José Ortega Torres

José Ortega Torres (born 1943) is a poet born in Granada, Spain; he is a known author in the Andalusian poetic scene. A contemporary of the Novísimos poetic movement, his work follows more traditional forms (rhyme, sonnet), with a marked rhythm and deliberate word choice that bring to mind the classical Mediterranean tradition^[1] His biography sheds light on the local history of poetry in the city of Granada.

Biography

José Ortega Torres majored in Romance Philology at the University of Granada between 1966 and 1969 and in 1971 read his dissertation "Aproximación a la poesía de Rafael Guillén" (Approach to the poetry of Rafael Guillén), under the supervision of Professor Emilio Orozco Díaz. In 1975 he founded with poets José Lupiáñez (La Línea de la Concepción) and José Gutiérrez (Granada) the Silene^[2] literary collection, which since then has published works by many local poets (among others, Juan de Loxa, José Rienda, Elena Martín Vivaldi and Carmelo Sánchez Muros). He obtained his Ph.D. in Spanish Philology in 1971 with the work "La poesía de Rafael Guillén: lengua, temas y estilo" (Rafael Guillén's Poetry - Language, Subjects and Style).^[3]

During the 1990s and 2000s he taught Spanish Literature at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting of the University of Granada.

José Ortega Torres uses the anagram Narzeo Antino.

Quotes

'Diamante', Granada, 1978, p. 34.

La arquitectura del amor exalta júbilo en asedio: por la celosía del alba se impacientaban los luceros. Entre los rumores del bosque -vigilante el desasosiego- la madrugada rinde espigas ante el azar del desconcierto. Mas no ceda el ánimo al frío frente a la inmolación del tiempo, no sea que las azucenas se desvanezcan en el tiempo.		Amor exaltación y arquitectura asedio de corceles surtidores combate desvelando en los fulgores las columnas del alba y su tersura Espejo sin sosiego en que perdura el bosque de los ávidos rumores apogeo de espigas y atanores donde la noche rinde su aventura Amor si tu presencia es desafío corporal y desnudo pensamiento concédeme el clamor de las almenas desvanece fugaz las azucenas
—'Fulgor de la materia', Granada, 2003, p. 50 y 51.

Works and Prizes

• Cauce vivo^[4] ("A Live Riverbed"), 1971, signed as Aldo Fresno
• Ceremonia salvaje^[5] ("A Wild Ceremony"), 1973
• Carmen de Aynadamar^[6] ("The Carmen of Aynadamar"), 1974
• Ritos y cenizas^[7] ("Rites and Ashes"), 1975
• "Poema de la Alhambra, de A.E.” (published in the Granada journal Ideal on February 23, 1975)
• El exilio y el reino^[8] ("The Exile and the Kingdom"), 1979
• Hierofanía^[9] ("Hierophany", 1981), Federico García Lorca Prize in 1979 (sponsored by the University of Granada).
• La diadema y el cetro: himno^[10] ("The Diadem and the Sceptre - a Hymn"), 1983
• Diamante: (espacio íntimo)^[11] (Diamond: an intimate space"), 1987
• Olvido es el mar,^[12] ("The Sea is Oblivion"), 1989
• Domus aurea^[13] ("Domus Aurea", 1996), Provincia de León Prize, 1994.
• Laurel & glosa,^[14] ("A Laurel and a Note"), 1997
• Centinela del aire^[15] ("The Sentinel of the Air"), 1999, Ciudad de Salamanca Prize.
• Amante desafío^[16] ("A Loving Challenge"), 2001
• Fulgor de la materia^[17] ("The Splendor of the Matter"), 2003
• Un título para Eros. Erotismo, sensualidad y sexualidad en la literatura ("A Title for Eros. Erotism, Sensuality and Sexuality in Literature"), Chapter 7 - “Falomanía y travesura en El jardín de Venus de Samaniego” ("Fallomania and Play in Samaniego's Garden of Venus")^[18][19]

Notes and references

• Editorial Dauro site - Reference to the author's work and prizes
• Site of the Granada journal Ideal - Article on the poet José Ortega Torres, published on 2006-04-01