Prizewinning Poetry

GAMBIER, Ohio (February 13, 2006) Assistant Professor of Spanish Victor Rodríguez-Núñez has won the 2005 Fray Luis de León (Accésit) Prize for his book-length poem Actas de medianoche/part 1. The prize involves publication of the book along with an award of 6,000 euros (more than $7,000).

He began writing Actas de medianoche shortly after moving to Gambier in 2001. The book is one of two that, together, comprise a 2,156-line poem dealing with issues of identity. With a form based on the Spanish sonnet, it has fourteen cantos, with each canto consisting of eleven free-verse sonnets.

As a native of Cuba who has lived and worked outside of his homeland for some time, Rodríguez-Núñez finds the theme compelling. "I never in my life wanted to be Cuban, but trying not to be Cuban, I become Cuban. You can only reach your identity if you see yourself from another perspective."

Rodríguez-Núñez has taught courses at Kenyon in Hispanic literature and culture, as well as all levels of Spanish language. As a scholar, he has published various anthologies, critical editions, prologues, and articles on Hispanic literatures, including a book on García Marquez's non-fiction works. Along with his academic endeavors, he was active as a cultural journalist in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Colombia, and served as an editor of both cultural magazines and specialized journals. He is also the author of several books of poetry, many of them recipients of literary awards, including the David Prize (Cuba), the Plural Prize (Mexico) and the Renacimiento Prize (Spain).