Oreamuno, Yolanda (1916–1956)

Yolanda Oreamuno (b. 8 April 1916; d. 8 July 1956), Costa Rican writer. Born in San José, Yolanda Oreamuno was one of the initiators of the contemporary Costa Rican narrative. Her psychological novel La ruta de su evasión (1950) won the Guatemalan 15 de Septiembre Prize. Finding it difficult to establish herself as a writer and intellectual in her own country, which she outspokenly criticized for its provincial attitudes and overly folkloric literature, from 1943 on she resided alternately in Guatemala, where she became a citizen in 1948, and in Mexico, where she died. In 1933, she composed a fiery essay on the role of women, which was later published in the literary journal Repertorio Americano, as were most of her essays and stories. The existence and location of her other novels, possibly as many as four, remain uncertain. Some of her stories have been translated into English and are included, with critical comments, in Victoria Urbano, editor, Five Women Writers of Costa Rica (1978), and Enrique Jaramillo Levi, editor, When New Flowers Bloomed (1991). Other writings are in her collection A lo largo del corto camino (1961) and in Alfonso Chase, editor, Relatos escogidos (1977).

See alsoLiterature: Spanish America .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Victoria Urbano, Una escritora costarricense (1968).

Rima De Vallbona, Yolanda Oreamuno (1972).

Additional Bibliography

Macaya, Emilia. Espíritu en carne altiva. San José: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 1997.

Vallbona, Rima de. La narrativa de Yolanda Oreamuno. San José: Editorial Costa Rica, 1995.

                                        Susan E. Clark