Mariela Griffor - Poets, Family and Family
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Mariela Griffor's Personal Details
Mariela Griffor is a Chilean poet, publisher and diplomat
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | September 29, 1961 |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Famous | Publishers, Poets, Miscellaneous, Diplomats |
| Universities |
|
| Birth Place | Concepción |
| Gender | Female |
| Sun Sign | Libra |
| Born in | Concepción |
| Famous as | Poet, Publisher, Diplomat |
// Famous Miscellaneous
Mariela Griffor's photo
Who is Mariela Griffor?
Mariela Griffor is a Chilean poet, publisher and diplomat. Born in the city of Concepcion in Chile, Mariela grew up in turbulent times as her country transitioned from a democracy under President Salvador Allende to a dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet. As a young woman, she moved to Santiago, the capital city and enrolled in the Technical University, where she became swept up in the revolutionary climate of those times. After a brief sojourn in Brazil to continue her university studies, she returned to Santiago to join her lover and fiancé, the radical activist Julio Carlos Santibáñez Romera. When agents of the Pinochet government brutally murdered Santibáñez, she was forced to flee with their unborn child to Sweden. After struggling to adjust to her life as a refugee, she successfully learned Swedish and began a teaching career, eventually meeting her future husband, the acclaimed mathematician Edward Griffor. After a brief return to her native Chile, she and her growing family permanently resettled in Grosse Point, Michigan. After completing her university studies in the United States, she published several books of poetry and was hailed as an accomplished writer. She is now involved full-time in the arts, dividing her time between writing new poems and managing an elite publishing house that she co-founded.
// Famous Publishers
Childhood & Early Life
Mariela was born on September 29, 1961 at Concepcion, Chile. She has one sister and spent much of her childhood on her grandfather's enormous ranch.
In high school, she studied French and English and at 19, got enrolled in the Santiago Technical University, majoring in Spanish literature and Journalism.
Career
Almost immediately after enrolling at the Technical University of Santiago, she became involved with radical student protest organizations.
In 1983, the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) was formed as the armed wing of the Communist Party with her boyfriend Julio Carlos Santibáñez as its leader.
In 1984, she spent seven months in Brazil studying journalism at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.
In 1985, she returned to Santiago to be with Santibáñez and they become engaged to marry after Mariela became pregnant with Santibáñez's child.
In September 1985, Santibáñez was brutally murdered on orders of Pinochet.
Fearing for her life, she was forced to flee to Västerås, Sweden, where she became a refugee for the next 12 years. In April 1986, her daughter Javiena was born.
In 1991, Mariela returned to Chile for the first time since fleeing in 1985.
Mariela met her husband Edward Griffor, an American mathematics professor, while he was teaching at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. In 1992, her daughter Elena was born.
In 1997, she and her family moved to Chile for 10 months.
In 1998, after much hesitation, Mariela agreed to learn English and moved with her husband and family to Grosse Point, Michigan. In 2002, she was awarded a Master's Degree from Wayne State University.
In 2005, she founded Marick Press.
In 2005, her first book of poetry, 'Exiliana', was published while she published her second book of poetry, 'House' in 2007. In 2010, a third collection of poetry entitled 'Heartland' was published.
In 2012, her poems were translated into French and published under the title 'Ma Demeure Brule'.
In 2013, Mariela's collected poetry works 'The Psychiatrist' and 'Resolana' were published.
Major Works
Mariela is globally recognized for the moving and evocative passages in her poems, published in five separate volumes.
Awards & Achievements
She was conferred with Journalism Institute Award, Wayne State University in 2002.
Mariela has also been awarded Pablo Neruda 100 Years Anniversary, Chilean Cultural Association of Canberra, 1st Prize (Sydney, Australia) – 2003.
She was selected for Detroit's Urban Writer-in-Residence Program at Wayne State University in 2003.
She was winner of the Carol and Frank Hennessy award, Grosse Pointe Art Center Poet-in-Residence - 2006
She was the winner of the International Award by Wayne County Council of Arts, History and Humanities in 2007.
Personal Life & Legacy
After her fiance was brutally murdered in 1985, Mariela left Chile and went to Sweden.
She met mathematician Edward Griffor in Sweden and later married him. He husband is one of the world's leading Artificial Intelligence researchers.
