Manuel María Fernández Teixeiro

Manuel María Fernández Teixeiro, better known as Manuel María (October 6, 1929, Outeiro de Rei–September 8, 2004, A Coruña), was a Spanish poet and academic who wrote in the Galician language. He was notable for his combative character and his political commitment.«Adeus ao poeta Manuel María» Vieiros, 10/9/2004.«Muere el poeta gallego Manuel María, el molinero de la niebla» El Mundo, 21/9/2004 . His poetry touched on themes of love, art, his own political commitment, drawing attention to wrongs, ethnography, physics, history, immateriality, mythology, the animal world, poetic expression, the passing of time, religion, society, language, agricultural labour, urbanism, and geography. The Day of Galician Literature was devoted to him in 2016.

Biography Manuel María was the son of two well-to-do farmers, Antonio Fernández Núñez, who was the mayor of Outeiro de Rei, and Pastora Teixeiro Casanova. He went to primary school in his small village of Rábade. In 1942 he moved to Lugo to carry out his secondary studies at the Marist Brothers school. In Lugo, at the age of 20, he began his precocious literary career participating in a conference circuit called "Jóvenes valores lucenses." This helped him get in touch with members of a group that met at the Méndez Núñez cafeteria: Luís Pimentel, Ánxel Fole, Juan Rof Codina, Aquilino Iglesia Alvariño, and others. This was his introduction to Galicianism and the Galician literary world. His friendship with Uxío Novoneyra also dates from this period.Biography on the RAG website

In 1950 he published his first collection of poems, Muiñeiro de brétemas ("Miller of mists"), which inaugurated the so-called "Escola da Tebra" (School of Shadows). His disappointment after failing the entrance exams to the University of Santiago inspired his second collection of poems, Morrendo a cada intre ("Dying every minute"). He did his military service in Santiago de Compostela and there he attended a gathering at Café Español, where he became a great friend of Carlos Maside. He then returned to Lugo, where he studied to become an attorney. In 1954 he won a prize at the Xogos Florais (Floral Games) in Ourense. In 1958 he became a court attorney in Monforte de Lemos, where he remained most of the rest of his life. To that city he dedicated a collection of poems, Cancioneiro de Monforte de Lemos. The following year he married Saleta Goi García in Lugo.

Although poetry was his preferred medium, Manuel María also attempted essays, narratives and plays. He moved away from a pessimistic existentialist position towards social and political commitment. In the troubled period of the 1960s and 1970s, he took part in the undercover reorganisation of the Galician nationalist political parties; he also worked with various organisations devoted to restoring Galician culture, arranging conferences and reciting poems. He managed the Xistral publishing house and together with its founder he ran the bookshop of the same name. He was made a corresponding member of the Royal Galician Academy in 1970, but renounced his membership in a public letter that appeared in the Galician newspapers in 1975.

A grass-root militant of the Galician People's Union and of the Frente Cultural of the Galician National-Popular Assembly, he was elected councillor in Monforte in 1979 for the Galician National-Popular Bloc. He resigned in 1985, and moved to A Coruña to fully devote himself to literary and cultural activities. His column, Walking on Earth, appeared in the newspaper Our Earth. One of the last campaigns in which he took part was in response to the Prestige oil spill disaster, under the names of Burla Negra (" Black Mockery") and the Plataforma Nunca Máis ("Never More" Platform).

In 1997 he was appointed partner of honour of the Galician Writers Association. He was re-admitted to the Royal Galician Academy in February 2003, under the sponsorship of Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín and others."A Terra Chá: poesía e paisaxe" respondido por Méndez Ferrín.Membros de número da Real Academia Galega

He died at A Coruña on 8 September 2004, and was buried in the church of Santa Isabel, Outeiro de Rei.Pereiro, Xosé Manuel: «Necrológica: Manuel María Fernández Teixeiro, poeta» El País, 11/9/2004 .

Honours On 7 September 2013 his house-museum in Outeiro de Rei was opened, Casa das Hortas ("the House of the Vegetable gardens"). On 4 July 2015, it was announced that the Royal Galician Academy would dedicate Galician Literature Day (May 17) of 2016 to his memory.

