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. |
| 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) is a well-known American writer. He writes many types of books. These include poems, novels, and books for young people. He also writes stories for children.
Contents
About Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Benjamin Alire Sáenz grew up in New Mexico. He studied at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado. There, he earned a degree in Humanities and Philosophy. Later, he got a master's degree in creative writing. This was from the University of Texas at El Paso. He still lives and works in El Paso, Texas.
Sáenz has shared that he is gay. He explained that writing helped him understand himself better. He was 54 when he openly shared this part of his life.
In 2013, Benjamin Alire Sáenz made history. He became the first Latino writer to win the PEN/Faulkner Book Award for Fiction. He won for his book Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. This is a very important award for writers.
In October 2022, he received another special honor. The Tulsa City-County Library gave him the first-ever Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts. This event celebrated his contributions to literature.
Awards and Honors
Benjamin Alire Sáenz has won many awards for his writing. Here are some of them:
- Wallace E. Stegner Fellowship, for poetry
- 1992 American Book Award, for Calendar of Dust
- Lannan Poetry Fellowship, 1993
- Carry Me Like Water, Southwest Book Award, 1996
- Dark and Perfect Angels, Southwest Book Award, 1996
- Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas, Best Children's Book, 2000
- Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, Americas Book Award and Paterson Book Prize
- He Forgot to Say Goodbye, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
- A Perfect Season for Dreaming, Best Children's Book, 2008
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, won several major awards:
- 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
His Books
Benjamin Alire Sáenz writes different kinds of books. He writes for adults, young adults, and children.
Novels for Adults
- Carry Me Like Water, published in 1995
- En el tiempo de la Luz, published in 2006
Novels for Young Adults
These books are often popular with readers aged 12-18.
- Last Night I Sang to the Monster, 2009
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, 2012
- The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, 2017
- Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, 2021
Children's Books
- A Perfect Season for Dreaming, 2008
- The Dog Who Loved Tortillas, 2009
Stories and Poems in Collections
His work has also appeared in larger collections.
- "To the Desert" and "Resurrections" were in Twentieth Century American Poetry (2004).
See also
In Spanish: Benjamin Alire Sáenz para niños
