The short version
- Sáenz was the first Latino recipient of the PEN/Faulkner award, winning for his 2013 story collection set in El Paso and Juarez.
- His 2012 novel about two Mexican American boys falling in love received major LGBTQ+ honors but also faced censorship in Texas schools and bans abroad.
- A posthumous book drawing on personal tragedy is scheduled for release next month, reflecting his lifelong focus on marginalized voices.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz, a celebrated novelist, poet, and educator who broke ground as the first Latino winner of the PEN/Faulkner award, has died at age 71. A spokesperson for Simon & Schuster confirmed that Sáenz passed away in El Paso, Texas, on July 28 following an extended illness. His literary career was defined by works that explored the intersections of sexuality, faith, and life along the U.S.-Mexico border, earning him both critical acclaim and significant controversy.
Sáenz’s most widely recognized work is his 2012 young adult novel, which chronicles the romantic relationship between two Mexican American teenagers. The book received a Stonewall Book Award and a Lambda Literary Award for its contribution to LGBTQ+ literature. However, the narrative also sparked backlash; it was temporarily removed from a school district in Granbury, Texas, and banned in Russia and Belarus. Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, who narrated the audiobook and helped produce the 2023 film adaptation, expressed deep sorrow over the author’s passing, describing him as a maestro whose work provided visibility for those on society's margins.
Beyond his young adult fiction, Sáenz established himself as a significant voice in adult literature. He won the prestigious PEN/Faulkner prize in 2013 for a collection of stories set in El Paso and across the border in Juarez, Mexico. His bibliography also includes poetry collections and novels such as In Perfect Light and Names on a Map. Born in Old Picacho, New Mexico, Sáenz was ordained as a Catholic priest before leaving the order and coming out as gay, experiences that deeply informed his writing about identity and belonging.
Sáenz spent decades teaching creative writing at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he earned his master’s degree and eventually served as department chair before retiring in 2016. His commitment to storytelling continued until the end of his life; Simon & Schuster is set to publish a new book next month that addresses the loss of his niece in a 1990 shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The author noted that the 2022 tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, compelled him to finally write about how individuals survive senseless violence, ensuring his final work would explore themes of grief and resilience.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian US↗Benjamin Alire Sáenz, first Latino winner of PEN/Faulkner award, dies aged 71
- PBS NewsHour↗Beloved author Benjamin Alire Sáenz, first Latino PEN/Faulkner winner, dies at 71
