Carlota Garrido de la Peña
Carlota Garrido de la Peña | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Mendoza, Argentina |
| Died | July 19, 1958 (aged 87) Coronda, Argentina |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, writer, journalist |
| Years active | 1895–1958 |
| Known for | First female journalist from Santa Fe Province; founder of El Pensamiento magazine |
Carlota Garrido de la Peña (August 2, 1870 – July 19, 1958) was an Argentine educator, writer, and journalist, acknowledged as the pioneering female journalist from Santa Fe Province.
Biography
Garrido was born in Mendoza on August 2, 1870. During her adolescence, she relocated to Coronda. She married Ángel de la Peña but became a widow at the age of 26, subsequently raising four children on her own. Professionally trained as a teacher, she served at the Normal School of Rural Teachers located in Coronda.
On June 15, 1895, Garrido established and took on the leadership of the magazine El Pensamiento. This weekly periodical focused on literature, customs, social issues, and fashion. It holds the distinction of being the first publication in the province managed by a woman and included contributions from notable Latin American authors such as Clorinda Matto de Turner and Carolina Freyre de Jaime. In collaboration with Freyre, Garrido also co-founded La Revista Argentina which ran from 1902 to 1905.
Her journalistic work appeared in prominent Argentine newspapers including Los Principios (Córdoba), La Nueva Época (Santa Fe), El Cívico (Salta), and La Capital (Rosario). Additionally, she contributed to specialized outlets like Revista del Consejo Nacional de Mujeres. A compilation of her articles was published under the title Hojas dispersas in 1920.
In 1913, Garrido published her debut novel, Corazón Argentino - Diario de un niño, inspired by Edmondo De Amicis’ literary style. This work became widely adopted in educational settings and saw more than six editions. She left her teaching career in 1917 to dedicate herself fully to writing.
Between 1922 and 1924, she was a contributor to the weekly magazine Semana Gráfica, where she worked alongside prominent figures such as Gabriela Mistral and Alfonsina Storni in a section devoted to women's social matters.
Death and legacy
Garrido passed away on July 19, 1958, in Coronda. In 1951, the newspaper El Orden honored her as "the first Santa Fe journalist." During a project aimed at preserving Santa Fe's journalistic history, an interview was conducted with Garrido when she was 81 years old and residing in Rosario. This interview led to greater public acknowledgment of her magazine El Pensamiento as the province’s first female-directed publication.
In tribute to her contributions, Coronda State School No. 844 was named "Carlota Garrido de la Peña."
Literary style and themes
Her writings reveal a pronounced Catholic worldview combined with conservative beliefs that championed values such as modesty, simplicity, purity, religious devotion, and patriotism. Garrido associated womanhood chiefly with motherhood and opposed women’s suffrage on the grounds that Argentine women were not ready for such civic duties. She emphasized women's roles as educators and foundational family members while criticizing provocative fashion trends as indicative of moral decay.
Awards and honours
Her novel Entre dos amores received an award in Spain, whereas Luz en el sendero earned an honorable mention from Pope Pius XII.
References
- 1870 births
- 1958 deaths
- 19th-century Argentine women writers
- 20th-century Argentine women writers
- 19th-century Argentine writers
- 20th-century Argentine writers
- Argentine newspaper founders
- 20th-century Argentine women educators
- 20th-century Argentine educators
- 19th-century Argentine women educators
- 19th-century Argentine educators
- 19th-century Argentine journalists
- 20th-century Argentine journalists
- 19th-century Argentine women journalists
- 20th-century Argentine women journalists