American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1993) Winner
Francisco X. Alarcón
ふらんしすこ・えっくす・あらるこん
Furanshisuko X. Ararukon
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1954-02-21 （Wilmington, California, U.S.）
- Died
- 2016-01-15 （Davis, California, U.S.） age 61
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- Spanish, English, Nahuatl
- Residence History
- Wilmington, California → Guadalajara, Mexico → Los Angeles area, California → Davis, California
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Educator
- Active Years
- 1970-2016
- Affiliations
- University of California, Davis (faculty)
- Influenced By
- Elías Nandino, Aztec incantations and culture
- Influenced
- Later generations of Chicano poets, Children's poets and bilingual children's literature authors
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Los Angeles College | — | — | — | — | United States |
| California State University, Long Beach | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Stanford University | — | — | — | 1978–1980 | United States |
East Los Angeles College
Country:
United States
Early college attendance
California State University, Long Beach
Country:
United States
Completed undergraduate studies
Stanford University
Period:
1978–1980
Country:
United States
Edited the journal Vortice while at Stanford
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Ruben Dario Prize (poetry) | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1984 | Chicano Literary Prize (poetry) | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1993 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1993 | PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award | — | — | PEN Oakland | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Pura Belpré Honor Award | Children's book | — | American Library Association | 受賞（Honor） |
| 2002 | Pura Belpré Honor Award | — | — | American Library Association | 受賞（Honor） |
| 1998 | Carlos Pellicer–Robert Frost Poetry Honor Award | — | — | Third Binational Border Poetry Contest, Ciudad Juárez | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Danforth and Fulbright fellowships | — | — | Danforth Foundation / Fulbright Program | 受給 |
| 2002 | Fred Cody Lifetime Achievement Award (BABRA) | — | — | Bay Area Book Reviewers Association (BABRA) | 受賞 |
Ruben Dario Prize (poetry)
1981
Result:
受賞
Chicano Literary Prize (poetry)
1984
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
1993
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1993
Organization:
PEN Oakland
Result:
受賞
Pura Belpré Honor Award
1997
Work:
Children's book
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞（Honor）
Pura Belpré Honor Award
2002
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞（Honor）
Carlos Pellicer–Robert Frost Poetry Honor Award
1998
Organization:
Third Binational Border Poetry Contest, Ciudad Juárez
Result:
受賞
Danforth and Fulbright fellowships
2002
Organization:
Danforth Foundation / Fulbright Program
Result:
受給
Fred Cody Lifetime Achievement Award (BABRA)
2002
Organization:
Bay Area Book Reviewers Association (BABRA)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1993) Winner
Works
Major Works
Tattoos
1985 PoetryAn early collection of poems; includes material reflecting his experience of being a murder suspect and other personal themes.
identitytraumamemory
Body in Flames / Cuerpo en llamas
1990 PoetryA collection for adults addressing same-sex desire and social concerns with nuance.
erotic desiresocial consciousnessLatino culture
Translations
- Swedish: Kropp i lågor
- Irish: Colainn ar bharr lasrach
De amor oscuro / Of Dark Love
1991 PoetryA landmark collection addressing Chicano male homosexuality and attempting to end silence on the subject.
homosexualitycultural belonginglove
Snake Poems: An Aztec Invocation
1992 PoetryPoems inspired by Aztec incantations; links tradition and contemporary concerns.
indigenous cultureincantatory imageryspiritual inheritance
Children's poetry collections (various)
2005 Children's poetryWrote many bilingual children's poems, depicting Latino culture, family memories and everyday warmth.
childrenfamily memoriesfood
Bibliography
- Tattoos (1985)
- Ya Vas, Carnal (1985)
- Loma Prieta (1990)
- Body in Flames / Cuerpo en llamas (1990)
- De amor oscuro / Of Dark Love (1991)
- Poemas zurdos (1992)
- Snake Poems: An Aztec Invocation (1992)
- No Golden Gate for Us (1993)
- Sonnets to Madness and Other Misfortunes (2001)
- From the Other Side of Night / Del otro lado de la noche (2002)
- Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems (2005)
- Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems (2005)
- From the Bellybutton of the Moon And Other Summer Poems (2005)
- Angels Ride Bikes And Other Fall Poems (2005)
- Poems to Dream Together / Poemas para soñar juntos (2005)
- Animal Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú (2005)
- Ce Uno One: Poems for the New Sun / Poemas para el Nuevo Sol (2010)
Translations of Works
- Cuerpo en llamas translated to Swedish as Kropp i lågor
- Cuerpo en llamas translated to Irish as Colainn ar bharr lasrach
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- minimalist concise stylebilingual presentation (Spanish/English)spoken-word/reading-oriented prosody
- Recurring Motifs
- language and identityAztec culture and invocationsfamily memories and childhoodfood imageryhomosexuality and expressions of love
Health
-
cancer2015–2016Led to his death in January 2016 and ended his active career
Legacy
Francisco X. Alarcón was one of the few Chicano poets in the U.S. recognized for writing primarily in Spanish. He is acclaimed for bilingual children's poetry and adult collections addressing homosexuality and Latino culture; as an educator he inspired many young poets.
Quotes
-
Children are natural poets.
Source: Interview / public reading -
Language is crucial for individual identity.
Source: Essay / interview
Trivia
- Moved with his family to Guadalajara, Mexico at age six and returned to California at eighteen.
- Transcribing his Nahuatl-speaking grandmother's ballad-like songs influenced his poetry.
- Was suspected in a 1984 murder investigation in Golden Gate Park but later cleared.
- Received recognition for bilingual children's poetry, including Pura Belpré Honor Awards.