Rudolfo Anaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rudolfo Anaya
Born	(1937-10-30)October 30, 1937 Pastura, New Mexico, U.S.
Died	June 28, 2020(2020-06-28) (aged 82) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist poet playwright educator
Nationality	American
Notable works	Bless Me, Ultima Alburquerque
Notable awards	American Book Award Quinto Sol National Medal of Arts
Spouse	Patricia Lawless

Rudolfo Anaya (born October 30, 1937 – died June 28, 2020) was an American writer. He is famous for his 1972 novel Bless Me, Ultima. Many people see Anaya as one of the most important writers of modern Chicano and New Mexican stories. Chicano literature is writing by people of Mexican descent living in the United States. His novel used themes and cultural ideas that were new at the time. This made a big impact on other Latino writers. Later, Bless Me, Ultima was made into a movie and an opera.

Early Life and School Days

Rudolfo Anaya grew up in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. His father, Martín Anaya, was a vaquero, which is a cowboy. His family had worked with cattle and sheep for a long time. His mother, Rafaelita (Mares), came from a family of farmers in Puerto De Luna. This area is in the Pecos Valley of New Mexico.

Rudolfo had two older half-brothers from his mother's first marriage. He also had four sisters. The wide, flat desert lands of New Mexico, called the llano in his books, were very important to him when he was young.

In 1952, when Rudolfo was in eighth grade, his family moved from the countryside to Albuquerque. He went to Albuquerque High School and finished in 1956. This time in his life later appeared in his novel Tortuga. When he was 16, he had a back injury that made him unable to move for a while.

After high school, he went to the University of New Mexico. He earned a bachelor's degree in English and American Literature in 1963. He then got two master's degrees from the same university. One was in English in 1968, and the other was in guidance and counseling in 1972. While studying for his master's degrees, Anaya taught English at high schools in Albuquerque from 1963 to 1968. In 1966, he married Patricia Lawless, who always supported his writing.

Writing Career and Famous Books

Rudolfo Anaya started writing his most famous book, Bless Me, Ultima, in 1963. He finished the book, and it was published in 1972 by a company called Quinto Sol. At first, it was hard for Anaya to get his book published by bigger companies. This was because it mixed English and Spanish words and focused on Chicano culture.

However, the independent publisher Quinto Sol quickly published the book. They gave it the Premio Quinto Sol award in 1971 for the best novel by a Chicano writer. The book became very popular, selling over 300,000 copies. The unique themes and cultural ideas in the novel had a lasting effect on many Latino writers.

After his book became a success, Anaya was asked to teach English at the University of New Mexico in 1975. He taught there until he retired in 1993.

Anaya traveled a lot after retirement. He visited China in 1984 and went to South America. He wrote about his experiences in China in his travel journal, A Chicano in China, published in 1986.

In the 1990s, more people started to read Anaya's books. A large publishing company, Warner Books, signed a deal with him for six books. This started with the novel Alburquerque. He then created a mystery series called Sonny Baca. This series included Zia Summer, Rio Grande Fall, Jalamanta: A Message from the Desert, and Shaman Winter. A collection of his works, The Anaya Reader, was also published.

The movie Bless Me, Ultima came out on February 22, 2013. Three years later, it was also made into an opera. Rudolfo Anaya also wrote many books for children and young adults. His first children's book was The Farolitos of Christmas, published in 1995.

Anaya's non-fiction writings have appeared in many collections. In 2015, 52 of his essays were published as The Essays. These essays explored ideas about identity, literature, and politics. Anaya once said that he wanted to "compose the Chicano worldview." This meant he wanted to show the mix of cultures that makes up the Chicano identity.

Rudolfo Anaya lived in Albuquerque and spent several hours writing every day. He passed away at his home on June 28, 2020, at the age of 82. He had been sick for a long time before he died.

Musical Works Based on His Stories

• "La Llorona" (2002) is an opera based on his play The Seasons of La Llorona. Rudolfo Anaya wrote the words for the opera. It was first performed in 2008.
• "Cancion al Rio Grande" (2007) is a musical piece for an orchestra. It uses his poem of the same name. It was first performed in 2012.

Awards and Special Honors

Rudolfo Anaya received many awards for his writing:

• Premio Quinto Sol literary award, for Bless Me, Ultima, 1970
• New Mexico Governor's Public Service Award, 1978, 1980
• NEA fellowships, 1979, 1980
• American Book Award, for Tortuga, 1980
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting script development award, for "Rosa Linda," 1982
• Award for Achievement in Chicano Literature, 1983
• Mexican Medal of Friendship, 1986
• PEN-West Fiction Award, 1992, for Alburquerque
• National Medal of Arts Lifetime Honor, 2001
• Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications, 2003
• People's Choice Award, 2007 New Mexico Book Awards
• Notable New Mexican, 2007
• Robert Kirsch Award, 2011
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Literature, 2014
• Inducted into Albuquerque's Wall of Fame, 2014
• 2015 National Humanities Medal

See also

In Spanish: Rudolfo Anaya para niños

• Latino literature
• Latino poetry
• American literature in Spanish