Benjamin Alire Sáenz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
|
|
|---|---|
Sáenz at the 2016 Texas Book Festival
|
|
| Born | August 16, 1954 Doña Ana County, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | July 28, 2026 (aged 71) |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | St. Thomas Seminary (BA) University of Texas at El Paso (MA) |
| Period | 1990s–present |
| Genre | Novels, short stories, poetry, young adult literature |
| Subject | Hispanic and Latino American culture, LGBT |
| Notable works | Carry Me Like Water, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club |
| Notable awards | American Book Award (1992) PEN/Faulkner Award (2013) |
Benjamin Alire Sáenz (born August 16, 1954 – died July 28, 2026) was an American writer. He was known for his poetry, novels, and books for children and young adults.
Contents
About Benjamin Alire Sáenz
His Early Life and Education
Benjamin Alire Sáenz grew up near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He studied at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and Philosophy. Later, he received a Master of Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. He chose to live and work in El Paso, Texas, for many years.
A Journey of Writing and Personal Growth
Sáenz went through a significant personal journey later in his life. He shared that he had faced personal challenges for a long time. He found that writing was a powerful way for him to understand and overcome these experiences.
In 2013, Benjamin Alire Sáenz made history. He became the first Latino writer to win the important PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received this award for his book Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. On October 29, 2022, Sáenz was honored with the first-ever Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts. This award was given by the Tulsa City-County Library and the Hispanic Resource Center. Benjamin Alire Sáenz passed away on July 28, 2026, at the age of 71.
Important Awards and Honors
Benjamin Alire Sáenz received many awards for his writing. These awards recognized his talent in poetry, novels, and children's books:
- Wallace E. Stegner Fellowship, for poetry
- 1992 American Book Award, for Calendar of Dust
- Lannan Poetry Fellowship 1993
- Southwest Book Award 1996, for Carry Me Like Water (Border Regional Library Association)
- Southwest Book Award 1996, for Dark and Perfect Angels (Border Regional Library Association)
- Best Children's Book 2000, for Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas (Texas Institute of Letters)
- Americas Book Award, Paterson Book Prize, J Hunt Award, Finalist Los Angeles Book Prize, BBYA Top Ten Books for Young Adults, for Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood
- Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, Southwest Book Award (Border Regional Library Association), Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books for Teens, New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen 2009, Commended Title Americas Book Award 2009, for He Forgot to Say Goodbye
- Best Children's Book, Friends of the Austin Public Library 2008 (Texas Institute of Letters), Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year 2008, Kirkus Review 2008 Notable Books for Children, Paterson Book Prize, for A Perfect Season for Dreaming
- Stonewall Book Award; Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's and Young Adult Literature Award, 2013; Honor Book, Michael L. Printz Award, 2013; Pura Belpré Award, 2013, for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
His Books and Stories
Benjamin Alire Sáenz wrote many different types of books. Here are some of his notable works:
Poetry Collections
- "Students I See Every Day", Santa Fe Poetry Broadside, Issue #31, February, 2003
- Do Not Mind the Bombs, Narrative Magazine
Novels for All Ages
- Carry Me Like Water, Hyperion, 1995
- En el tiempo de la Luz, Rayo/HarperCollins 2006
Young Adult Novels
- Last Night I Sang to the Monster, Cinco Puntos Press 2009
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012
- The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, Clarion Books, 2017
- Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021
Children's Books
- A Perfect Season for Dreaming, Cinco Puntos Press 2008
- The Dog Who Loved Tortillas, Cinco Puntos Press 2009
Stories in Anthologies
- "To the Desert," "Resurrections," Twentieth Century American Poetry (2004), edited by Dana Gioia, McGraw Hill ISBN: 0-07-240019-6
See also
In Spanish: Benjamin Alire Sáenz para niños