Work

Works in Galician

Poetry

Muiñeiro de brétemas (1950, Colección Benito Soto).Páxina coas portadas dalgúns dos seus libros de poesía Morrendo a cada intre (1952, La Voz de la Verdad, Lugo). Advento (1954, Ediciones Galicia, Centro Galego de Buenos Aires). Terra Chá (1954).Cover image of the 2nd edition. (1967) edited and expanded of Terra Cha. Libro de cantigas (1955, Lugo). Documentos personaes (1958, Celta). Libro de pregos (1962, Celta). Mar Maior (1963, Galaxia).Cover image of Mar maior. Versos frolecidos en louvanza de Foz (1967). Proba documental (1968, Xistral). Manuel María. Poemas ditos coa súa voz (1969, Edigsa/Xistral, Barcelona). Disco de vinilo de 45 r.p.m.Losada Castro, 1969, p= 19.Cover image of Manuel María. Poemas ditos coa súa voz. Versos pra un país de minifundios (1969, Nós, Buenos Aires). Versos pra cantar en feiras e romaxes (1969, Patronato da Cultura Galega de Montevideo). Remol (1970 Nós, Buenos Aires). Canciós do lusco ao fusco (1970, Xistral, Monforte de Lemos).Ficha de académico no sitio web da RAG 99 poemas de Manuel María (1972, Razão Actual, Porto).Cover image of 99 poemas de Manuel María. Odas nun tempo de paz e de ledicia (1972, Razão Actual, Porto).Odas nun tempo de paz e de ledicia en Google Books. Aldraxe contra a xistra (1973, Roi Xordo). Informe pra axudar a alcender unha cerilla (1973, Patronato da Cultura Galega, Montevideo). Laio e clamor pola Bretaña (1973, Roi Xordo). Seis pétalos de rosa en xeito de retrato (1973, edición do autor). Asinado co pseudónimo Xohán Carneiro. Cantos rodados para alleados e colonizados (1976, Xistral).Cover image of Cantos rodados para alleados e colonizados. Poemas ó outono (1977, Xistral). Poemas para construír unha patria (1977, AN-PG). O libro das baladas (1978, Follas Novas). Catavento de neutrós domesticados (1979, Alvarellos).Cover image of Catavento de neutrós domesticados Brétemas do muiñeiro e poema da neboa aferrollada (1980, Xistral). Versos de trinta outonos: (escolma 1950-1979) (1980, Xistral). Escolma de Camilo Gómez Torres. Escolma de poetas de Outeiro de Rei (1982, Xerais). Versos do lume e do vagalume (1982, Galiza Editora).Cover image of Versos do lume e do vagalume. Cantigueiro do Orcellón (1984, A. C. Avantar, O Carballiño). A luz ressuscitada (1984, AGAL). O camiño é unha nostalxia (1985, Arracada Galería de Artes).Cover image of O camiño é unha nostalxia. Poemas da labarada estremecida (1985, Xistral). Oráculos para cavalinhos-do-demo (1986, Caixa Ourense). Ritual para unha tribu capital do concello (1986, Follas secas). As lúcidas lúas do outono (1988, Vía Láctea).Cover image of As lúcidas lúas do outono. Sonetos ao Val de Quiroga (1988, Concello de Quiroga). Saturno (1989, Asociación Cultural Rosalía Castro de Barakaldo). Edición bilíngüe galego-éuscaro. Cancioneiro de Monforte de Lemos (1990, Concello de Monforte). Homenaxe ao regato do Cepelo (1990, edición do autor). Compendio de orballos e incertezas (1991, El Correo Gallego). Hinos pra celebrar ao século futuro (1991, Editorial Compostela). Panxoliñas (1992, Asociación Cultural Xermolos). Antoloxía poética (1993, Espiral Maior). Os lonxes do solpor (1993, publicado póstumamente en 2012).Catalogue entry Poemas a Compostela (1993, El Correo Gallego). A primavera de Venus (1993, Espiral Maior). Cantigas e cantos de Pantón (1994, Concello de Pantón).Cover image of Cantigas e cantos de Pantón. Poemas para dicirlle a dúas lagoas (1994, Espiral Maior). O Miño, canle de luz e néboa (1996, Espiral Maior). Antoloxía poética (1997, AS-PG/A Nosa Terra). Sonetos á casa de Hortas (1997, Espiral Maior). MiniEscolma (1998, edición do autor). Camiños de luz e sombra (2000). Obra poética completa I (1950-1979) e II (1981-2000) (2001, Espiral Maior). Elexías á miña vida pequeniña (2004, Instituto de Estudos Chairegos). Cecais hai unha luz (2010, Fundación Manuel María).Catalogue entry

