Juan José Arreola

Juan José Arreola Zúñiga was a Mexican writer, academic, and actor. He is considered Mexico's premier experimental short story writer of the 20th century. Arreola is recognized as one of the first Latin American writers to abandon realism; he used elements of fantasy to underscore existentialist and absurdist ideas in his work. Although he is little known outside Mexico, Arreola has served as the literary inspiration for a legion of Mexican writers who have sought to transform their country's realistic literary tradition by introducing elements of magical realism, satire, and allegory. Alongside Jorge Luis Borges, he is considered one of the masters of the hybrid subgenre of the essay-story. Arreola is primarily known for his short stories and he only published one novel, La feria.

21 September 1918

Born on the same birth date (21 September 1918): John Gofman • Karl Slover

Born on the same birth day (21 September): Bill Murray • Devyn Marble • Françoise Giroud • H. G. Wells • Jack Givens • Manny Harris • Meinrad Schütter • Nicole Richie • Oswaldo Sánchez • Richard Childress • Rose Garrard

Born in the same month (September 1918): Alfred D. Chandler Jr. • Allen Drury • Audra Lindley • Derek Barton • Eric Morley • Gerald Wilson • Konstantin Gerchik • Luis Alcoriza • Michael J. S. Dewar • Phil Lamason