EL PASO — Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the first Latino to win the PEN/Faulkner Award and author of the acclaimed novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, died on 28 July in El Paso, Texas. He was 71.

Sáenz died after a lengthy illness, according to a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster. His death marks the loss of a writer whose work explored identity, love, and resilience in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, leaving a legacy that spanned poetry, young adult fiction, and adult novels.

Born in Old Picacho, New Mexico, Sáenz was an ordained Catholic priest who left the order and came out as gay. He received a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and taught there starting in the 1990s. He served as chair of the creative writing department at the university before retiring in 2016.

In 2013, Sáenz received the PEN/Faulkner award for the story collection Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. The collection is set in El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. This achievement made him the first Latino to win the prestigious literary honor.

His most widely recognized work, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, was first published February 21, 2012. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships. The book received a Stonewall book award and a Lambda literary award.

The novel reached a broad audience through various adaptations and formats. Lin-Manuel Miranda narrated the audio edition of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and lent his voice to the audiobook for Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. Miranda also helped produce the 2023 film adaptation of the novel.

Despite its acclaim, the book faced challenges in some regions. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was temporarily removed from a school district in Granbury, Texas. It was also banned in Russia and Belarus.

Sáenz’s other books included the poetry collection The Book of What Remains and the adult novels In Perfect Light and Names on a Map. His upcoming novel, When the World Was Happy, draws in part upon the loss of his niece in 1990 in a bowling alley shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Sáenz was reminded of his niece's death by the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Sáenz wrote in an author’s note shared by the publisher that he felt compelled to write about the tragedy, saying he would not be able to let it go until he did. He said he wanted to write a book about how people survive and live through something as senseless as a mass shooting. Simon & Schuster will publish When the World Was Happy next month.

Film director Aitch Alberto, who worked with Sáenz on adaptations of his work, described the author as a vital supporter. Alberto said Sáenz was a friend, a believer in her, and one of the greatest supporters of her work and voice. She said he trusted her with Ari and Dante, characters and a world that came from somewhere deeply personal to him, and that trust changed the course of her life.

A tribute posted to Sáenz’s Instagram account reflected on his belief in the power of literature. The tribute says Ben believed that words could build bridges where walls once stood. It says he believed that every life mattered, every story deserved to be told, and every soul longed to be seen.

The tribute adds that he wrote of lonely boys who discovered they were worthy of love, of deserts, rivers, family, memory, grief, forgiveness, and hope. It says that more than anything, he wrote toward the light.

Sáenz’s career showed the experiences of Mexican-American communities and LGBTQ individuals, particularly in the border region. As the first Latino winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award, he broke barriers in a literary landscape that has historically underrepresented these voices. His work provided visibility for stories centered on racial identity, sexuality, and family dynamics within the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.

The challenges faced by Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, including its removal from a Texas school district and bans in Russia and Belarus, illustrate the ongoing debates over content in educational and public spheres. Sáenz’s response to tragedy, such as the shooting that killed his niece and the Uvalde school shooting, demonstrated his commitment to processing senseless violence through writing. His upcoming publication, When the World Was Happy, continues this exploration of survival and resilience, ensuring his final works address the very issues that shaped his perspective.

Why It Matters

As the first Latino to win the PEN/Faulkner Award, Sáenz broke barriers in a literary landscape that has historically underrepresented these voices. His work provided visibility for stories centered on racial identity and LGBTQ experiences, particularly within the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. The removal of his novel from schools in Texas and bans in Russia and Belarus shows the ongoing challenges such narratives face in reaching audiences.