From WikiLatino

Puerto Rico. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status.

[CIA Factbook]

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• Jack Agüeros, playwright, poet and translator
• Miguel Algarín, Ph.D. (1940-), co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
• Manuel A. Alonso (1822-1889), poet and journalist
• Yolanda Arroyo, cuentista, novelista, ensayista.
• Iván Segarra Báez (1967-), poet
• Lefty (Manuel) Barreto, novelist, author of autobiography Nobody's Hero (1977
• Pura Belpre
• Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier (1819-1879), poet
• Maria Bibiana Benitez (1783-1873), playwright and poet
• Dario Rilke Beniquez, poet
• Giannina Braschi (1953-), vanguard poet, Spanglish novelist, and spoken word performer
• Julia de Burgos (1914-1953), poet
• Mayra Calvani (1967-), fantasy writer
• Zenobia Camprubí (1887-1956), poet and wife of Nobel laureate Juan Ramón Jiménez
• Nemesio Canales (1878-1923), essayist, novelist, and poet
• Luisa Capetillo
• Jaime Carrero, poet and playwright
• N. Humberto Cintrón, novelist, author of Frankie Christo (1972)
• Jesús Colón (1901-1974), father of "Nuyorican" movement
• Joaquín Colón
• Juan Antonio Corretjer (1908-1985), poet and journalist
• Lydia Cortes (1942-) poet, fiction writer, educator
• Nicky Cruz, novelist
• José Antonio Dávila (1898-1941), poet
• Virgilio Dávila (1869-1943), poet
• Abelardo Díaz Alfaro (1916-1999)
• Andrés Diaz Marrero
• Emilio Diaz Valcarcel
• José de Diego (1866-1918), poet and politician
• Caridad de la Luz "La Bruja", poet and actress
• Elizam Escobar, poet
• Martín Espada, poet
• Sandra María Esteves, poet
• Carole Fernández, novelist, author of Sleep of the Innocents (1991)
• Rosario Ferré (1938-), poet and essayist
• José Angel Figueroa, poet
• Shaggy Flores (1973-), Nuyorican poet, writer, African Diaspora Scholar
• Edward Gallardo, playwright; works include those collected in Simpson Street and Other Plays
• Magali García Ramis (1946-), short story writer
• José Gautier Benítez (1848-1880), poet
• Jose Antonio Giovannetti (1943-), poet, playwright, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker
• José Luis González (1926-1997), novelist, short-story writer, playwright
• Eugenio María de Hostos (1839-1903), author of La peregrinación de Bayoán
• David Hernández, poet
• Victor Hernández Cruz, poet
• Adolfo Jiménez Benítez, poet and essayist
• Pedro Juan Labarthe, novelist, author of The Son of Two Nations: The Private Life of a Columbia Student (1931)
• Enrique Laguerre (1905-2005), nominated for Nobel Prize in literature
• Tato Laviera (1951-), Nuyorican poet
• Georgina Lázaro, children's poet
• Muna Lee, Mississippi-born writer, first wife of Luis Muñoz Marín
• Vanesa Littlecrow
• Luis Llorens Torres, poet
• Luis López Nieves
• Carmen Lugo Filippi, short-story writer
• Manuel Manrique, novelist, author of Island in Harlem (1966)
• René Marqués, playwright
• Antonio Martorell
• Julio Marzán, poet
• Francisco Matos Paoli, poet
• Concha Melendez, poet
• Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, poet
• Nancy Mercado, Ph.D., poet, playwright
• Manuel Méndez Ballester
• Luis Muñoz Marín, poet, journalist, and politician
• Manuel Martinez-Maldonado [1937-], physician, poet, novelist. Poetry: La Voz Sostenida; La Novela del Medio Dia. Novel: Isla Verde.
• Carmen de Miraflores, novelist
• Nicholasa Mohr, novelist
• Aurora Levins Morales, poet, co-author of Getting Home Alive (1986)
• Rosario Morales, poet, co-author of Getting Home Alive (1986)
• Mercedes Negron Muñoz, "Clara Lair", poet
• Judith Ortiz Cofer (1952-), essayist, poet and novelist
• Luis Palés Matos (1898-1959), poet of Afro-Caribbean themes
• Pedro Pietri (1944-2004), poet, playwright, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
• Miguel Piñero (1946–1988), playwright, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
• George Pérez (1954-), comic book writer
• Carmen M. Pursifull, poet
• Manuel Ramos Otero, poet
• Luis Rechani Agrait
• Evaristo Ribera Chevremont, Poet
• Edward Rivera, novelist, author of Family Installments: Memories of Growing Up Hispanic (1983)
• José Rivera (1955-), playwright, first Puerto Rican nominated for an Academy Award in "Best Adopted Screenplay" category
• Oswaldo Rivera, novelist, author of Fire and Rain (1990)
• Abraham Rodríguez, Jr., short story author; works include Ashes to Ashes (1989)
• Leonardo Rodríguez, short story author; works include The Have to Be Puerto Ricans (1988)
• Lola Rodríguez de Tió (1848-1924), poet, wrote lyrics to the revolutionary "Borinqueña"
• Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá (1946-), essayist and novelist
• Richard Ruíz, novelist, author of The Hungry American (1978)
• Luis Rafael Sánchez (1936-), playwright
• Manuel San Miguel Griffo, poet, historian of Spanish colonial fortifications
• Manuel San Miguel Nazario, poet
• Esmeralda Santiago (1948-), novelist and memoirist
• Mayra Santos-Febres (1966-), poet
• Pedro Juan Soto, novelist (and father of slain indepedence activist Carlos Soto Arriví)
• Clemente Soto Vélez (1905-1993), poet and activist
• Clementina Souchet, novelist, author of Clementina: Historia sin fin (1986)
• Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1826-1882), poet and "father of Puerto Rican Literature"
• Piri Thomas (1928-), poet and novelist
• Edwin Torres (1931-), author of Carlito's Way (and New York Supreme Court Justice)
• Edwin Torres (1965-), Nuyorican poet and novelist
• Diego de Torres Vargas, author of "Descripción de la Ciudad e Isla de Puerto Rico" (1647)
• Luz María Umpierre, poet
• Hector Varela, Historical Fiction (Affinity for Trouble-A Puerto Rican Story)2006
• Ana Lydia Vega (1946-), short-story writer
• Bernardo Vega, novelist, author of The Memoirs of Bernardo Vega (1977, English ed. 1984)
• Ed Vega (a.k.a. Edgardo Vega Yunqué), novelist
• José Luis Vega, poet and anthologist
• William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), modernist poet (Puerto Rican mother)
• Manuel Zeno Gandía (1855 – 1930), novelist, author of La Charca, the first Puerto Rican novel