National Poetry Series
1 appearances
Rigoberto González
リゴベルト・ゴンザレス
Rigoberto Gonzalez
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1970-07-18 （Bakersfield, California, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- Bakersfield, California → Michoacán, Mexico → New York City, New York → Newark, New Jersey
Career
- Occupations
- Professor, Writer, Critic, Editor
- Active Years
- 1999-
- Affiliations
- Rutgers University (Newark), The New School, University of Toledo, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Queens College (CUNY), Randolph College (Low-Res MFA), University of Arizona Press (Camino del Sol series editor)
- Memberships
- Association of Writers and Writing Programs (board), Poetry Society of America (board), The Center for Fiction (Writers Council), Zoeglossia: A Community for Poets with Disabilities (board)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Riverside | — | Humanities and Social Sciences (Interdisciplinary) | B.A. | — | United States |
| University of California, Davis | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Arizona State University, Tempe | — | — | — | — | United States |
University of California, Riverside
Humanities and Social Sciences (Interdisciplinary)
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
B.A. in interdisciplinary studies
University of California, Davis
Country:
United States
Graduate study (details not specified)
Arizona State University, Tempe
Country:
United States
Graduate study (details not specified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement | — | — | The Publishing Triangle | 受賞 |
| 2020 | PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry | — | — | PEN America | 受賞 |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Review of Books Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | Los Angeles Review of Books / University of California-Riverside | 受賞 |
| — | Lannan Literary Fellowship | — | — | Lannan Foundation | 受賞 |
| — | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Lambda Literary Award | — | — | Lambda Literary Foundation | 受賞 |
| — | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement
2015
Organization:
The Publishing Triangle
Result:
受賞
PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry
2020
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
受賞
Los Angeles Review of Books Lifetime Achievement Award
2024
Organization:
Los Angeles Review of Books / University of California-Riverside
Result:
受賞
Lannan Literary Fellowship
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Lambda Literary Award
2014
Organization:
Lambda Literary Foundation
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 28 (2007) Winner
Lannan Literary Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 53 (2020) Fellowship
Works
Major Works
Latino Poetry: A Library of America Anthology (editor)
2024 Poetry anthology (editor)An anthology gathering Latino poetry from the 17th century to the present, edited by González, bringing together voices across generations and regions.
Latino poetryHistory and heritageMigration and identity
To the Boy Who Was Night
2023 PoetryA collection of poems exploring memory, desire, and identity with lyrical, image-driven language.
MemoryDesireIdentity
What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth: A Memoir of Brotherhood
2018 Memoir / NonfictionA memoir about friendship, family, and cultural roots; was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Autobiography.
BrotherhoodCultural rootsImmigrant experience
Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa
2006 Memoir / NonfictionA memoir recounting a difficult childhood and adolescence as an immigrant, addressing the author's background and sexuality.
Coming-of-ageMigrationSexuality
The Mariposa Club
2009 NovelA novel addressing Latino community, family, and sexual identity.
CommunityFamilySexual identity
Bibliography
- To the Boy Who Was Night (poetry, 2023)
- The Book of Ruin (poetry, 2019)
- Unpeopled Eden (poetry, 2013)
- What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth (memoir, 2018)
- Butterfly Boy (memoir, 2006)
- The Mariposa Club (novel, 2009)
- Latino Poetry (editor, 2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, metaphor-rich styleIncorporates autobiographical elements into poetry and prose
- Recurring Motifs
- Migration experienceFamily and brotherhoodSexuality (particularly gay/Chicano perspective)Cultural inheritance
Legacy
Rigoberto González is known as an advocate for Chicano/Latino literature and LGBTQ representation. As an editor and critic he has raised visibility for marginalized voices and, through projects like the Library of America anthology, has helped introduce the history of Latino poetry to broader audiences.
Academic Societies
- Poetry Society of America
- Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)
Archives
- Library of Congress, Hispanic Division (recording archive)
Trivia
- He self-identifies as a gay Chicano and reflects that perspective in his work.
- Editor of the Library of America anthology 'Latino Poetry'.
- Contributed over 200 book reviews to the El Paso Times (reached 200 reviews in 2012).