Sunday, 1 November 2026

 Of Nostalgias and the Heart’s Desires

José Alberto Manrique: Memories and Landscapes Transformed into Literature

When José Alberto Manrique Cristiano recalls his childhood in Socha, Boyacá, he is transported back to the cold nights when his father would wrap him in a ruana, a traditional woolen poncho, and tell him stories. Beneath that warm woolen garment, young José Alberto listened in fascination to tales that sparked his curiosity and carried him into a world of mysteries and extraordinary characters.

His father was a gifted storyteller. Among the many stories he told, one remained etched in his memory: the tale of a man who, according to local accounts, had lost his mind after speaking with the devil.

That childhood story would take on new meaning many years later, when José Alberto discovered a place in the mountains of Socha known as the Village of the Devils. Driven by curiosity, he explored the area and was captivated by the landscape’s haunting beauty. He encountered forests so dense and silent that, as he recalls, not even the buzzing of a fly could be heard. Amid the vegetation, he discovered an enormous depression in the terrain, surrounded by cliffs, caves, and rock formations.

“You feel terrified when you see that enormous hole in the middle of the precipice,” he recalls, describing the impression the place left on him.

The story he had heard as a child and his experience of exploring that landscape eventually came together in his imagination. Now a grandfather and great-grandfather, he has given those memories literary expression in his most recent novel, Pacto con Lucifer.

Born in Socha, a town remembered for the support it provided to Simón Bolívar’s army during the Liberation Campaign, José Alberto has built a literary career that brings together poetry, regional history, and fiction.

Between Imagination and Human Dilemmas

Pacto con Lucifer marks his exploration of mystery, the supernatural, and moral conflict. Across 275 pages, divided into fourteen chapters and an epilogue, the author develops a story that raises a troubling question: How far is someone willing to go to obtain what they desire most?

The protagonist, Javier, is a serenading musician deeply in love with Julia. Convinced that he needs wealth to win her heart and provide the luxurious life she longs for, he begins to consider whether making a pact with Lucifer might be the solution to his difficulties.

Behind the fantastic premise, however, lies a profoundly human conflict: the struggle between love and ambition, between personal desires and the principles that guide our decisions.

The novel incorporates episodes involving kidnapping, memory loss, solidarity, forgiveness, and redemption. Characters such as Tiburcio, Diego, Julia, and Luisito represent different attitudes toward life’s challenges, allowing the author to explore the human capacity to make mistakes, correct them, and find new opportunities.

Within this fictional universe, Lucifer is not merely a supernatural figure but also a symbol of the temptations that can lead people to betray their own values.

But what does the author himself think about the possibility of making such a pact?

When asked whether he would be willing to make a pact with Lucifer, as the protagonist of his novel does, José Alberto immediately bursts into hearty laughter. His answer is an emphatic no. His deep Catholic faith makes such a possibility unthinkable.

The spontaneity of his reaction reveals the contrast between his personal convictions and his freedom to explore the contradictions of human nature through fiction.

Poetry Inherited and the Roads of Boyacá

If José Alberto inherited his love of storytelling from his father, he received a special sensitivity to poetry from his mother.

He remembers how she would often hum verses while ironing or doing household chores. During May, a month traditionally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, she encouraged him to recite poems in Socha’s town square.

Those experiences awakened an inclination toward poetic expression that would later find inspiration in the landscapes of Boyacá.

José Alberto worked for many years in Pisba and traveled extensively through rural areas on horseback. While Simón Bolívar made the journey between Pisba and Socha once, José Alberto recalls having traveled that route at least seventy times, facing difficult trails and the harsh conditions of the mountain climate.

Among his memories, one episode stands out, which took place in an area known as Peña Negra. The wind blew with tremendous force, and the rain was so icy that both riders and horses struggled to move forward.

He recounts these experiences so naturally that it seems as though he can still feel the cold of those journeys. Listening to him is like discovering a man with an extraordinary wealth of stories, someone who moves effortlessly from childhood memories to adventures from his working years.

In Pisba, melancholy turned into verse, and the landscapes found a new way to endure through words.

This sensitivity is especially evident in Nostalgias, a work in which family memories, emotional bonds, and personal experiences become literary material. For José Alberto, nostalgia is not merely sadness over what has been lost, but also gratitude for what has been lived and a way of keeping alive the memory of those who have left their mark.

His poems reflect a romantic vision of life in which love, family, and spirituality occupy a central place.

In Condena de amor, he reflects on the difficulties of relationships, mistakes, forgiveness, and the hope of restoring lost harmony. In Ven Señor, he expresses, through faith, a longing for spiritual renewal and trust in divine mercy.

His attention also turns to collective concerns. In Vida, virus y vivos, written during the pandemic, he addresses uncertainty, loneliness, inequality, and the different ways people confronted that crisis.

Telling the History of Towns Through Their Landscapes

   

 

José Alberto’s connection to Boyacá is also reflected in his interest in researching and preserving the history of its towns.

One experience that particularly illustrates this aspect of his work occurred during his visits to Chivatá, where he accompanied his son, who was collaborating on a project related to the municipality’s development plan.

While his son focused on statistics, José Alberto found inspiration in the landscape. His gaze lingered on the movement of the wheat fields and the dance of barley heads swaying in the wind.

His curiosity, however, went beyond contemplation. He began researching Chivatá’s colonial and republican past, seeking to understand the events that had shaped the history and identity of its inhabitants.

From this combination of observation and research emerged Chivatá: sus paisajes y sus gentes, a work recognized with the National Award for Unpublished History.

His interest in historical memory is also reflected in Biografía del General Pedro J. Sarmiento, a work devoted to reconstructing the life of a fellow native of his region.

For this book, the Pedro José Sarmiento Educational Institution recently presented him with a commemorative plaque. During the tribute, he also received an award recognizing him as an exemplary former student, a distinction particularly meaningful because it came from an institution connected to his own personal history.

His bibliography also includes Entre el Sol y la Bruma and the trilogy Un rey en el exilio, dedicated to the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The first part, centered on the flight into Egypt, has already been published, while the second, titled El regreso, is currently undergoing revision.

A Life Dedicated to Knowledge and the Written Word

José Alberto Manrique Cristiano’s career has been shaped by a diverse academic background and extensive professional experience.

He studied Sociology and Social Sciences at the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia and the National University of Colombia. He also trained as a pharmacy technician and paramedic.

Throughout his life, he has held various positions, including teacher, literacy coordinator, Head of Human Resources at ECAT, and manager of AMON SAS.

His membership in the Boyacá Writers’ Association and the Boyacá Academy of Language is another expression of his commitment to regional culture and literature.

Yet beyond his studies, professional positions, and publications, what is especially meaningful about his story is discovering how everyday experiences have nourished his literary vocation.

Today, surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren, José Alberto continues to find inspiration for his writing in his memories. His work bears witness to a life devoted to observing, listening, and preserving the stories of his homeland.

From the evocative sensitivity of Nostalgias to the moral conflicts of Pacto con Lucifer, his literature invites readers to reflect on love, faith, memory, and the decisions that shape human existence.

Perhaps his greatest gift as a writer is precisely this: transforming a lifetime of experiences into stories capable of stirring emotions and remaining in the memories of others.

Bibliography

 

By Isabel O'Donoghue at

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  Of Nostalgias and the Heart’s Desires José Alberto Manrique: Memories and Landscapes Transformed into Literature When José Alberto Man...