The book “The beautiful noise of the motorcycle that brings us the pizza”, signed with the pseudonym El último de la fila, won the 2015 Clemencia Isaura Poetry Prize, by unanimous decision of the jury composed of Mercedes Luna Fuentes, Ramón Iván Suárez Caamal and Carlos Jair Cortés Montes.
Meeting virtually, the jury members deliberated that “The beautiful sound of the motorcycle that brings us pizza” is a book that portrays the anguish and uncertainty experienced during confinement in the year of the pandemic of 2020.
The name of the winning poet is Armando Alanís Pulido, originally from Monterrey and was announced today at a press conference held this Thursday at Casa Haas. Raúl Rico González, General Director of CULTURA, chaired the conference in the company of the writer Juan José Rodríguez, coordinator of the contest and Enrique Vega Ayala, director of Planning of the Instituto Municipal de Cultura. Enviaste
Upon receiving the news by phone, the winner was moved and, interviewed by the media, said he was dedicated to bringing poetry everywhere. Regarding the jury’s decision, he responded: “One never expects recognition because it doesn’t make you better or worse, but it is an incentive and it also makes you more visible, other people can pay a little more attention to you,” said the winning poet. Before the interview, Raúl Rico highlighted that the Clemencia Isaura Prize is the oldest Floral Games contest in Mexico, a tradition that began in this city in 1925, so this year the poetic celebration celebrates 100 years with a historic participation of 442 works received and read by the jury.
In turn, when reading the jury’s minutes, Carlos Jair Cortés – who also won the Clemencia Isaura in 2016 – highlighted that the structure of “The beautiful noise of the motorcycle that brings us pizza” evokes the diary or the logbook, giving news of what happened in many homes where the domestic and intimate became a limiting experience, presenting the everyday as dazzling and profound through a language conscious of its aesthetic qualities: humor, irony, word games, double meaning, paronomasias and alliterations. His language, fresh and anti-solemn, explores free verse as an instrument of unfolding a meaning that always reveals a new, adverse and hopeful reality, offering another perspective of anguish suffered by our species.
Jury Members: Ramón Iván Suárez Caamal – Poet with national and international awards, coordinates literary poetry workshops for children and adolescents; he taught the workshop “A slingshot for words” designed for writers who wish to address children’s readers. He is the author of the lyrics of the Anthem to Quintana Roo. Mercedes Luna Fuentes (Coahuila, 1969). Poet, columnist and editor. Author of yo/carnicero, with translation into Arabic by poet Khalid Raissouni (2020); Elogio a la incomodidad (2011); The best way to use a rifle (2105) and The hygienic room (2019), Gilberto Owen National Award 2017.
Carlos Jair Cortés Montes. Poet and Master in Mexican Literature from BUAP. Calpulalpan, Tlaxcala, 1977. Author of more than ten books of poetry among which stand out: Historia solar / Solar history (translation by Don Cellini), Laboratorio tropical (Universidad Veracruzana, 2023) and Bajo Luna caníbal (Nave de papel, 2024). Since 2018 he has collaborated as a volunteer citizen at the Casa Internacional del escritor de Bacalar, where he resides.
Historical Context This year, 442 poetic works were received in response to the call to participate in the competition to award the Clemencia Isaura Poetry Prize, an unprecedented response in the history of the prestigious literary contest that this 2025 celebrates its first centenary. The Clemencia Isaura Poetry Prize will be awarded during the celebration of the 100 years of Mazatlán Floral Games, on Friday, February 28th at 8:30 p.m. at the Teodoro Mariscal stadium. The prize consists of the delivery of La Flor Natural and a check for 100 thousand pesos. Raúl Rico highlighted that this is one of the oldest and most renowned literary competitions in Mexico, with a history that dates back to 1906. It bears the name of Clemencia Isaura, a French lady (1450-1500), descendant of ancient counts of Toulouse, who believed herself to be the founder of the College of the Gay Science, later called the floral games of Tolosa in the 15th century. She contributed to the renaissance of literary taste, by stipulating an annual reward for the author of the most meritorious poem. Throughout its history, the Clemencia Isaura Poetry Prize has been awarded to some of the most outstanding Mexican poets, and has been an important promoter of literary creation in the region.
The great participation in the contest this 2025 is an unprecedented achievement of the Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlan that every year promotes this cultural tradition within the framework of the celebration of Carnaval.
