Bonifacio Byrne (1861-1936)

Poet and journalist, born in the Matanzas suburb of Pueblo Nuevo on March 3.  He first appeared in print at 16 when some of his verses were published in a local weekly, La Primavera. He entered journalism as an associate of veteran writer Fernando Romero Fajardo, director of the Ateneo society.  He then joined the editorial staff of Matanzas’ El Pueblo, and was director successively of La Mañana, La Juventud Liberal, and El Obrero, He was twice director of El Diario de Matanzas, and contributed special articles for El Imparcial and La Región.  In 1895 his caustic and enthusiastic propaganda for independence led to his paper being suppressed.  He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment but released when an amnesty was proclaimed.  He thereupon emigrated to Tampa, Florida, where he remained three years, continuing to work for Cuban independence largely through El Expedicionario, a small paper he directed, and through his contributions to the Cuban periodicals Patria, El Porvenir, Caracajicara, El Continente americano, andCuiba.  He also contributed to the Album patriótico, which El Fígaro published in 1899.  Upon his return at the end of the Spanish-American War, he acted for a short time as editor of La Discusión, but in April 1899 he resigned to accept an appointment under the Matanzas provincial government.  In 1902 he became its secretary, a position he retained until 1912.  During part of this period, he directed the periodical Yucayo and served also as secretary to the provincial superintended of schools, He was a member of the Academia Cubana de Artes y Letras and an associate (correspondent) Fellow of the Academy of the Republic of El Salvador. In 1915, during a second visit to the United States, he wrote La Nación maravillosa, a book of verse in tribute to the country of Washington. His writings include the volumes of poetry Excéntricas (Philadelphia: 1893), Efigies (Philadelphia: 1897), Lira y espada (1901), Poemas (1903) and En medio del Camino (1914).  Several of his dramatic works were produced with success: El Anónimo, Rayo de sol, El Legado, Varón en Puerta and El Espíritu de Martí.