José Rodrigues Miguéis
José Rodrigues Miguéis was a prominent Portuguese writer and educator, born to a Spanish father and a Portuguese mother. After completing his law degree at the University of Lisbon in 1924, Miguéis became involved in journalism and politics, aligning himself with progressive movements. His early career included a brief stint as an assistant district attorney, which later influenced his literary work, particularly in his 1964 novel *Idealista no mundo real*. Miguéis's diverse interests saw him teach geography and history while also engaging in educational reform, contributing to several publications, and studying abroad.
In 1935, he emigrated to New York City, where he established the Clube Operário Português and became a U.S. citizen in 1942. Miguéis published acclaimed works throughout his life, including the award-winning short story "Léah." He maintained strong ties to Portugal, spending significant time there and receiving various honors, including the Camilo Castelo Branco literary prize. His literary contributions span various genres, reflecting his rich experiences across Europe and America. Miguéis's legacy is recognized in both Portuguese and American literary circles, highlighting his role as a cultural bridge and advocate for education and social progress.
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Subject Terms
José Rodrigues Miguéis
Fiction Writer
- Born: December 9, 1901
- Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
- Died: October 28, 1980
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
José Rodrigues Miguéis was the son of Manuel Maria Miguéis Pombo, from the Spanish province of Galicia, and Maria Adelaide Rodrigues Miguéis, a Coimbra, Portugal, native. After graduating from the Liceu Camões in 1917, Miguéis studied law at the Facultade de Direito at the University of Lisbon. During his studies, he developed interest in politics and began an affiliation with the left-leaning journal Seara nova. As a law student, he both wrote and illustrated for various publications, including O sol and Diário de notícias.
Miguéis completed his law degree in 1924, and became director of the União da Mocidade Republicana. Just one year later, he attained the position of assistant district attorney in the city of Setúbal, near Lisbon. Though he only remained in the office for a few months, he was able to use his forensic experiences decades later in the plot of his 1964 novel Idealista no mundo real.
He returned to Lisbon in 1926, and began teaching geography and history and penning articles on education; he also became secretary of the Liga Propulsora da Instrução em Portugal. He embarked on postgraduate studies in education three years later, studying at the Université Libre de Bruxelles as a Junta da Educação Nacional fellow. Throughout the years, he continued to work with his collaborators from his Seara nova days. He also traveled across Europe, and once again his early experiences were recounted in writings later in life—Tablóides: O fugitivo, 1930 appeared in 1966.
He met Pecia Cogan Portnoi, a special-education teacher, in Bruxelles, and he married the Russian native in 1932, the same year that he published his novel Páscoa Feliz, which won the Casa de Impresa literary award. Miguéis completed his advanced degree in pedagogical sciences in 1933, just as Fascism was taking over the Portuguese government, and he moved in 1935 to New York City, where he founded Clube Operário Português.
His first marriage ended in divorce, and Miguéis married Camila Pitta Campanella in New York in 1940; the two had met in Lisbon in 1928. Also in 1940, the writer published one of his best short stories, “Léah.” Miguéis earned American citizenship in 1942, and began editorial work for the Portuguese edition of Reader’s Digest. In 1944, Miguéis and Camila adopted a four-year-old daughter, Patricia.
Miguéis spent 1946 and 1947 in Portugal with a serious illness, and upon recovering, he returned to New York City. In subsequent years, he often spent long stretches in Portugal, and the family lived in Rio de Janeiro between 1949 and 1950. During a stay in Lisbon between 1957 and 1959, Miguéis published prolifically, and in 1959, for Léah, e Outras Histórias he won the Camilo Castelo Branco literary prize from the Sociedade Portuguesa de Escritores. He was elected Correspondent Member by the Hispanic Society of America in 1961, and Correspondent Member of the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa in 1976. He was awarded the Ordem Militar de Santiago da Espada as Great Official in 1979.