Author Benjamin Alire Sáenz died on 28 July aged 71 after a long illness. He was best known for his 2012 young adult novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which was adapted into a film in 2022.
Sáenz had recently completed a new book, When the World Was Happy, which is due to be released in September. His final work focuses on the effects of gun violence and a school shooting. In a recent letter to readers, he shared that the book had been inspired by the death of his niece in 1990.
Over the course of his career, Sáenz published five poetry collections, two short story collections, three adult novels, six young adult novels and four children’s books.
He came out as gay in 2008 at the age of 54, following the end of his marriage. In interviews, he spoke about having struggled with his sexuality for many years.
Just four years later, he released his best-known book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. The coming-of-age novel follows two Mexican-American teenagers as they navigate racial and ethnic identity, sexuality and family relationships. A sequel, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, was published in 2021.
In 2013, Sáenz became the first Latino writer to win the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his short story collection Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. The collection features seven stories set in El Paso, Texas, and nearby Chihuahua, Mexico. The book also won a Lambda Literary Award and was named a Stonewall Honor Book by the American Library Association in 2014.
Actor, director and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda said he was heartbroken to hear of Sáenz’s passing.
“Forever grateful he trusted me to narrate both audiobooks of Aristotle & Dante’s adventures. Forever grateful he trusted Aitch Alberto, who made a beautiful movie adaptation that we were so proud to produce. Condolences to his galaxy of friends and family. Rest easy, maestro,” Miranda wrote on Instagram.
