Is it possible to capture a writer’s soul in bronze? Here before us stands the Julio Cortázar Bust. It commemorates a literary giant born right here in Brussels.
Julio Cortázar was born in Ixelles on August 26 1914. His Argentine parents were in Belgium. His father worked in the Argentine diplomatic service. Imagine young Julio taking his first breaths here in a city far from his family’s homeland.
But Belgium was then occupied by German troops. The family soon moved to neutral Switzerland. They lived in Zurich and Geneva for two years. Later they briefly stayed in Barcelona. By 1919 the Cortázars settled outside Buenos Aires.
Julio’s father left when he was six. He grew up in Banfield a suburb of Buenos Aires. His mother introduced him to Jules Verne. Verne’s stories sparked his imagination. Cortázar later said his childhood was full of goblins and elves. He felt different from everyone else.
At 18 Julio Cortázar became an elementary school teacher. He studied philosophy and languages but didn’t graduate. He taught in high schools in Buenos Aires Province. Under the name Julio Denis he published a book of sonnets. He later regretted this early publication.
Political pressure forced him to resign from his university post in Mendoza. He then worked as a translator. In 1951 Cortázar moved to France. He lived there for the rest of his life. He translated for UNESCO from 1952 onward.
Julio Cortázar wrote most of his major works in Paris or Saignon. He became active in opposing human rights abuses in Latin America. He supported the Cuban Revolution and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua.
Cortázar had three significant relationships. He married Aurora Bernárdez in 1953. They separated in 1968. Then he was involved with Ugnė Karvelis. In 1981 he married Carol Dunlop. After Dunlop’s death Aurora Bernárdez inherited the rights to his works.
Julio Cortázar died in Paris in 1984. He is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery. Leukemia was reported as the cause of death. Some say he died of AIDS from a blood transfusion.
Cortázar’s notable works include Bestiario Final del juego and Hopscotch. His open-ended writing style broke classical molds. He defied temporal linearity. His work influenced an entire generation.
Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blow-Up was inspired by Cortázar’s story “Las babas del diablo”. Roberto Bolaño cited Cortázar as a key influence. Giannina Braschi used his story in her novel Yo-Yo Boing.
Here stands the Julio Cortázar Bust a tribute to a writer who challenged conventions. He experimented with narrative. He explored existential themes. May this bust inspire you to read his works. Discover the magic of Julio Cortázar.