María de Jesús Magallón Pérez (1924–1957) was one of the seven poets included in De Esta Tierra Nuestra; Antología Poética (Colección Sahuayo No. I, 1972). Besides being an award-winning poet, she was a social activist and the founder of a piano school, a writing school and the “Diego José Abad” Literary Circle.
Born in Jiquilpan on 24 March, 1924, Magallón Pérez studied in Jiquilpan, Jacona and Morelia. She demonstrated poetic sensitivity as a child, and had verses published in provincial newspapers from an early age.
She subsequently entered a convent, trained as a teacher, and taught in the states of Mexico and Nuevo León. Magallón Pérez married Roberto Villaseñor Espinosa (“Ticolín”), a poet-songwriter-historian who was also an ardent promoter of cultural events in the town of Jiquilpan, and returned to Jiquilpan in 1953. She established herself as a member of the “Sahuayo literary group” and dedicated herself to writing.
Her first book was Cuadernillo poético (Sahuayo, Michoacán 1953), centered on descriptions of the landscapes of her native Michoacán. In 1955, her poem “Raíz de llanto”, dedicated to the memory of Alfonso Méndez Plancarte, won a poetry competition in San Luís Potosí. The following year, “Ciclo de Navidad” was awarded top honors in a poetry festival in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. That poem became the basis for a theatrical work which was also televised.
Magallón Pérez was preparing her third collection of poetry, Silbo y luna, when she died in Jiquilpan, on 19 December 1957, while giving birth, at the tragically young age of thirty-three.
Sombrero Books welcomes comments, corrections or additional material related to any of the writers and artists featured in our series of mini-bios. Please use the comments feature at the bottom of individual posts, or email us.
Tony Burton’s books include “Lake Chapala: A Postcard History” (2022), “Foreign Footprints in Ajijic” (2022), “If Walls Could Talk: Chapala’s historic buildings and their former occupants” (2020), (available in translation as “Si Las Paredes Hablaran”), “Mexican Kaleidoscope” (2016), and “Lake Chapala Through the Ages” (2008).
2 Responses to “Maria de Jesus Magallon Perez (1924–1957)”
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Hello from California. Thank you for your informative website. I am looking for information on Roberto Villasenor Espinosa (aka “Ticolin”), husband of the poet Magallon Perez. There is very little on-line of his artistic endeavors other than summary statements similar to those in your piece on Magallon. He is revered as a cultural icon in Jiquilpan. His most famous and enduring contribution seems to be his song “Jiquilpan in Spring”. There is reference to the creative work he did with Magallon that appeared in the “main political magazines of the time” as well as in the literary magazine “Diego Jose Abad” that he was a co-founder of. Any information that you could provide would be mch appreciated. Thank you.
Sorry, but (not for want of trying) I can’t add much about him! – here is what I have:
Roberto Villaseñor Espinosa (“El Ticolín”) was an historian, poet and song writer born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He died in the Mexico City earthquake of September 1985. The earthquake also destroyed his 7000-volume library, as well as all the scores for his songs. Claimed by some to have christened his native city “the city of jacarandas”, though there is a competing claim that this epithet was first used by Ramón Martínez Ocaranza.
Hope this helps, TB