Daniel Chacón (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Chacón
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Chacón at AWP 2017
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| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, educator |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | California State University, Fresno (BA) University of Oregon (MFA) |
| Genres | Fiction, Chicano literature |
| Notable awards | American Book Awards Hudson Prize PEN Oakland Award |
Daniel Chacón (born in 1962) is an American writer, professor, and radio host. He writes short stories, novels, and essays. He also teaches writing at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). At UTEP, he leads a special writing program that teaches in both English and Spanish. In 1985, he helped start a group called the Chicano Writers and Artists Association.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Daniel Chacón grew up in Fresno, California. His father was from El Paso, Texas.
Daniel went to California State University, Fresno. There, he earned a degree in Political Science. He also wrote for the campus newspaper, La Voz de Aztan. Later, he earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Fiction Writing from the University of Oregon.
His Career as a Writer and Teacher
Chacón joined the University of Texas at El Paso in 2000. He became a professor of Creative Writing. Since 2017, he has been the head of the writing department.
Since 2011, he has co-hosted a radio show called Words on a Wire on KTEP. On this show, he talks with other writers.
He has also helped edit several books. These include collections of poems by his friend Andrés Montoya. His own writing has appeared in many books and magazines. He also enjoys writing plays, doing stand-up comedy, and writing poetry.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Daniel Chacón has received several awards for his writing. He won a grant from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation. In 2019, he was welcomed into the Texas Institute of Letters.
Notable Awards for His Books
- 2000: Godoy Lives won the Peter and Jean de Maine Award for an Emerging Writer in Fiction.
- 2007: Unending Rooms won the Hudson Prize.
- 2009: The Last Supper of Chicano Heroes: Selected Works of José Antonio Burciaga won an American Book Awards.
- 2014: Hotel Juárez won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. It also won the Tejas Award for Best Book of Fiction.
His Books
| Title | Publisher | Date | Length | ISBN | |
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| Chicano Chicanery | Arte Público Press | 1996 | 144 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-1611920918 | |
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This book shares funny and sometimes serious stories. They show how Mexican-Americans find ways to succeed in tough situations.
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| and the shadows took him | Washington Square Press | 2005 | 352 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-0743466394 | |
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This novel is about Joey Molina, a boy who loves acting. He gets a big role in a school play. But then his parents have an important announcement that changes things.
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| Unending Rooms | Black Lawrence Press | 2008 | 235 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-0981589930 | |
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This collection of stories won the Hudson Prize. The stories are mostly set in the Southwest. They explore the deep feelings and lives of the characters.
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| Hotel Juárez | Arte Público Press | 2012 | 197 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-1558857681 | |
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In this book of short stories, Daniel Chacón looks at how people interact. He also explores how identity, literature, art, and music are important in our lives.
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| The Cholo Tree | Piñata Books | 2017 | 248 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-1558858404 | |
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This novel is about Victor, a 14-year-old. After being shot, people think he's in a gang, even though he loves reading and drawing. He struggles with what society expects of him.
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| Kafka in a Skirt: Stories from the Wall | University of Arizona Press | 2019 | 168 pp (paperback) | ISBN: 978-0816539918 | |
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These stories explore the idea of walls, not just physical ones like the U.S.-Mexico border. They also look at the invisible walls that divide people and communities.
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