Manuel Zeno Gandía (January 10, 1855 – January 30, 1930) was a
Puerto Rican physician, poet, novelist, journalist and politician. He is best known as the author of ''La Charca'' (The Pond), a
novel
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
considered by many to be the first Puerto Rican novel.
Early years
Zeno Gandía was born in
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...
, to wealthy land-owning parents. After receiving his primary and secondary education in his hometown, he went to Spain where he studied medicine at the
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona (official name in ; UB), formerly also known as Central University of Barcelona (), is a public research university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was established in 1450. With 76,000 students, ...
's school of medicine. He graduated with the titles of Doctor in
Medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
and
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
. He developed his love for political
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
during his stay in Spain. His interest in
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
led him to become an outspoken advocate for Puerto Rican independence.
[ La Charca](_blank)
/ref> Eduardo Neumann Gandía was his cousin.
Physician, poet and novelist
When Zeno Gandía returned to Puerto Rico, he set up his medical practice in the city of Ponce. While in Ponce, Zeno Gandia was medical director at the Port of Ponce "in the years up to 1895". It was during this time that Zeno Gandia wrote ''La Charca.'' In 1894, he published ''La Charca'' (The Pond), "Considered the greatest Puerto Rican novel of the 19th century". The novel's plot deals with the harsh life in the remote and mountainous coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
regions in Puerto Rico. This naturalist novel speaks of the injustices the poor farm worker suffered at the hands of rich landowners. ''La Charca'' is a Puerto Rican classic and is one of four novels in ''Las Crónicas de un Mundo enfermo'' (Chronicles of a Sick World). The other three are ''Garduña'', ''El Negocio'' (The Business) and ''Redentores'' (The Redeemers). These novels were also written while Zeno Gandia was a physician in Barrio Playa, Ponce. ''El Negocio'' was published in 1922. In the 1960s, Zeno Gandía's best-known novel, ''La Charca'' was translated to English by Kal Wagenheim. In English, it remains in print as ''The Pond'', and is published by Markus Wiener Publishers of Princeton, New Jersey
The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...
. Zeno Gandia had published many poems prior to writing ''La Charca.'' Among these poems were ''La Señora Duquesa'' and ''Abismo.''
Journalist
While in Ponce, Zeno Gandia was already politically active and, as many others during this time in Puerto Rico, he used the press to publish his political ideas. With Amy Braschi, he founded in Ponce the paper ''El Estudio'' in 1896. Around 1900, he also founded ''La Opinion'' and led it as its editor. In 1902, he then bought ''La Correspondencia'' and directed it until 1914. To keep up with his growing journalism business, he imported Puerto Rico's first monotype press and its first Rotary printing press
A rotary printing press is a printing press in which the images to be printed are curved around a cylinder. Printing can be done on various substrates, including paper, cardboard, and plastic. Substrates can be sheet feed or unwound on a contin ...
.
Politician and independence advocate
Zeno Gandia was the first Puerto Rican to propose the creation of an independence party for Puerto Rico. After Puerto Rico was invaded by American forces during the Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
in 1898, Zeno Gandía traveled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
where, together with Eugenio María de Hostos
Eugenio María de Hostos y de Bonilla (January 11, 1839 – August 11, 1903), known as ("The Great Citizen of the Americas"), was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist, novelist, and Puerto Rican ...
, he proposed the idea of independence for Puerto Rico. The men were disappointed when their ideas were rejected by the government of the United States and the island was converted into a territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
. Zeno Gandía returned to the island where he continued to write and was politically active. As a member of the Puerto Rico Union Party, he also advocated allowing voters to choose among non-colonial options, including annexation, an independent protectorate and autonomy. Under the American Government installed in Puerto Rico, Zeno Gandia was a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 1900 and in 1907. In 1912, Zeno Gandía joined the Independence Party, a new political party founded by Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón (April 22, 1855 – December 13, 1913) was a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when Puerto Ric ...
which promoted Puerto Rico's independence. That same year, Zeno Gandía together with Matienzo Cintrón and Luis Lloréns Torres wrote a manifesto which stated that it was time for Puerto Rico to have its independence. Their Independence Party, which also included Eugenio Benítez Castaño and Pedro Franceschi as founding members, was the first party in Puerto Rico's history to plead for Puerto Rico's independence and it established a precedent for future organizations with similar ideologies.[Chronology of Puerto Rico in the Spanish–American War](_blank)
/ref>
Legacy
Zeno Gandía died in Santurce, Puerto Rico
Santurce (, meaning Saint George from Basque language, Basque ''Santurtzi'') is the largest and most populated Barrios of San Juan, Puerto Rico, barrio of the Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, the cap ...
, in 1930. He was buried at the Puerto Rico Memorial in Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina (; ) is a Carolina barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico, immediately east of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan and Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, n ...
. Manuel Zeno Gandía memory was honored by naming a school and avenues after him. In his native Arecibo, the credit cooperative and an industrial park are named after Zeno Gandía.
An statue of him was unveiled on 27 March 2007, by Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s N ...
on the grounds of Puerto Rico's Capitol, to honor Zeno Gandía, with Zeno Gandia's grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren in attendance. Zeno Gandia is recognized at Ponce's Tricentennial Park for his contributions in the field of literature.''Literature.''
Travel Ponce. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
See also
* List of Puerto Rican writers
*List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
* Puerto Rican literature
References
External links
La Charca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeno Gandia, Manuel
1855 births
1930 deaths
People from Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican novelists
Puerto Rican male novelists
Puerto Rican male writers
20th-century Puerto Rican politicians
Puerto Rican nationalists
Puerto Rican independence activists
20th-century Puerto Rican writers
19th-century Puerto Rican poets