Claudia Lars
Claudia Lars, born Margarita del Carmen Brannon Vega on December 20, 1900, in El Salvador, was a prominent poet and journalist known for her contributions to Salvadoran literature. With an Irish father and Salvadoran mother, her multicultural background informed her work. Lars began her writing career early, publishing her first poetry collection in 1916, and she later adopted the pseudonym Claudia Lars, originating from a poem published in 1933. Her significant works include "Estrellas en el pozo" (1934) and "Sombre el ángel y el hombre" (1961), the latter being celebrated for its technical mastery.
Throughout her life, she also engaged in journalism, working for various publications in El Salvador and Mexico City. Lars received multiple awards for her literary contributions, including accolades for her poetry that reflect both aesthetic quality and civic engagement. Despite being less recognized in the United States, she remains a celebrated figure in El Salvador, where her works are integral to the educational curriculum. Lars passed away on July 22, 1974, and is interred in the Cemetery of the Illustrious in El Salvador, honoring her legacy as an influential female poet.
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Subject Terms
Claudia Lars
Poet
- Born: December 20, 1899
- Birthplace: El Salvador
- Died: July 22, 1947
Biography
Claudia Lars was born Margarita del Carmen Brannon Vega on December 20, 1900, in El Salvador. Her father, Patrick Brannon, was an Irish engineer; her mother, Manuela Vega, was Salvadoran. As a child, Lars was educated at home. She then attended Colegio de la Asunción in Santa Ana under the tutelage of French nuns. In 1923, she married Leroy Francis Beers Kuehm; they had a son, Leroy Manuel. The couple separated during the 1930’s. In 1949, she married Carlos Samoyoa Chichilla; they divorced in 1967.
Lars’s first collection of poetry, Tristes mirages, was published in 1916. No copies are extant. Her pseudonym, Claudia Lars, originated as the persona of a poem, “Poeta soy,” published in Repertorio Americano in 1933. This poem appears in her second collection, Estrellas en el pozo, published in 1934. She worked as a journalist during the late 1930’s, publishing in Diario Latino, and Diario Neuve. She moved to Mexico City in 1943. In 1947, she published two critically acclaimed volumes, Sonetas, and Ciudad bajo mi voz. In 1955, she bagan working for the editing department of the Salvadoran government. In this position, she directed the magazine Literario. Her 1958 collection, Tierra de infancia, is required high school reading in El Salvador. Her most distinguished work, Sombre el àngel y el hombre, published in 1961, is noted for its technical perfection. She died on July 22, 1974, and was honored with burial in El Salvador in the Cememterio de los ilustres (Cemetery of the Illustrious)>
In 1946, Lars won a prize in a contest in commemoration of the fourth centenary of San Salvador. In 1965, she shared a prize in an Hispano-American contest in commemoration of the firth centenary of the poetic recitals of Quetzaltenango. Although Lars has not received attention in the United States, she is a popular female poet in El Salvador and is recognized for aesthetic and civic excellence.