Adela Fernández y Fernández (6 December 1942 – 18 August 2013) was a Mexican folk writer and teacher of theater. Fernández left behind an important bibliography composed of 14 books of literature, poetry, anthropology and Mexican history, two short films of experimental cinema, and numerous plays.

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...

has described Fernández's literature as "extremely dark, very sad" and her work ''Aunt Enedina's Cage'' as being "among the ten Latin American stories that every person should read." Ipiña, Alejandro: "Adela, la hija de El Indio Fernández, en su voz más íntima." 5 May 2013, Fronterad magazine

Biography

Adela Fernández was born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

to the film maker

Emilio Fernández Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 August 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best know ...

and

Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

Gladys Fernández, whom he married in 1941, on 6 December 1942 and Adela would grow up in an atmosphere of cinematography. She studied acting and

dramaturgy Dramaturgy is the study of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. The role of a dramaturg in the field of modern dramaturgy is to help realize the multifaceted world of the play for a production u ...

at the Cinematographer Training Center of the Iberoamerican University of Mexico City. On 24 October 2009, Fernández was present at the Andrés Henestrosa Library in Mexico City to give a lecture on the 1946 film '' Enamorada''. Adela Fernández, a member of the

National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (, INPI, Tzotzil: ''Instituto Ta Sjunul Jlumaltik Sventa Batsi Jnaklometik,'' Q'eqchi': ''Molam Tk’anjelaq Chi Rixeb’ Laj Ralch’och’'', Ixil: ''Jejleb’al Unq’a Tenam Kumool'', Chocholtec ...

, worked tirelessly to spread and preserve

Mexican culture Mexico's culture emerged from the culture of the Spanish culture, Spanish Empire and the preexisting Pre-Columbian Mexico, indigenous cultures of Mexico. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both Western civilization, western and Indi ...

and gave Mexican native history and cultures a place of prominence. Fernández also shared her father's love for cinema, occasionally opening the doors of La Casa Forteleza to hold culture fairs and tell stories of the

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

Mexican cinema The cinema of Mexico dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ...

in order to honor the memory of her father and his famous house. She lived surrounded by stars of the artistic world of her day such as

Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

María Félix María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (; 8 April 1914 – 8 April 2002) was a Mexican actress and singer. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, she was one of the most successful figures of Latin American cinema in the 1940s and ...

and

Columba Domínguez Columba Domínguez Alarid (March 4, 1929 – August 13, 2014) was a Mexican actress, singer, and painter. She is remembered particularly for her performance in the film ''Pueblerina'' (1949). Biography Early life Columba Domínguez Alarid was b ...

, among others.

Death and legacy

Adela Fernández died on Sunday, 18 August 2013 at 70 years from complications related to a

bowel obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or Ileus, functional obstruction of the Gastrointestinal tract#Lower gastrointestinal tract, intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Ei ...

. Her remains were veiled and she was laid to rest next to her father in the courtyard of the house. Upon her death, in Mexico City, Fernández asked to be remembered as "a strong woman who did not allow herself to be intimidated by anything or anyone, who was faithful to her principles and committed herself to the culture of Mexico." As reported by Mexican newspaper ''

Excélsior ''Excélsior'' is a daily newspaper in Mexico City. It is the second-oldest paper in the city after ''El Universal (Mexico City), El Universal'', printing its first issue on March 18, 1917. The newspaper's headquarters are located at Avenida Buc ...

'', Fernández's last words were "Sigan trabajando, sigan difundiendo a mi padre, difundan mi obra" ("Keep working, continue to spread my father and I's work.").

: "Adela Fernández tuvo un compromiso cultural con México." 8 August 2013

Selected works

* ''Híbrido'' and ''El Perro'' * * * * Fernández, Adela. ''La Jaula de Tía Enedina'' unt Enedina's Cage(in Spanish) * Surrealist writings: **''La Trivia'' **''El Cadáver Exquisito'' **''Escritura Automática'' *

Short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

: **''Claroscuro'' **''Cotidiano Surrealismo'' *

Monologue In theatre, a monologue (also known as monolog in North American English) (in , from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts ...

s: **''El Sepulturero'' **''Sin Sol... ¿Hacia dónde Mirarán los Girasoles?'' *Plays: **''La Tercera Soledad'' **''La Prodigiosa''

Notes

References

Sources

Publications * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez y Fernandez, Adela 20th-century Mexican women writers 20th-century Mexican writers Writers from Mexico City 1942 births 2013 deaths