Pita Amor

Pita Amor was a renowned Mexican poet turned muse, a sensitive, passionate and controversial woman. She was an attractive personality in the artistic, political and social circles, a friend of Salvador Dalí and María Felix, a lover of bullfighters, painters and writers, and a precursor of women's liberation. She was born in Mexico City, the youngest child of a family with seven children, of mixed French, German and Spanish ancestry, a member of the Mexican aristocracy. Her parents were Emmanuel Amor Subervielle and Carolina Schmidtlein García Teruel. She was an aunt of the Mexican author Elena Poniatowska and Mexican diplomat Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor. She died in Mexico City at the age of 81. She worked in cinema and theater before arriving at literature. She was praised by Alfonso Reyes, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. She was a companion of Pablo Neruda during his Mexican period; he called her "like the song of the crystal clear water that runs, I name you frank and immemorial, sweetest...". She was said to be one of the most beautiful women of her time, Diego Rivera painted her nude three or four times. Her poetry, influenced by Juana Inés de la Cruz and Francisco de Quevedo, is notable for its direct expressions about metaphysical issues stated in the first person. She experienced tragedy that deeply marked her personal life and her work: the death of her son Manuel, who drowned at 19-months-old. Following his death was a long creative silence from Amor and marked her move away from public life. The early 2000s saw a revival in Amor, particularly within the LGBT community, thanks to a parody character inspired by her in a late-night sketch comedy program called Desde Gayola. The recurring segment, in which her character played by the actor Miguel Romero, was named El Rincón de Pita Amor.