Famed Mexican writer and professor-at-large Carlos Fuentes died May 15 in Mexico City after suffering an internal hemorrhage. Fuentes, who was 83, was a professor-at-large in the University's Hispanic studies department and held an honorary degree from Brown awarded in 1997.
"Fuentes was a much admired member of the Brown community," wrote President Ruth Simmons in a press release, noting his interaction with students and literary achievements. "He lived a long, full and storied life, and he enriched our community through his work and many lasting contributions."
An internationally renowned author, Fuentes was associated with the Latin American boom of the 1960s and 1970s, during which several Latin American authors gained acclaim throughout the world. Fuentes won numerous awards for his work, including Mexico's National Prize for Arts and Sciences and the Miguel de Cervantes Prize. The son of a Mexican diplomat, Fuentes was also politically active, speaking out on American foreign policy and Mexican politics and serving for two years as the Mexican ambassador to France.
"It was a shock, obviously, in the news because he was in very good shape," said Julio Ortega, professor of Hispanic studies, of his death. "We were, as usual, making plans for the immediate future."
Ortega, who had known Fuentes since 1969, served as Fuentes' biographer, writing a short book, "Retrato de Carlos Fuentes," on the author's life and work. He praised Fuentes for excelling in his many roles as a "professor, writer and scholar."
"He always was planning a new novel, a new article and conferences," Ortega said. "We're going to miss him because we really have lost a relationship with the future that we used to have in the Spanish language."
Fuentes also taught at Harvard, Princeton and Columbia before arriving at Brown as a professor-at-large in 1996.
Fuentes was "very important at Brown because of the impact of his work," Ortega said. "He has been crucial in synchronizing our teaching to the literary international scene of new writing."
Students and faculty have also reached out to express their condolences, Ortega said.
"The reactions have been very, very impressive," he said. "I keep receiving emails from former students from different countries, different years that tell me how much they feel they've lost."
There are plans underway for a commemoration of his work in the upcoming academic year, Ortega said, including a gathering of writers and scholars to discuss aspects of Fuentes' work.
