Luis Valle Goicochea and Esther M. Allison: a friendship of legends

Abstract

The friendship between writers Luis Valle Goicochea (La Soledad, 1908 - Lima, 1953) and Esther M. Allison (Huacho, 1918 - Lima, 1992) enjoys a privileged place in the history of Peruvian literature. Likewise, their literary affinities are remarkable and deserve to be emphasized. Starting from the premise that both Allison and Valle Goicochea were authors who practiced a fervent religiosity, in this essay I will review some of their poems to point out relevant aspects of these remarkable literary works little studied by critics. Allison uses intertextual resources to create a personal universe of transcendent resonance; on the other hand, Valle Goicochea, from a child’s perspective, appeals to his vital experience in the Andean zone of the department of La Libertad, as well as in the countryside of the Moche district to recreate scenarios that communicate diverse emotions and human conflicts.