This article is about the Argentine writer and journalist José Sixto Álvarez (1858–1903). For the magazine, see Fray Mocho (magazine).
Fray Mocho (Gualeguaychú, 26 August 1858 – Buenos Aires, 23 August 1903) was the pen name for the Argentine writer and journalist José Ciriaco Alvarez (also known as José Sixto Alvarez). He moved to Buenos Aires first in 1876 and then again to stay in 1879 at the age of 21. He was known to his friends as "Mocho" (blunt) and later added the title "Fray" (brother, as in a Friar in the Catholic Church). He wrote for several newspapers including El Nacional, La Pampa, La Patria Argentina, and La Razón. He also wrote for magazines such as the short-lived Fray Gerundio, El Ateneo and La Colmena Artística. He wrote essays about life in Buenos Aires in the latter part of the 19th century, including Esmeraldas (polished), Cuentos Mundanos (Ordinary Stories), La vida de los ladrones célebres de Buenos Aires y sus maneras de robar ("The life of celebrated robbers of Buenos Aires and their manner of robbing") and Memorias de un Vigilante (Memoirs of a policeman). In 1898 he wrote the book En el Mar Austral ("In the Southern Sea").
The period in which he flourished was a heady time in Buenos Aires. The nation of Argentina had finally come together with the uniting of the city of Buenos Aires with the rest of the country, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Bartolomé Mitre were still alive, and Buenos Aires was striving to become the "Queen City" of South America.
He was the founder and first editor of the Argentine Magazine Caras y Caretas ("Faces and Masks"). The magazine featured a mixture of cartoons and illustrations along with national and foreign subjects taken from social news, notes of general interest and fashion. The magazine also published literary and rural literature. Its contributors include some of the leading lights of Argentine letters: Roberto Payró, Horacio Quiroga, and José Ingenieros, among others. He was the first professional writer of Argentina. In his descriptions of regional customs, the narrator is a watching observer. He wrote at times in the different modes of Buenos Aires speech including the "lunfardo" (the argot or slang of Buenos Aires which still exists).[1] His writing was part of a movement of modernism which was a reaction against the prevailing romanticism and the rigidity of the Castilian Spanish language and literature before his time, and which had a counterpart in the Paris of the same period.
One of his most praised works was the book En El Mar Austral (On the Southern Sea), a tale of a year spent traveling on a whaling boat around the southern tip of Chile and Argentina (Tierra del Fuego) beginning in the town of Punta Arenas in Chile. It describes in detail the scenery and life in the southernmost tip of South America.[2] It does not appear that Mocho ever got within 500 miles of Tierra del Fuego and yet his descriptions are extremely accurate, and the source of his information is still not known.
Mocho died on 23 August 1903, just three days short of his 45th birthday; an illness that had troubled him for years eventually causing his death. It is said that "he feared no one and nothing because he had damaged no one and had a pure heart" (as is stated in an edition of En El Mar Austral published in 1960 by The University of Buenos Aires). His last words were "I die fighting" ("muero luchando" in Spanish). His magazine lived on until 1941.
Works by Fray Mocho at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
April 30, 2023
fray, mocho, this, article, about, argentine, writer, journalist, josé, sixto, Álvarez, 1858, 1903, magazine, magazine, gualeguaychú, august, 1858, buenos, aires, august, 1903, name, argentine, writer, journalist, josé, ciriaco, alvarez, also, known, josé, six. This article is about the Argentine writer and journalist Jose Sixto Alvarez 1858 1903 For the magazine see Fray Mocho magazine Fray Mocho Gualeguaychu 26 August 1858 Buenos Aires 23 August 1903 was the pen name for the Argentine writer and journalist Jose Ciriaco Alvarez also known as Jose Sixto Alvarez He moved to Buenos Aires first in 1876 and then again to stay in 1879 at the age of 21 He was known to his friends as Mocho blunt and later added the title Fray brother as in a Friar in the Catholic Church He wrote for several newspapers including El Nacional La Pampa La Patria Argentina and La Razon He also wrote for magazines such as the short lived Fray Gerundio El Ateneo and La Colmena Artistica He wrote essays about life in Buenos Aires in the latter part of the 19th century including Esmeraldas polished Cuentos Mundanos Ordinary Stories La vida de los ladrones celebres de Buenos Aires y sus maneras de robar The life of celebrated robbers of Buenos Aires and their manner of robbing and Memorias de un Vigilante Memoirs of a policeman In 1898 he wrote the book En el Mar Austral In the Southern Sea Portrait of Alvarez unknown date Contents 1 Biography 2 Bibliography 3 Further reading 4 References 5 External linksBiography EditThe period in which he flourished was a heady time in Buenos Aires The nation of Argentina had finally come together with the uniting of the city of Buenos Aires with the rest of the country Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Bartolome Mitre were still alive and Buenos Aires was striving to become the Queen City of South America He was the founder and first editor of the Argentine Magazine Caras y Caretas Faces and Masks The magazine featured a mixture of cartoons and illustrations along with national and foreign subjects taken from social news notes of general interest and fashion The magazine also published literary and rural literature Its contributors include some of the leading lights of Argentine letters Roberto Payro Horacio Quiroga and Jose Ingenieros among others He was the first professional writer of Argentina In his descriptions of regional customs the narrator is a watching observer He wrote at times in the different modes of Buenos Aires speech including the lunfardo the argot or slang of Buenos Aires which still exists 1 His writing was part of a movement of modernism which was a reaction against the prevailing romanticism and the rigidity of the Castilian Spanish language and literature before his time and which had a counterpart in the Paris of the same period One of his most praised works was the book En El Mar Austral On the Southern Sea a tale of a year spent traveling on a whaling boat around the southern tip of Chile and Argentina Tierra del Fuego beginning in the town of Punta Arenas in Chile It describes in detail the scenery and life in the southernmost tip of South America 2 It does not appear that Mocho ever got within 500 miles of Tierra del Fuego and yet his descriptions are extremely accurate and the source of his information is still not known Mocho died on 23 August 1903 just three days short of his 45th birthday an illness that had troubled him for years eventually causing his death It is said that he feared no one and nothing because he had damaged no one and had a pure heart as is stated in an edition of En El Mar Austral published in 1960 by The University of Buenos Aires His last words were I die fighting muero luchando in Spanish His magazine lived on until 1941 Bibliography Edit1887 Galeria de ladrones de la capital 1897 Memorias de un vigilante 3 1897 Viaje al pais de los matreros 1898 En el mar austral 1899 Caras y Caretas 1906 Cuentos de Fray Mocho posthumous Further reading EditEn el Mar Austral The Series of One and a Half Centuries La Serie del Siglo y Medio Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires May 1960References Edit Fray Mocho precursor del lunfardo Conference at Circulo de la Prensa 1964 Ediciones Metropolis Buenos Aires 1971 23 de Agosto de 1903 Muere el notable escritor costumbrista Jose S Alvarez mas conocido como Fray Mocho on El Intransigente 23 Aug 2012 Memorias de un vigilante by Fray Mocho on Gutenberg org websiteExternal links EditWorks by Jose Sixto Alvarez at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Fray Mocho at Internet Archive Works by or about Fray Mocho at Internet Archive Works by Fray Mocho at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Caras y caretas magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fray Mocho amp oldid 1078415109, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
