Ricardo Elizondo Elizondo (January 26, 1950, Monterrey – August 24, 2013, Monterrey) was a writer, playwright, historian and archivist, whose work concentrated on preserving and promoting the culture of northeastern Mexico. Several of his books won awards and other recognitions in Mexico and abroad.
Life
Elizondo was the fourth of six children of Aurora Elizondo of Huinalá and Guadalupe Elizondo of Monterrey proper. Elizondo's father was a worker and union leader at the Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey. His mother had served as an arbiter in water disputes in her town.
Elizondo's interest in words and stories both fiction and non-fiction began when he was a child. His great grandparents on his mother's side told him many stories of the area, including battles against the indigenous of the area that were still ongoing at the end of the 19th century. This experience formed the basis of his literary development. He began writing stories in his free time since the sixth grade, when he decided he wanted to be a writer. He also began a project of the vocabulary and speech of his region's Spanish, which would eventually become the book Lexicon del Noreste. He did study humanities for a time at UNAM, but he did not finish this degree.
Career
Elizondo wrote novels, short stories, plays, works on history and biographies. chronicling life and change in the towns and cities of his border region. Setenta veces siete won the Premio Colima from the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1987.