Benjamin Alire Saenz

Poet

Birthday August 16, 1954

Birth Sign Leo

Birthplace New Mexico

Age 70 years old

#152,157 Most Popular

About

Latino-American poet, children's author, and novelist known for Calendar of Dust and Carry Me Like Water, among other works. He received both the American Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award.

Before Fame

He attended St. Thomas Seminary in Colorado and served as a cleric in El Paso, Texas before leaving the priesthood to study creative writing.

Trivia

He came out as gay at the age of fifty-four and, at this time, began exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered (LGBT) themes in his writing.

Family Life

He grew up as the fourth of seven children and was raised on a New Mexico farm.

Associated With

His novel Carry Me Like Water includes elements of magical realism, a Latin American literary tradition popularized by writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

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