Having directly witnessed the brutality of the Pinochet regime in her native Chile, she is a global spokesperson for her homeland and a recognized representative of the fine arts
Trivia
Mariela first honed her craft by writing pamphlets and tracts for the student revolutionary organizations at the university in Santiago.
'Prologue' is the first poem that she wrote after moving to the United States.
She spent 15 years writing non-fiction before branching out into poetry.
She believes that writing is like 'a dance' between the writer and the audience.
'The Psychiatrist' was written about her student days in Chile.
In 2014, she along with her friends successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign to translate Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's epic poem 'Canto General' into English.
Her daughter Javiena graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University.
Her favorite book is Don Quixote
She has stated that she wants her poems to make the reader "slow down, think and remember"
It took Mariela three years to learn Swedish.
Her former fiancé Julio's remains are buried in Santiago, Chile, in a crematorium in the general cemetery in grave No. 194, Sector E-5
She is convinced that the CIA is responsible for the death of her fiance Julio
// Famous Poets
Mariela Griffor biography timelines
- // 29th Sep 1961Mariela was born on September 29, 1961 at Concepcion, Chile. She has one sister and spent much of her childhood on her grandfather's enormous ranch.
- // 1983In 1983, the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) was formed as the armed wing of the Communist Party with her boyfriend Julio Carlos Santibáñez as its leader.
- // 1984In 1984, she spent seven months in Brazil studying journalism at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.
- // 1985In 1985, she returned to Santiago to be with Santibáñez and they become engaged to marry after Mariela became pregnant with Santibáñez's child.
- // 1985 To 1991In 1991, Mariela returned to Chile for the first time since fleeing in 1985.
- // 1985After her fiance was brutally murdered in 1985, Mariela left Chile and went to Sweden.
- // Sep 1985In September 1985, Santibáñez was brutally murdered on orders of Pinochet.
- // Apr 1986Fearing for her life, she was forced to flee to Västerås, Sweden, where she became a refugee for the next 12 years. In April 1986, her daughter Javiena was born.
- // 1992Mariela met her husband Edward Griffor, an American mathematics professor, while he was teaching at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. In 1992, her daughter Elena was born.
- // 1997In 1997, she and her family moved to Chile for 10 months.
- // 1998 To 2002In 1998, after much hesitation, Mariela agreed to learn English and moved with her husband and family to Grosse Point, Michigan. In 2002, she was awarded a Master's Degree from Wayne State University.
- // 2002She was conferred with Journalism Institute Award, Wayne State University in 2002.
- // 2003Mariela has also been awarded Pablo Neruda 100 Years Anniversary, Chilean Cultural Association of Canberra, 1st Prize (Sydney, Australia) – 2003.
- // 2003She was selected for Detroit's Urban Writer-in-Residence Program at Wayne State University in 2003.
- // 2005In 2005, she founded Marick Press.
- // 2005 To 2010In 2005, her first book of poetry, 'Exiliana', was published while she published her second book of poetry, 'House' in 2007. In 2010, a third collection of poetry entitled 'Heartland' was published.
- // 2006She was winner of the Carol and Frank Hennessy award, Grosse Pointe Art Center Poet-in-Residence - 2006
- // 2007She was the winner of the International Award by Wayne County Council of Arts, History and Humanities in 2007.
- // 2012In 2012, her poems were translated into French and published under the title 'Ma Demeure Brule'.
- // 2013In 2013, Mariela's collected poetry works 'The Psychiatrist' and 'Resolana' were published.
- // 2014In 2014, she along with her friends successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign to translate Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's epic poem 'Canto General' into English.
// Famous Diplomats
Mariela Griffor's FAQ
What is Mariela Griffor birthday?
Mariela Griffor was born at 1961-09-29
Where is Mariela Griffor's birth place?
Mariela Griffor was born in Concepción
What is Mariela Griffor nationalities?
Mariela Griffor's nationalities is Chilean
What was Mariela Griffor universities?
Mariela Griffor studied at New England College
What is Mariela Griffor's sun sign?
Mariela Griffor is Libra
How famous is Mariela Griffor?
Mariela Griffor is famouse as Poet, Publisher, Diplomat