Ochart, Yvonne 1949- (Luz Yvonne Ochart Torres)

PERSONAL:

Born October 7, 1949, in San Juan, PR; daughter of Rubén (an engineer) and Eulogia (a computer programmer) Ochart. Ethnicity: "Puerto Rican." Education: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, B.A.; Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, B.A., 1974; State University of New York at Stony Brook, M.A., 1979, Ph.D., 1981; also studied in Japan. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Painting, history, photography.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Juan, PR. Office—Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, P.O. Box 9024184, San Juan, PR.

CAREER:

Poet. Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, professor of linguistics, Spanish, and Spanish literature, 1982-83; Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, adjunct professor of psycholinguistics, 1984-86; West Indies Advertising, copywriter, 1986-87; Premier Maldonado and Associates, senior copywriter, 1987-89; Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, executive assistant to the directors, 1993-96, administrator, 1996-98. Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, adjunct professor, 1984-90; gives poetry readings; juror for literary competitions; guest on Puerto Rican television programs; curriculum consultant.

MEMBER:

PEN Puerto Rico (secretary for world affairs, 1983-84).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Ateneo Puertorriqueño Awards, first prize for poetry, 1974, for Rantamplán, and book of the year designation, 1982, for Este es nuestro paraíso; Ford Foundation fellowship, 1977-80; first prize, Club Cívico de Damas de Puerto Rico, 1990, for El fuego de todas las cosas; merit award, Fondo Puertorriqueño para el Financiamiento de Quehacer Cultural, 1997.

WRITINGS:

Rantamplán (poetry), Editorial Zona (San Juan, PR), 1975.

Este es nuestro paraíso (poetry), Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (San Juan, PR), 1981.

El salto domado, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (San Juan, PR), 1989.

Poemas de Nueva York, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (San Juan, PR), 1989.

Obra poética (includes Rantamplán, El salto domado, and Poemas de Nueva York), Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (San Juan, PR), 1989.

El fuego de todas las cosas (short stories), Universidad de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR), 1990.

El libro del Agua (poetry), Instituto de Literatura Puertorriqueña (San Juan, PR), 1996.

Editor of other works, including Fronesis o la educación en Puerto Rico and El sigo XIX y el fin de siglo a través de la Regenta. Contributor of poetry to anthologies, including La espina del sueño, Ediciones Mairena (Rio Piedras, PR), 1997; and Mujeres/98, Antillian College Press (San Juan, PR), 1998. Contributor of criticism and poetry to periodicals, including Alicia la Roja, Claridad, Crisis, Latin American Literary Review, Libroguína, Mairena, Nómada, Plaza, Revista Atlantica Poesia, and Zona.

SIDELIGHTS:

Yvonne Ochart has received critical acclaim in her native country of Puerto Rico for poems focusing on such things as her love for the city of San Juan, experiences of life in New York City, the difficulties of modern society, the changing role of women, and mysticism. Ochart is a member of what became known as the Generation of '70, a group of women poets who broke with tradition and experimented with new poetic styles and forms during their early careers in the 1970s. Much of Ochart's writing focuses on self-discovery and Puerto Rican history, and some has been characterized as feminist in spirit. Commenting on the poet's first published collection, Rantamplán, critic Juan Martínez Capó noted in El Mundo Ochart's use of both proverbs and contemporary turns of phrase. Behind the overt protest of Rantamplán, noted Capó, lies the author's obvious concern for moral values: peace, family, love, and justice; perhaps this solitary poetic voice is imbued with uncharacteristic stridency due to her heartfelt concerns. Both in Rantamplán and in many of Ochart's later collections, including El libro del Agua, free verse predominates, although the poet has also incorporated more structured forms such as haiku and sonnet.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Ortega, Julio, Reapropiaciones: Literatura contemporánea puertorriqueña, Universidad de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR), 1990.

PERIODICALS

Claridad, April 25-May 1, 1997, Miguel Angel Fornerín, "La poesía metafísica de Yvonne Ochart," p. 24, and "Yvonne Ochart: Puerto Rico es nuestro paraíso," pp. 22-23.

El Mundo, September 4, 1977, Juan Martínez Capó, review of Rantamplán, p. B10; July 4, 1982, Juan Martínez Capó, review of Este es nuestro paraíso, p. B12.

Latin American Literary Review, spring-summer, 1980, Anibal Gonzalez, "Four Young Puerto Rican Poets," p. 229.