Dolores Koch Collection of Reinaldo Arenas

Koch, Dolores

Born in Havana, Cuba, Dolores Koch emigrated to the United States with her family in 1961. In 1986, she received her doctorate in Latin American literature from the City University of New York. Koch has published English translations of Arenas's Antes que anochezca and El portero as well as works by other Latin American authors. Her other notable work includes an English translation of the memoir of Oskar Schindler's widow, Where Light and Shadow Meet.

Arenas, Reinaldo (1943-1990)

Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990) was a Cuban poet, novelist, and playwright.

He was born in the Oriente province of Cuba, near the city of Holguín on July 16, 1943. As a teenager Arenas joined the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. In 1962, he moved to Havana to enroll in the School of Planification and, later, in the Faculty of Letters at the University of Havana, where he studied philosophy and literature without completing a degree. The following year, he began working at the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí and continued to work there until 1967. During this time he wrote a number of short stories and the novel Celestino antes del alba, which won a First Mention Award at the Cirilo Villaverde National Competition in 1965 and was published by UNEAC (National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists) in 1967. Celestino antes del alba was the only novel Arenas wrote and published in Cuba. From 1966 to 1970 Arenas discreetly worked on Otra vez el mar a following title to Arenas' Pentagonia series. He gave the manuscript to Aurelio Cortés for safekeeping though the latter destroyed the manuscript. There are differing accounts of how the manuscript was destroyed and why. Arenas went on to re-write Otra vez el mar two other times before publishing it in 1987. From 1968 to 1974 he was a journalist and editor for the literary magazine La Gaceta de Cuba.

Arenas grew critical of Castro's government and was imprisoned for his writings and open homosexuality. In 1973, he was sent to prison after being charged and convicted for "ideological deviation" and for publishing his writings abroad without official consent. After escaping from prison he attempted to leave Cuba by launching himself to shore on a tire inner tube. He was caught and imprisoned at the infamous El Morro Castle and released in 1976. In 1980, as part of the mass emigration of Cubans during Mariel Boatlift, he was exiled in the United States. He took permanent residence in New York City and was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. He continued to write and speak out against the Castro government for the remainder of his life. After battling AIDS, Arenas died of an intentional overdose of drugs and alcohol on December 7, 1990.

The collection consists of working papers of Reinaldo Arenas collected by Dolores Koch, his friend and preferred translator. Much of the material concerns the publication of Arenas's work and its translation into English. Explanatory notes by Koch accompany some items.

"Dolores Koch: Perfil profesional" at El Cuento en Red consulted during preparation of biographical note.

Materials appearing in this collection have been published under the following titles: Antes que anochezca (Barcelona: Tusquets Editores, 1992), Before Night Falls (New York: Viking Penguin, 1993), Farewell to the Sea, a Novel of Cuba (New York, N.Y.: Viking, 1986), La loma del angel (Barcelona: DADOR/Ediciones, 1987), Mona and Other Tales, (New York: Vintage, 2001), Otra vez el mar (Barcelona: Editorial Argos Vergara, 1982), El portero (Miami: Ediciones Universal, 1990).

Gift of Dolores Koch in February 2005.

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This collection was processed by Danielle Ford in February 2005. Finding aid written by Danielle Ford in February 2005.

Audiovisual materials from this collection were digitized in 2017.

Reinaldo Arenas Papers (C0232), Liliane Hasson Collection of Reinaldo Arenas (C0807).

Nothing was removed from the collection.

Use

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Preferred Citation

Citations should be as follows: Dolores Koch Collection of Reinaldo Arenas, Box #, Folder #, Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Publisher

Manuscripts Division

Finding aids author

Danielle Ford

Date

2005

Creator

Koch, Dolores

Subject

Authors, Cuban -- 20th century -- Correspondence

Cuban fiction -- 20th century

Cuban literature -- 20th century

Gay men's writings, Cuban -- 20th century

Latin American fiction -- 20th century

Audiocassettes

Audiotapes

People

Arenas, Reinaldo (1943-1990)

Occupation

Translators -- United States -- 20th century -- Correspondence

Language

Spanish; Castilian

English

Form

Correspondence

Manuscripts

Photographs, Original

Audiocassettes -- 20th century