Benjamin Sáenz

Benjanmin Alire Sáenz is an accomplished American poet, novelist, and writer of children's books. He was born on August 16, 1954, in Old Picacho, New Mexico, and grew up on a small farm near Mesilla. Sáenz was the fourth of seven children and was raised in a family that worked hard to make a living. He attended Las Cruces High School and went on to study philosophy and humanity at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado. Later, he studied theology at the University of Louvain in Belgium.

After serving as a priest in El Paso for several years, Sáenz decided to return to school to study English and creative writing at the University of Texas. He then attended the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature and was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University, under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992.

Sáenz's writing is known for its exploration of themes related to the Mexican border, including the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics. His first novel, Carry Me Like Water, received much critical attention and brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism. His poetry collections, such as The Book of What Remains, have also received critical acclaim.

In addition to his work as a writer, Sáenz is an associate professor in the MFA creative writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso, the only bilingual creative writing program in the country. He is also a visual artist and has been involved as a political and cultural activist throughout his life. Sáenz's writing has received numerous awards, including the Wallace Stegner Fellowship, the Lannan Fellowship, and an American Book Award.