” IV, 32 (15 de marzo de 1929), 77-78; “Hermana.” IV, 39 (15 de octubre de 1929), 305.

27 “El asalto,” V, No. 50 (15 de septiembre de 1930), 284.

28 “Silueta de humo,” IV, No. 37 (15 de agosto de 1929), 246.