American Book Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 12 (1991) Winner
-
Edition 24 (2003) Winner
Alejandro Murguía
アレハンドロ・ムルギア
Alejandro Murguia
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949-08-15 （United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- Raised in Mexico → Lived in Los Angeles → Resident of San Francisco (from early 1970s)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Educator, Short story writer, Editor
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Affiliations
- San Francisco State University (faculty)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University | — | — | B.A. | — | United States |
| San Francisco State University | — | — | M.F.A. | — | United States |
San Francisco State University
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
San Francisco State University
Degree:
M.F.A.
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2003 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2012 | San Francisco Poet Laureate | — | — | City of San Francisco | 任命 |
American Book Award
1991
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
2003
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
San Francisco Poet Laureate
2012
Organization:
City of San Francisco
Result:
任命
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
This War Called Love
2002 PoetryA poetry collection exploring love, violence, and the complexities of urban life, with focus on San Francisco's multicultural landscape and personal memory.
memoryurban lifeLatino identity
The medicine of memory: a Mexica clan in California
2002 Prose / NarrativeA collection tracing the histories of a Mexica-descended community in California, dealing with memory and cultural transmission.
migrationfamily historycultural heritage
Volcán: poems from Central America (editor)
1983 Poetry (anthology)A bilingual anthology of poems from Central America; Murguía served as editor and collaborated with poets and photographers.
Central American politics and culturememory and resistance
Southern Front
1990 PoetryA poetry collection addressing political and social themes, reflecting regional struggles and community voices.
politicscommunity
El Sol y los de Abajo and other R.C.A.F. poems / Oracion a la Mano Poderosa
1972 PoetryAn early collection of poems showing political and social consciousness.
early political consciousnesscommunity
Stray Poems: San Francisco Poet Laureate Series No. 6
2014 PoetryA collection reflecting affection and observation of San Francisco, showing the poet's matured voice.
urban observationmemory
Bibliography
- This War Called Love (2002)
- The medicine of memory: a Mexica clan in California (2002)
- Volcán: poems from Central America (editor, 1983)
- Southern Front (1990)
- El Sol y los de Abajo and other R.C.A.F. poems / Oracion a la Mano Poderosa (1972)
- Stray Poems (2014)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- urban poetic narrationuse of bilingual (English/Spanish) expressionlayered depiction of memory and personal history
- Recurring Motifs
- San Francisco's Mission Districtmigration and borderscommunity and family memory
Legacy
Murguía is regarded as a poet and writer who chronicled Latino culture and urban life in San Francisco's Mission District. Appointed San Francisco Poet Laureate in 2012, he contributed to recording and advocating for Chicano/Latino literary and community life.
Trivia
- Named San Francisco Poet Laureate in 2012.
- Winner of the American Book Award in 1991 and 2003.