Marcela Veintimilla Carrión (Zaruma, 1961) is an Ecuadorian short story writer who gained recognition during the 1980s. She was part of the Advanced Literature Workshop at the Central Bank/Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Núcleo del Guayas, under the guidance of Miguel Donoso Pareja. Her debut collection, Cualquier cosa me invento para ver (1989), presents introspective and experimental narratives that explore identity, personal dilemmas, and societal expectations. Her work has been included in notable anthologies.
Early Life and Education
Marcela Veintimilla Carrión was born in 1961 in Zaruma, a town located in the province of El Oro, Ecuador. She became actively involved in the literary scene during the 1980s, a time of significant development for Ecuadorian women writers. She pursued her education at the Escuela de Literatura of the Universidad Católica de Guayaquil, where she honed her literary skills and later became part of a renowned literary group that emerged from the Taller de Literatura Avanzada of the Banco Central de Ecuador/Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (CCE), Núcleo del Guayas. This workshop was led by the influential Ecuadorian writer and critic Miguel Donoso Pareja and played a crucial role in shaping her writing career.
Literary Career
Marcela Veintimilla’s literary contributions center around short story writing. Her debut work, Cualquier cosa me invento para ver (1989), consists of a collection of seventeen short stories. These narratives are noted for their exploration of everyday life, often infused with an introspective and experimental approach to storytelling. Critics of her book, such as Raúl Vallejo, have described her writing as possessing a “heterogeneous quality,” showing glimpses of a writer in the process of literary maturation. Some of her stories, such as “La pulsión” and “Para olvidarme de ser yo,” received praise for their well-crafted plots and insight into the inner world of their characters.
Thematically, her stories blend realism with moments of introspective abstraction. They touch on personal dilemmas, such as identity and self-awareness, while also delving into broader societal issues like family dynamics and societal expectations. Her intimate narrative style provides a tender, sometimes disenchanted view of the complexities of human emotions and experiences.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Marcela Veintimilla is recognized as one of the significant contributors to the wave of Ecuadorian literature by women in the late 2oth century. Her work, along with that of her contemporaries such as Gilda Holst, Liliana Miraglia, and Livina Santos, is often cited as a point of reference for studying the role of women in Ecuadorian literature.
In one of her stories from Cualquier cosa me invento para ver, “Intentando escribir la historia que acabo de soñar,” she explores themes of patriarchy and the struggles of adolescent women, reflecting broader feminist concerns within the Ecuadorian literary scene. Her contribution to Cuentan las mujeres, an anthology of Ecuadorian women writers, further established her reputation in feminist literary circles.
Recognitions and Accolades
Marcela Veintimilla’s work has been included in several important anthologies of Ecuadorian literature, underscoring her relevance within the country’s literary canon. Her debut book, Cualquier cosa me invento para ver, remains a significant contribution to Ecuadorian narrative fiction.
Selected Works
- Cualquier cosa me invento para ver (1989)
Featured in the following anthologies
- Cuentan las mujeres: Antología de narradoras ecuatorianas, edited by Cecilia Ansaldo (Quito: Planeta, 2001)
- Antología de narradoras ecuatorianas, compiled by Miguel Donoso Pareja (Quito: Libresa, 1997)
References
- Acoso Textual, “Livina Santos y Marcela Vintimilla: sus primeros libros.” Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- Asociación de Funcionarios y Empleados del Servicio Exterior Ecuatoriano (AFESE), “LITERATURA ECUATORIANA CONTEMPORÁNEA” by Francisco Proaño Arandi. Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- Susana Álvarez Galarza, “Palabra en plenitud de vida.” Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- Raúl Vallejo, “Solo de palabras: un texto no confiable” by Miguel Donoso Pareja. Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- Literatura Ecuatoriana, “Marcela Vintimilla Carrión.” Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- Rodolfo Pérez Pimentel, “Vintimilla, Marcela.” Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- FLACSO Andes Digital Library, “Las mujeres también cuentan en el Ecuador: reflexiones sobre tres antologías recientes de narradoras ecuatorianas” by Michael Handelsman. Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.
- ResearchGate, “Las mujeres también cuentan en el Ecuador: reflexiones sobre tres antologías recientes de narradoras ecuatorianas y el lugar que estas ocupan en el imaginario nacional” by Michael Handelsman. Retrieved on October 13, 2024. Click to view.