Rice University Hispanic studies professor available to comment on passing of Mexican author Carlos Fuentes

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu 

HOUSTON — (May 15, 2012) — Rice University’s Manuel Gutiérrez is available to comment on the passing today of Carlos Fuentes, one of the best-known and most prolific Spanish-language authors. Fuentes, who was 83, was best known for his novel “Gringo Viejo,” or “The Old Gringo,” which was made into a film starring Gregory Peck in 1989. Fuentes visited the Rice campus often.

“Carlos Fuentes is undoubtedly Mexico’s most important novelist,” said Gutiérrez, an assistant professor of Hispanic studies. “He has written over 20 books and many of them are serious explorations of Mexican history. He was an important public intellectual and served as an ambassador to France in the 1970s. He has often been a polemical figure. Yet, in the history of 20th-century Mexican literature, Fuentes’ life and work mark a significant chapter. His passing is a grave loss for Mexican letters and culture.”

Gutiérrez, whose research focuses on Mexican literature and culture, recently returned from a conference on Fuentes at California State University, Los Angeles.

To schedule an interview with Gutiérrez, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Related materials:

Manuel Gutiérrez bio: http://hispanicstudies.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=630

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