History, politics and literature in Júlio Cortázar’s epistolary writing

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reveal how Julio Cortazar’s epistolary practice can be understood as a breeding space of intellectual sociability networks that allow to relate them to the creation of discussion forums on literary and publishing projects and political-cultural reflections. Cortázar’s correspondences are important means of propagation of his political views in the most intense period of his activism: 1960 and 1970. In his letters, Cortázar reveals his understanding of the literary work, the social function of literature, the role of the intellectual and still reflects on his literary activity, defends revolutions and socialism and condemn the military dictatorships in Latin America. Ultimately, his letters reveal a committed writer with the great literary and political transformations of his time. To understand Cortázar’s correspondence as a means of construction of political and intellectual sociability, we analyze part of his correspondence compiled in three volumes organized by Auror  Bernardez and published by Alfaguara in 2000, they are: Volume I (Letters, 1937-1963); Volume II (Letters, 1964-1968); and Volume III (Letters, 1969-1983).