Issued at University College of London (April 2012) Blueprint for a paper in which I study 2 biographies' series Spin-off from my PhD dissertation (Plutarco de Moda. La Biografía Moderna en España, 2009) Theoretical considerations Socio-Cultural Context Features of the Book Series Legacy & Conclusions Manuel Pulido Mendoza PhD Hispanic Studies Twitter: @manuelpm manuelpulidomendoza@gmail.com

1. 'Vidas' Book Series
(Espasa-Calpe)
Blueprint for a paper in which I study
2 biographies' series
Spin-off from my PhD dissertation
(Plutarco de Moda. La Biografía
Moderna en España, 2009)
Theoretical considerations
Socio-Cultural Context
Features of the Book Series
Legacy & Conclusions
Manuel Pulido Mendoza

2. How old do you think
the word 'biography'
and the genre are?

3. Definition of Biography as a
Literary Genre

West and other World Cultural spheres have
long traditions of Life-Writing

But Biography is a 17th C neologism
− First appeared in England and France
− Secular Third Estate life-writing,
Individualism, personal records in paper,
Rationalism & Science
− Lit. Convention of Enlightment, Industrial
Revolution, Romanticism, Bourgeois Soc.

4. How do you define a
biography?

5. Definition (2)
Different from other forms of Life-Writing:
Memories, Diary, Autobiography, récit de vie
-sociology tool-, self-fiction...
As a literary form, conventionally, is a
restrospective life-facts account of a third
person.

6. How do you
distinguish fiction
from referential
literature?

7. Critical Aproaches towards
Biography

BUT: Referentiality still matters in

50-60s: Biography as an Art a pragmatic level (P. Lejeune, D.
Cohn):

70-80s: (Postmodern Ap.)
Biography as a Plot, Creation of – Sources
the language or fiction, Negation
of the subject factual account (verifiable)

90s: Cultural Studies: broadening – Narrative
the subject perspective
– Narrator identity
(Author=narrator)

8. Modern Biography Forms
Non fiction, referential: Fiction:

Historiography

Historical Novel

Literary essay

Biofiction

9. Which event changed
the history and the
aesthetics of 20 C.?
th

10. History of New or Modern
Biography

WWI:
Dehumanization

Extension of literacy

New Technology

Aesthetics changes:
− Abstract Avant-
Garde
− Reaction / Back

11. 'New Biography' between wars...

First appeared as a literary mock of
the Bourgeois (Victorian)
conventional biography:
− UK: Bloomsbury group:
V. Woolf, L. Strachey, H.
Nicolson, A.J.A. Symons
− France: R. Rolland, A.
Maurois
− Germany: E. Ludwig
− Austria: S. Zweig
− Italy: G. Pappini

12. ...And between aesthetics
Best-seller, competing with novel (Ortega)
Psico-biography (Freud)
Subjective time (Bergson)
Neo-Romanticism: Hero vs Masses
Only the work counts (New Criticism),
Imposibility of the genre (Existentialism)

13. How this affected to
Spain and Spanish
Biography?

14. Socio-cultural Causes for
“Vidas” Series in Spain

WWI Neutrality BUT Colonial War /
Dictatorship / Restoration Regime

Celebrated the century of
crisis Romanticism in 1930

Economic development:

Celebrated the century of LatAm
Publishing Industry during 20s Independence

Educational & Propaganda Tools

Back to human form after abstract
Avant-garde

Hispanic life-writing tradition

Best-seller genre in Ferias del

European models of New Biography libro Madrid (1933-1936):
(authors & series) 'biografías noveladas'.

15. Ortega y Gasset's Cultural
Leadership
The mind after the biograghy fashion:
Philosophy: Vital Rationalism,
European Liberalism
Ideas sobre la novela: 'Nova
Novorum' (Chacel, Rodríguez-
Fischer)
Cultural leadership and sponsor: Rev.
Occ., El Sol, Espasa-Calpe
(Papelera Española)
Biographer himself

16. Melchor Fernández Almagro,
Series editor
Historian, journalist, writer, essay writer
García Lorca's and other progressive intelectuals'
friend
Became Ortega's colaborator, editor of the series
'Vidas españolas del siglo XIX” in Espasa-Calpe
Expert on 19th C. Spanish History and Law, wrote
Orígenes del régimen constitucional en España
(1928)
The colection was successful thanks to its pluralistic
ideological approach

17. Evolution of 'Vidas' Series in
Espasa-Calpe
20
18
16
14
12
Vidas extraordinarias
10 1st ed. VEHAXIX
1st+2nd ed VEHAXIX
8
6
4
2
0
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942

18. Characters by Class, Origin,
Gender
60
50
40
Column 1
30 Column 2
Column 3
20
10
0
Nobiliary&Church / other classes Spanish / American / Both Men / w omen

19. Features of 'Vidas EHASXIX'
Most successful: Hispanic American
Longest (1929-1942, Presence (after Torres
59 volumes, 17 Bodet)
reimp.) Ideologies: plural but with
a moderate tone; an
Characters' social evolution
classes: open to
Literary forms:
broader extent historiographic, literary
Women: 1 author, 7 essay (Baroja).
characters, 11,86% Theoretical considerations

20. Some covers
-Retro design (Tipography & Filigree)
-Title: Name and description or motto
-Symbolic Motive or Design related to the
biographee

21. Antonio Marichalar, editor of
'Vidas Extraordinarias'
1927 Poetic Group's
member
Literary critic (The
Criterion, El Sol, Rev.
Occ.) and biographer
Introductor of English
Lit. in Spain
(Strachey, Woolf,
Joyce, Conrad,

22. Features of 'Vidas
Extraordinarias'
No space or time limit
Spanish (1/3) and
successful Foreign
authors (2/3)
Good translators and
Spanish authors
More women's
biographies (5 of 14)

23. Conclusions
Biography was a broad Espasa's: Model for
cultural battlefield in
Modern Spain further series, started
a tradition of Modern
It explains identities in Biography
conflict
It offers a better
It's still relevant in a
understanding of social level
Modern Spain and its Currently Biographical
approaches to LatAm & Studies in Hispanic
Europe
World are 'in'