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Benjamin Alire Sáenz

ベンジャミン・アリーレ・サエンス

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1954-08-16 （Doña Ana County, New Mexico, U.S.）
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Religion
Catholicism (studied at a seminary)
Residence History
Raised near Las Cruces, New Mexico → El Paso, Texas (lives and works)

Career

Occupations
writer, poet, novelist, children's author, young adult author
Active Years
1990-

Education

St. Thomas Seminary (Denver)
Humanities and Philosophy
Degree: BA
Country: United States
Studied humanities and philosophy at a seminary
University of Texas at El Paso
Creative Writing
Degree: MA
Country: United States
Earned an MA in creative writing

Awards

American Book Award
1992
Work: Calendar of Dust
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
Lannan Poetry Fellowship
1993
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: 受賞
Southwest Book Award
1996
Work: Carry Me Like Water / Dark and Perfect Angels
Organization: Border Regional Library Association
Result: 受賞
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
2013
Work: Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club
Organization: PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Result: 受賞（2013年、初のラティーノ受賞者）
Stonewall Book Award
2013
Work: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Category: 児童・ヤングアダルト
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
Michael L. Printz Award (Honor)
2013
Work: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Category: ヤングアダルト
Organization: Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
Result: オナー（Honor Book）
Paterson Book Prize
Work: Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood / A Perfect Season for Dreaming
Result: 受賞/候補（年は不明）
Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
Work: He Forgot to Say Goodbye
Category: 児童・ヤングアダルト
Result: 受賞/表彰（年不明）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

2012 Young adult novel, coming-of-age

A coming-of-age story about two Mexican-American boys, Aristotle and Dante, exploring friendship, identity, family, and sexuality.

identityfriendshipfamilysexualityborderlands

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life

2017 Young adult novel

A young adult novel about friendship, loss, and the complexities of family as a young man confronts his past and identity.

familylosscoming of age

Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club

2012 Short story collection

A collection of short stories centered on El Paso and Mexican-American life, weaving regionalism with personal memory and experience.

bordermemorycommunity

Carry Me Like Water

1995 Novel

A novel addressing family, memory, and the wounds of a generation living in the borderlands.

familymemoryborderlands

Bibliography

  • Calendar of Dust
  • Dark and Perfect Angels
  • Elegies in Blue
  • Dreaming the End of War
  • The Book of What Remains
  • Flowers for the Broken
  • Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club
  • Carry Me Like Water
  • The House of Forgetting
  • In Perfect Light
  • Names on a Map
  • Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood
  • He Forgot to Say Goodbye
  • Last Night I Sang to the Monster
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
  • The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
  • Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
  • A Gift from Papa Diego
  • Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas
  • A Perfect Season for Dreaming
  • The Dog Who Loved Tortillas

Adaptations

  • Aristotle and Dante (multiple adaptation projects reported)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical yet restrained proseconcise, emotionally attuned narrationrealist depiction of borderland settings
Recurring Motifs
search for identityborders and borderlandsfamily memory and intergenerational legacydiscovery of friendship and love

Legacy

Benjamin Alire Sáenz is recognized for portraying Mexican-American experience and borderland culture. His YA novels sensitively explore LGBTQ themes and self-discovery. Winning the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2013 marked a significant milestone for Latino authors.

Academic Societies

  • Texas Institute of Letters

Archives

  • Library of Congress holdings
  • University of Texas at El Paso related collections (details to be confirmed)

In Popular Culture

  • Aristotle and Dante is frequently cited as a landmark YA work and has had multiple adaptation projects reported.

Quotes

  • I had struggled with this topic for a long time and I saw writing as a way to overcome it.
    Source: Interview, NPR (2013) (2013)

Trivia

  • Came out as gay at age 54 (around 2010s).
  • Won the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2013 and was the first Latino to do so.
  • Writes across genres: poetry, novels, children's books, and YA.
  • Has appeared publicly at events such as the Texas Book Festival.