Sergio Troncoso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sergio Troncoso
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Sergio Troncoso
|
|
| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
|
| Period | 1990s-present |
| Genre | Novels, short stories, essays, nonfiction |
| Subject | literary fiction, philosophy and literature, Mexican-American literature |
| Notable works | Nobody's Pilgrims, The Last Tortilla and Other Stories, A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son, From This Wicked Patch of Dust, Crossing Borders: Personal Essays, The Nature of Truth |
| Notable awards | Inducted Member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame; Premio Aztlán Literary Prize; Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story; Fulbright Scholarship; Fellow of the Texas Institute of Letters; Literary Legacy Award; Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Alumni Hall of Fame; Inducted Member of the Texas Institute of Letters; In the Margins Book Awards- Top Ten List; Bronze Award for Anthologies from Independent Publisher Book Awards; Southwest Book Award; Gold Medal for Best Novel-Adventure or Drama from International Latino Book Awards; Gold Medal for Best Collection of Short Stories from International Latino Book Awards; Silver Award for Adult Multicultural Fiction from ForeWord Reviews; Bronze Award for Essays from ForeWord Reviews |
Sergio Troncoso, born in 1961, is an American writer. He writes short stories, essays, and novels. His books often explore themes like the United States-Mexico border. He also writes about immigrant families and fatherhood. Troncoso likes to explore big ideas about life and how people connect.
Contents
About Sergio Troncoso
Early Life and Education
Sergio Troncoso was born in El Paso, Texas. He grew up in Ysleta, a rural part of El Paso. His parents were immigrants from Mexico. They built their own adobe house. For their first few years in Texas, they used kerosene lamps and an outhouse.
Sergio went to Ysleta High School. He was the editor of the school newspaper. He won a scholarship to attend a journalism summer school. His grandfather, Santiago Troncoso, was also a writer. He was jailed many times for writing against corruption in Mexico.
Sergio was accepted to Harvard College. He found it challenging to adjust to this new environment. He studied Mexican history and politics. He graduated with high honors. Later, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Mexico. He then earned two graduate degrees from Yale University. There, he became interested in big questions about identity and life.
Writing About Life and Identity
In 1999, Sergio Troncoso published his first book of short stories. It was called The Last Tortilla and Other Stories. This book won the Premio Aztlán Literary Prize. It also received the Southwest Book Award.
One story, "Angie Luna," is about a young man from El Paso. He rediscovers his Mexican heritage. Another story, "A Rock Trying to Be a Stone," shows three boys playing a dangerous game. It tests their character near the Mexico-U.S. border. Troncoso's stories focus on the inner lives of his characters. He explores their moral and intellectual journeys.
Exploring Truth and Family in Novels
His novel The Nature of Truth came out in 2003. It tells the story of a Yale student. This student finds out his professor has a secret past. Reviewers praised how Troncoso explored different ideas about truth in the book. In 2003, Troncoso was also honored by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
In 2011, Troncoso released two new books. His novel, From This Wicked Patch of Dust, follows the Martinez family. They start their lives in a poor area near the U.S.-Mexico border. The book shows how they try to stay together. They face cultural differences and new challenges. The Dallas Morning News said the book showed real and complex Latino characters. It was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews. It also won the Southwest Book Award.
His other book from 2011 was Crossing Borders: Personal Essays. This collection of sixteen essays shares Troncoso's personal journey. He writes about growing up poor and going to Ivy League schools. He also shares about his wife's fight with cancer and being a father. The El Paso Times said these essays "cross several borders: cultural, historical, and self-imposed." The book won awards for essays and biography.
Recognitions and Community Work
In 2012, Troncoso became a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. This is a group that honors Texas writers.
.jpg)
On July 29, 2014, the El Paso City Council voted to rename a public library branch after Sergio Troncoso. It is now called the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library. At the dedication ceremony, he started the Troncoso Reading Prizes. These prizes encourage reading and writing for students in the Ysleta area.
Troncoso has also served as a judge for many writing awards. He helped choose winners for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He also judged for the Scholastic Writing Awards.
Newer Works and Leadership
In 2019, Troncoso published A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son. This book is a collection of short stories about immigration. Famous authors like Junot Díaz and Luis Alberto Urrea praised it. The Texas Observer called it his "most powerful work yet." One story from the book, "Rosary on the Border," won the Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story. The collection also won a Gold Medal from the International Latino Book Awards.
On March 28, 2020, Troncoso was elected president of the Texas Institute of Letters. During his two-year term, the organization saw many positive changes. More people submitted to their contests, and more members paid their dues. He helped the organization grow and become more inclusive.
In 2021, Troncoso edited an anthology called Nepantla Familias. This book features essays, poetry, and stories by Mexican American writers. Kirkus Reviews called it "A deeply meaningful collection." It won awards for anthologies.
His third novel, Nobody's Pilgrims, was published in 2022. Author Ben Fountain praised it as a "superb novel." Kirkus Reviews described it as a "fast-paced, character-driven story." The book won a Gold Medal for Best Novel from the International Latino Book Awards. Librarians also chose it for the Top Ten List of the In the Margins Book Awards.
In 2023, Sergio Troncoso was named a Fellow of the Texas Institute of Letters. This is a very special honor. Only seventeen people have received it in the institute's 86-year history. Troncoso is the first Mexican American writer to get this award. In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.
Sergio Troncoso teaches writing workshops at the Yale Writers' Workshop. His writings and papers are kept in the Wittliff Collections in Texas. His stories and essays have appeared in many books and magazines.
Awards and Honors
- 1983 - Fulbright Scholar
- 1999 - Premio Aztlán Literary Prize for The Last Tortilla and Other Stories
- 2000 - Southwest Book Award from Border Regional Library Association for The Last Tortilla and Other Stories
- 2003 - Inducted into Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Alumni Hall of Fame
- 2011 - Notable Book in Southwest Books of the Year for From This Wicked Patch of Dust
- 2011 - Bronze Award for Essays from Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for Crossing Borders: Personal Essays
- 2012 - Inducted as Member of the Texas Institute of Letters
- 2012 - Silver Medal for Best Biography in English from International Latino Book Awards for Crossing Borders: Personal Essays
- 2012 - Best Books of 2012 from Kirkus Reviews for From This Wicked Patch of Dust
- 2012 - Southwest Book Award from Border Regional Library Association for From This Wicked Patch of Dust
- 2013 - Literary Legacy Award from El Paso Community College
- 2014 - Ysleta branch public library renamed Sergio Troncoso Branch Library
- 2019 - Silver Award in Multicultural Fiction from Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son
- 2020 - Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story from Texas Institute of Letters for "Rosary on the Border"
- 2020 - Gold Medal for Best Collection of Short Stories from International Latino Book Awards for A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son
- 2021 - Bronze Medal for Anthologies from Independent Publisher Book Awards for Nepantla Familias
- 2022 - Gold Medal for Best Novel-Adventure or Drama from International Latino Book Awards for Nobody's Pilgrims
- 2023 - Named Fellow of the Texas Institute of Letters
- 2023 - Top Ten List for Fiction, Nonfiction, and Social Advocacy from In the Margins Book Awards for Nobody's Pilgrims
- 2024 - Inducted as Member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame
