Renée Méndez Capote y Chaple (12 November 1901 – 14 May 1989), also known by the pseudonyms Io-san, Berenguela, and Suzanne, was a Cuban writer, essayist, journalist, translator,

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

, and feminist activist. She worked in children's literature, short stories, essays, and biographies.

Life and work

The daughter of Domingo Méndez Capote and María Chaple y Suárez, she made her publishing debut in April 1917 with an article titled "El primer baile" (The first dance) for the alumni newsletter of La Salle College. Her works include ''Memorias de una cubanita que nació con el siglo'' (''Memories of a Cuban girl who was born with the century''), considered a classic of testimonial literature. In the journalistic field, she contributed to several of her country's publications, such as ''Diario de la Marina'', ''La Gaceta de Cuba'', ''Revolución y Cultura'', ''Unión y Juventud Rebelde'', as well as the magazines ''Bohemia'', ''Social y Mujeres'' and the weekly newspaper ''Pionero''. In September 1934, Méndez Capote was a survivor of the last voyage of the American luxury cruise liner ''Morro Castle''. She was one of the few passengers to escape the expensive A-Deck staterooms alive as well as the only woman passenger to be rescued by one of the ship's own lifeboats (most other passengers survived by jumping off the ship).

Activism

Together with

Berta Arocena de Martínez Márquez Berta Arocena de Martínez Márquez (1899–1956) was a Cuban journalist, suffragist and feminist active during the 1920s and 1930s. Biography Berta Arocena was born in 1899, in Havana to an old propertied family, she dabbled in writing fro ...

, she was one of the founders of the Lyceum on 1 December 1928, one of the "most cultural and intellectual" feminist organizations of the era. They were joined by Carmen Castellanos, Matilde Martínez Márquez, Carmelina Guanche, Alicia Santamaría, Ofelia Tomé, Dulce Marta Castellanos, Lilliam Mederos, Rebeca Gutiérrez, Sarah Méndez Capote, Mary Caballero, María Josefa Vidaurreta, and María Teresa Moré in organizing a group which advocated for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. This became a lobbyist institution in Cuba's parliament and organized several feminist events in the country.

Works

Essays

* ''Oratoria cubana'' (1926) * ''Lento desarrollo de la Cuba colonial'' (1978)

Biographies

* ''Domingo Méndez Capote. El hombre civil del 95'' (1957) * ''Memorias de una cubanita que nació con el siglo'' (1963) * ''Ché: comandante del alba'' (1977) * ''El niño que sentía crecer la hierba'' (1981)

Reports

* ''Apuntes'' (1927) * ''Relatos heroicos'', 241 pp (1965) (''Crónicas de viaje'', 1966) * ''De la maravillosa historia de nuestra tierras'' (1967) * ''Episodios de la epopeya''(1968) * ''4 conspiraciones'' (1972) * ''Un héroe de once años'' (1975) * ''El tráfico infame'' (1977) * ''Hace muchos años una joven viajera'' (1983) * ''A Varadero en carreta'' (1984) * ''El remolino y otros relatos'' (1982)

Others

* "Dos niños en la Cuba colonial" (short story, 1966) * "Fortalezas en la Habana colonial" (release, 1974) * "Costumbres de antaño" (1975) * "Por el ojo de la cerradura" (testimonial, 1977) * "Cuentos de ayer" (1978) * "Amables figuras del pasado" (1981) * "Recuerdos de la vieja biblioteca" (article, 1981)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendez Capote, Renee 1901 births 1989 deaths 20th-century biographers Cuban journalists Cuban suffragists Cuban translators Cuban women essayists Cuban women short story writers Cuban short story writers 20th-century Cuban women writers 20th-century translators 20th-century essayists 20th-century journalists