Manuel Puig(1932-1990)

Manuel Puig, Juan Manuel Puig Delledonne, was born on December 28, 1932 in General Villegas Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He was a writer, playwright and actor. He studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires and screenwriting in Italy. He traveled in Europe doing odd jobs. In the 1960's he returned to Argentine where he penned his first major novel, "La traición de Rita Hayworth". Being a left wing symphatizer in a very conservative Argentine, Puig considered it necessary to move and in 1973 he chose Mexico City for his new home. Four of his novels has been filmed. Best known are "El beso de la mujer araña" (1985)," Boquitas pintadas" (1974) and "Pubis Angelical" (1982). He experienced a tremendous success with the novel "El beso de la mujer araña" (Kiss of the Spider Woman), published in 1976. Later in the early 1980's he rewrote the story and turned it into a play as well as a screenplay. He died of a heart attack at 4:55 a.m. on July 22, 1990, Cuernavaca, Mexico.