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Sherezada “Chiqui” Vicioso (21 June 1948 - ) is a Dominican-American author and activist. Her best-known works include Viaje desde el agua (1981), Un extraño ulular traía el viento (1985), and Internamiento (1992).

Early Life
Vicioso was born in 1948 in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, to Juan Antonio Vicioso Contín and María Luisa Sánchez. She moved to New York in the mid 1960s with her mother and three siblings after the death of their father. There Vicioso continued her studies, first at Brooklyn College, earning a B.A. in sociology and history, and later a M.Ed. from Columbia University's Teacher's College. She also studied administration of cultural projects at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro.

Career
In 1980 Vicioso returned to her native Santo Domingo and began working on publishing her first collection of poetry, Viaje desde el agua. The collection, although published in the Dominican Republic, was mostly written during Vicioso's time in the United States and travels abroad. The tone of the collection paved the way for the majority of her later works as well, focusing primarily on women and myths. Her career continued beyond pen and paper to include both national and international positions. From the year of her first publication, 1981, to 1985 Vicioso served as the director of education for Pro-Familia, the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services in the Dominican Republic. The organization is comparable to Planned Parenthood in the United States, and focuses on decreasing adolescent pregnancy rates, as well as creating a political and social environment conducive to sexual and reproductive rights. Vicioso continued her activist role with the United Nations and UNICEF, specializing on women and children's programs. These included being a consultant for the UN Program for the Development of Women (1986-1987) and National Officer for Programs with Women of UNICEF.

In the early 1980s Vicioso founded the Circle of Dominican Women Poets, now called Circle of Creative Women, as it expanded to include a larger group of women. She continued to write during this time period, publishing Un extraño ulular traía el vent in 1985, Volver a vivir: imágenes de Nicaragua in 1986, and Julia de Burgos in 1987. This time period marked her search for an individual and unique voice among her fellow writers, and a return to her roots in the Dominican Republic. She was awarded the Golden Caonabo prize by the Dominican Writers Association in 1988, marking her influence on the contemporary literature of the nation. However, Vicioso's writing did not stop at poetry, but rather expanded to include award-winning plays and essay collections. The play Wish-ky Sour, published in 1996, was an international success and was staged across several cities, including New York. It follows a protagonist, Helena, as she grapples with her "other" self, one that goes against her traditional way of life. The play was undoubtedly inspired by Vicioso's own life, as she navigated between her Dominican roots and American upbringing. In addition to its public success, the play was also awarded the National Theatre Award in 1996.

The play Salomé U: cartas a una ausencia, written in 2000, is perhaps one of Vicioso's most fascinating works, winning the Cassandra Award. It is a dialogue between the American Poet Emily Dickinson and the Dominican poet Salomé Ureña. The play undoubtedly draws upon Vicioso's personal life, combining yet again, her Dominican and American backgrounds. Just as Wish-ky Sour, this play received international attention and was performed across a variety of countries. Vicioso resides in the Dominican Republic to this day and continues to contribute to the literary collection of her nation.

Vicioso's writing encompasses a variety of themes, yet the majority of her works center around female characters and Dominicans living in the United States. Like a great deal of Latin American authors with studies done abroad, she used her experiences to promote the literature of her home country, and further the legacies of previous writers. Thus Vicioso was able to carve a space on the international level for not only past Dominican authors, but future ones as well.

Works
Poetry

Viaje desde el agua (1981)

Un extraño ulular traía el viento (1985) - collaboration with Tony Capellán

Internamiento (1992)

Essays

Bolver a vivir: ensayos sobre Nicaragua (1985)

Julia de Burgos la nuestra (1990) - collaboration with Belkys Ramírez

Algo que decir (ensayos críticos sobre literatura escrita por mujeres) (1991)

Salomé Ureña de Henríquez (1859-1897): a cien años de su magisterio (1997)

Le decían Lolo (Presencia del Che en las mujeres guerrilleras) (1999) - testimony of Myrna Murillo Gamarra

Plays

Wish-ky Sour (1996)

Salomé U: Cartas a una ausencia (2000)