Manuel López Forjas

«¿Por qué tendré que irme de Roma, donde pasé unos días de magia?»: Historia, memoria y estética en cuatro escritores de México en Italia a principios de 1920

Introduction

«¿por qué tendré que irme de roma, donde pasé unos días de magia?»: historia, memoria y estética en cuatro escritores de méxico en italia a principios de 1920. Explora la historia, memoria y estética de escritores mexicanos como Urbina, Cabrera, Torri y Campos en Italia durante los años 20. Analiza sus viajes, textos y redes intelectuales.

Abstract

En el presente artículo se ofrecerá un recorrido por las lecturas de la primera generación de escritores mexicanos que viajaron y escribieron en Italia entre la década de 1920 hasta 1940. Esta generación se corresponde con algunos escritores de la época del Ateneo de México, mejor conocido como el Ateneo de la Juventud Mexicana –sin ser propiamente parte de él–. También cabe hablar de uno fundamental en su constitución, como es el caso de Alfonso Reyes. A continuación, se hará un seguimiento de los textos de Luis G. Urbina y Rafael Cabrera en su diálogo con Julio Torri, para terminar con la experiencia menos conocida de Rubén M. Campos en Italia. Estos textos se leerán en consonancia con los testimonios de sus compañeros de generación, creando un diálogo artificial entre ellos, el cual, no obstante, surge constantemente de manera natural gracias a las redes intelectuales que tenían y a la figura del propio Torri como eje y testigo desde México de este aprendizaje cultural.

Review

The article, intriguingly titled with a quote that immediately evokes its central theme of displacement and enchantment, presents a highly promising and original contribution to the study of Mexican intellectual history and transnational literary exchanges. The focus on the first generation of Mexican writers traveling and composing in Italy between the 1920s and 1940s addresses a rich, yet often underexplored, nexus of cultural interaction. By proposing to examine the interplay of history, memory, and aesthetics in the works of figures like Luis G. Urbina, Rafael Cabrera, Julio Torri, and Rubén M. Campos, the article sets the stage for a compelling analysis of how these experiences abroad shaped Mexican modernism. The abstract clearly articulates a valuable research endeavor. The article's methodological approach, centered on establishing an "artificial dialogue" among these writers and their contemporaries, promises a nuanced understanding of their individual and collective intellectual journeys. The inclusion of Alfonso Reyes as a foundational figure, alongside the specific attention given to lesser-known experiences such as that of Rubén M. Campos, demonstrates a thorough and inclusive scope. Furthermore, the emphasis on Julio Torri as both an "eje y testigo" from Mexico underscores the intricate networks of intellectual exchange that persisted even across geographical distances. This comparative and intertextual reading, informed by the social and intellectual context of the Ateneo de la Juventud Mexicana, is poised to illuminate the complexities of cultural appropriation and literary development during a pivotal period for Mexican letters. This study appears poised to offer significant insights into how encounters with European culture, particularly Italy, contributed to the self-fashioning of a generation of Mexican writers. While the abstract strongly establishes the "what" and "who," readers might benefit from a slightly more explicit preview of the *kind* of magic or transformation the authors experienced in Rome, beyond the general categories of history, memory, and aesthetics. For instance, what specific aspects of Italian culture (e.g., classical ruins, Renaissance art, contemporary avant-gardes) particularly resonated with or challenged their Mexican perspectives? Nevertheless, the article's premise is robust, its selection of figures judicious, and its proposed methodology sound, making it a valuable addition to scholarship on transatlantic modernism and Latin American literary history.

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