In 1958, Zaid began to work in an office of consultants, and in 1967 he published his first essays in La Cultura en México, which were noted for humor and irony. Beginning as an independent consultant he became a specialized directory editor. He was a board member of Vuelta magazine from 1976 to 1992.
As a member of the Vuelta editorial team and its heritage, he was one of the promoters and commentators on the work of Octavio Paz.
As for his poetic work, he began by participating in the Teuacan's Flower Games in 1954 with his work The Fable of Narcissus and Ariadne. Ten years later, the Cultural Foundation published a follow-up book of poems in the Mexican Letters collection, preceded by the prologue of Octavio Paz.
His essays and critical work touch upon the problems of politics, culture and the economy of Mexico, and criticize the preconceived ideas and prejudices in general that affect the future of these areas.
Zaid has written for numerous newspapers and magazines, such as The Magazine of Fine Arts, Wind Notes, Literary Life, Plenty, Dialogues, Illustrated Rooster, Mexico in Culture, University of Mexico Magazine, "Vuelta" and the newspaper group. He currently writes in Letras Libres and has a monthly column in the magazine Content, which is reproduced in several newspapers.
Zaid has never worked for the government or political parties.
Views
Zaid's poetry, collected in such volumes as Practica mortal, Canciones de Vidyapati, and Cuestionario: poemas, 1951-1976, is recognizable by its succinct poetic style and its author’s recurrent focus on such themes as love, death, a woman’s beauty, and the meaning of life. Zaid’s tonality is often conversational and informal, and he uses irreverent humor to handle conventional topics.
Membership
Zaid was a member of the Board of Directors of the Vuelta magazine from 1976 to 1992, a member of El Colegio Nacional and a member of the Mexican Academy of Language.
Personality
Zaid was considered an independent intellectual since he published on his own and in favor of readers.
Quotes from others about the person
"The expressions of beauty, both natural and created, is fundamental for each poet, and each has an awareness of the mythological and even the magical as a part of life. Zaid takes a half-serious, half-sardonic view of all he surveys…. Taken together, these four voices represent strong individuality with both successes and failures, and collectively they do a great deal to advance the cause of Mexican poetic expression. They are not slavish imitators of a recent or distant past, but rather use a rich legacy to express the committed Mexican humanism which is a product of their peculiar circumstances." - Merlin H. Forster
Connections
On March 20, 1973, Gabriel Zaid married Basia Batorska, a painter.
Father:
Carlos Zaid
Mother:
Margarita (Giacomán) Zaid
Spouse:
Basia Batorska
References
Intellectuals and the State in Twentieth-Century Mexico
In developing countries, the extent to which intellectuals disengage themselves in state activities has widespread consequences for the social, political, and economic development of those societies.
1985
Mexican Literature: A History
Mexico has a rich literary heritage that extends back over centuries to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. This major reference work surveys more than five hundred years of Mexican literature from a sociocultural perspective.
Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature
A comprehensive, encyclopedic guide to the authors, works, and topics crucial to the literature of Central and South America and the Caribbean, the Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature includes over 400 entries written by experts in the field of Latin American studies.