He was born in Havana City on July 2nd, 1920, and died in Mexico, on March 1st, 1994. His mortal remains lies in the Cristobal Colon Cementery, Havana City. In 1928 he wrote his earliest children stories infantiles, and next year he became one of the directors (and librarian) of El Estudiante, Official organ of La Luz School City”. Some time later, together with Cintio Vitier, he directed and wrote La Luz magazine. He graduated as Bachelor in Arts and Sciences in Havana High School. He began studying Laws in the University of Havana, but he never finished those studies. He was one of the founders of Orígenes and collaborated in: Clavileño. He graduated in Pedagogics in the University of Havana and imparted classes of English and North American Literature in specialized courses in Casa de las Américas. He was Editor of Unión magazine, from the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, UNEAC (Association of Writeres and Artists of Cuba). He visited the former Soviet Union, Hungary, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, Madrid, Peru, London, Colombia. He delivered lectures in different North American universities and on General Literature in the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM (Autonomous National University of Mexico). He participated in the First Meeting of Poets from Latin World, held Mexico; in the Poetry Meeting in Malaga, Spain, arranged by the Centro Cultural de la Generación del 27 (Cultural Center of 1927 Generation), unveiled a plate dedicated to thje Cuban poet José María Heredia in the Niagara Falls, Canadá and participated also in the Sixth Meeting of Poets from Latin World, held Mexico.
Among his many awards and acknowledgements are: the title of Honoris Causa Doctor of the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, the “Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos” Award conferred by the Federación de Asociaciones Asturianas de Cuba, the “Juan Rulfo” Latin American and Caribbean Literature International Award, conferred by different economical and cultural Mexican institutions. He was one of the most important poets from the renowned Orígenes Group. In all his texts the language is lyrical and his life was signed by poetry. Among his works are: En las oscuras manos del olvido, Divertimentos, En la Calzada de Jesús del Monte, Muestrario del mundo o Libro de las maravillas de Boloña, Versiones, Noticias de la Quimera, Los días de tu vida, A través de mi espejo, Soñar despierto, Libro de quizás y de quién, Conversación con los difuntos, Poemas al margen, Literary Critics Award by: Inventario de asombros, 1982; Soñar despierto, 1988; Libro de quizás y de quién sabe 1989; Orden Félix Varela in 1982 and National Literature Award in 1986.