Background

Díaz Alfaro was born on July 24, 1916, in Caguas. He was a son of Abelardo Díaz Morales and Asunción Alfaro Pratts (Doña Sunchita). His siblings were Abigail, Dalila, Miriam, Priscilla, Raquel, Lydia and Samuel.

Education

Abelardo Díaz Alfaro studied at the Polytechnic University of San Germán, which is now known as the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Díaz Alfaro obtained a title of a social worker and also got certificates in Spanish and Psychology.

Career

Abelardo Díaz Alfaro began his career as a social worker in the legal research division of the Department of Labor in the rural areas of the municipalities of Arroyo, Cidra and Comerío. This had led him to write his stories as he was able to observe nature and the social and economic situation of the Puerto Rican rural people.

In 1959, Díaz Alfaro started to work for the publicly-owned television station, WIPR TV-Channel 6, where he developed two programs for the station which won a big following: Estampas de Teyo García and Retablos del solar. Díaz Alfaro was a host and a scriptwriter for these programs.

Alfaro published his first book, Terrazo, in 1947. It was a collection of stories and traditional illustrations. The work was also adapted to the cinema under the title Cuentos de Abelardo, a trilogy consisting of “Don Propicio,” “Don Peyo Mercé enseña inglés” and “Bagazo.” The production was directed by Luis Molina Casanova. His other book, Campo Alegre, is a text that has been studied at schools in Austria, Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand.

Achievements

• Abelardo Díaz Alfaro was particularly known as the author of Terrazo and Campo Alegre. He cultivated the literary genre known as costumbrismo, which emphasizes local customs.
  
  In 1997, Díaz Alfaro was awarded the Intellectual Merit prize granted by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Terrazo 1947

Connections

Abelardo Díaz Alfaro married Gladys Meaux. The marriage produced three children.

Father:

Abelardo Díaz Morales

Mother:

Asunción Alfaro Pratts

Sister:

Abigail Díaz

Sister:

Dalila Díaz

Sister:

Miriam Díaz

Sister:

Priscilla Díaz

Sister:

Raquel Díaz

Sister:

Lydia Díaz

Brother:

Samuel Díaz

Wife:

Gladys Meaux

Daughter:

Dalila Díaz

Daughter:

Nanette Díaz

Son:

Abelardo Díaz