Because of its rich literary tradition, San Ramón is often called "la tierra de las poetas" ("land of poets"). Many poets and authors were born in the San Ramón area, including José Joaquín Salas Pérez, Carlomagno Araya, Ema Gamboa, and Feliz Ángel Salas. San Ramón's favorite son is often listed as Lisímaco Chavarría. Born in 1878, Chavarría's romantic and naturalist poetry brought him into correspondence with many well-known Latin American authors, such as Rubén Darío, José Enrique Rodó and Joaquín García Monge. Born in 1915, author and naturalist illustrator Rafael Lucas Rodríguez was a pioneering biologist in the country. He wrote numerous articles and books, as well as illustrative tracts of Costa Rican flora. Author Fernando Contreras Castro, also born and raised in San Ramón, is an internationally recognized author writing in what is described as the "urban generation" style. Contreras teaches literature at the University of Costa Rica.