Prose Contos en cuarto crecente e outras prosas (1952, Celta). O xornaleiro e sete testemuñas máis (1971, Ediciones Galicia. Centro Galego de Buenos Aires). Kricoi, Fanoi e Don Lobonis (1973, Editorial Castrelos). Os ontes do silencio (1990, Nova Galicia). Novena a Santa Isabel, por un devoto de Outeiro de Rei (1995, Asociación Cultural Xermolos). Historias do empardecer (2003, Laiovento).

Drama Auto do taberneiro. 4 ventos (1957. 2ª edición no 1970, en Xistral). Auto do labrego. Céltiga nº 4 (1961). Auto do mariñeiro (brevísima farsa dramática en tres tempos) (1970, Xistral). Barriga verde (1973, Castrelos. Edición do 1996 a cargo de Santiago Esteban Radío). Unha vez foi o trebón (1976).Unha vez foi o trebón Auto trascendental do ensino tradicional (1979). Aventuras e desventuras dunha espiña de toxo chamada Berenguela (1979, Cadernos da Escola Dramática Galega, 1981, Xistral). Auto do Maio esmaiolado (1985, Cadernos da Escola Dramática Galega). Abril de lume e ferro (1989, Concello de Carral). Auto do Castromil ou a revolución dos baúles (1992, Contos do Castromil). Unha vez foi o trebón e Farsa de Bululú (1992, Biblioteca 114, El Correo Gallego). A lúa vai encoberta (1992, Diario 16 de Galicia). Edipo (2003, Universidade da Coruña). Edición de Miguel Anxo Mato.

Juvenile works Os soños na gaiola (1968. Reeditado en Xerais).Os soños na gaiola Consello da Cultura Galega As rúas do vento ceibe (1979, Xistral). A tribo ten catro ríos (1991, S. M.). Unha sombra vai polo camiño; Como desapareceu a Atlántida e apareceron os lagartos (1991, Xerais).Catalogue entry Cando o mar foi polo río (1992, S. M.). Viaxes e vagancias de M. P. (1994, S. M.). As ribeiras son escuras (1997, Everest Galicia). O bigote de Mimí (2003, Everest Galicia).

Essays Notas en col da poesía de Fermín Bouza-Brei (1958, separata da Real Academia Galega). Noticia da vida e da poesía de Xosé Crecente Vega (1968, Universidade de Coimbra). Noticia da poesía galega de posguerra (1972, Sociedade da Língua Portuguesa). Andando a Terra (1990, A Nosa Terra). Co pseudónimo de Manuel Hortas Vilanova. A Terra Chá: poesía e paisaxe (2003, Real Academia Galega). Galiza (2010, Fundación Manuel María).Catalogue entry

Correspondence Correspondencia entre Manuel María e Ramón Otero Pedrayo (1951-1974) (2014, Fundación Manuel María). Edición de Xosé Manuel Sánchez Rei e Estefanía Mosquera Castro.Publícase a Correspondencia entre Manuel María e Ramón Otero Pedrayo (1951-1974)

Collections Sursum corda. Poesía galego-portuguesa ao Viño (2000, Laiovento).Catalogue entry Rosalia de Castro. Antologia poética. Cancioneiro rosaliano, poema A Rosalía. (1963).Catálogo de obras literarias en lingua galega traducidas a outros idiomas. Unha primeira achega A nova canción galega a altura do ano 70 en (1971) Galicia ano 70. Ediciones Celta, Lugo. Canda Díaz Pardo, Ánxel Fole et al.Cover image of Galicia ano 70. II Festival da Poesía do Condado (1982, S. C. D. Condado).Catalogue entry and cover image III Festival da Poesía no Condado (1983, S. C. D. Condado).Catalogue entry and cover image IV Festival da Poesía no Condado (1984, S. C. D. Condado). VI Festival da Poesía no Condado (1986, S. C. D. Condado). VII Festival da Poesia no Condado (1987, S. C. D. Condado). VIII Festival da Poesia no Condado. Escolma Poética (1988, S. C. D. Condado). IX Festival da Poesia no Condado. Escolma Poética (1989, S. C. D. Condado).