Alurista Papers
Scope and Contents Note
The Alurista papers have been divided into eight major categories that include poetry collections, single poems, canciones(songs), contributions to publications, television scripts, critical essays and research papers, other works such as translations and position papers, and works about Alurista.
Manuscripts of poetry collections have been cataloged alphabetically by title and include drafts of poems in Alabados (1973), A’nque (1979), Timespace Huracán, and Trece Aliens (1976), and an anthology published by Alurista and other Chicano poets. A manuscript with the poet's corrections and an original dummy layout to Nationchild Plumaroja is also cataloged in this section. A typescript manuscript and drafts of poems written between 1975 and 1979 for Spik in Glyph? have also been cataloged but will only be available upon publication of the work [editor's note: Spik in Glyph was published in 1981; the manuscript is now available].
The single poems and the canciones have been filed chronologically. They include Alurista's first bilingual poems published by Quinto Sol Publications in 1968 and 1969 and a bound journal with 25 handwritten pages of poetry written between 1970 and 1972.
Contributions made to publications include five chapters on "Nahuatl Culture: The Heart of Aztlán," and two drafts each of four essays published by Pajarito Publications in 1970 and 1971. Two television scripts prepared for an NBC Mexican American Heritage Series in Los Angeles, California, are followed by criticalessays and papers written by Alurista from 1975 to 1979. Other works include two position papers: Chicano Studies: A Future
, and Aztlán: Reality of Myth?
; and outlines written in 1971 and 1972 of discussion sessions on Chicano literature and on the continental unity of Latin America and Chicanos.
Works about Alurista include many of the newsclippings and articles published on Alurista and on Chicano literature both in the United States and Mexico, as well as an interview of the poet published in La Palabra y El Hombre in 1977.
Dates
- Creation: 1968-1979
Language of Materials
English, Spanish
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Biographical Sketch
Alurista (Alberto Baltazar Urista Heredia) was born 8 August 1947. He emerged as a Chicano poet and writer during the late 1960s. Originally from Mexico City, Alurista moved to California in his early teens. He attended San Diego State University where he received his B.A. in psychology, and the University of California in San Diego where he earned his M.A. in Spanish literature. After teaching creative writing and Chicano literature at San Diego State University he taught at the University of Texas at Austin as a visiting lecturer in 1974.
Associated with early Chicano movement poetry, Alurista developed and expanded on mythological, cultural, and political themes, and pioneered alternating use and blending of Spanish and English languages. He is the author of five poetry anthologies: Floricanto en Aztlán (1971), Nationchild Plumaroja (1972), Timespace Huracán (1976), A'nque (1979), and Spik in Glyph? (1981).
In the 1970s Alurista organized Festival Floricanto, an open forum where Chicano writers could read from their literary works. He edited Festival Floricanto I: An Anthology of Chicano Literature (1974) and Festival Floricanto II (1976), and has written numerous essays on Chicano culture, the Chicano movement, and literary criticism.
As a community activist in California, Alruista co-founded various student and community organizations such as Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán at San Diego State University, Concilio por la Justicia, Centro Cultural de la Raza, and the Department of Chicano Studies at San Diego State University.
——— originally written in 1981.
Full Extent
15 linear inches (3 manuscript boxes)
Abstract
Written works, including poems, essays, articles, scripts, notes, and outlines by Chicano poet, essayist, and activist Alurista (Alberto Baltazar Urista Heredia).
Acquisition Information
Purchase.
Processing Information
Processing information not available.
- Title
- Alurista Papers
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2003
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2021 May: Edited by Dylan Joy to fix compliance check errors to prepare for the migration to new TARO website.
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
- 2026: Edited by Carla O. Alvarez.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu