Award-Winning Novelist, Poet & Children's Book Author; Known for "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe"

El Paso, TX, USA
Live Event: $5,000 - $10,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Benjamín Alire Sáenz Biography

Benjamín Alire Sáenz is an award-winning American poet, novelist, and writer of children's books. He is the author of several acclaimed novels, including "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," "Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World," "Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club," "The Inexplicable Logic of My Life," and "Last Night I Sang to the Monster." His book, "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" was made into a film in 2023.

He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.

In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he 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. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.

His first novel, "Carry Me Like Water" was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.

In "The Book of What Remains" (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 12/03/2025.

Benjamín Alire Sáenz Videos

#VelshiBannedBookClub: Benjamin Alire Sáenz And The Secrets Of ...

#VelshiBannedBookClub: Benjamin Alire Sáenz And The Secrets Of ...

'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz has been critically acclaimed -- named among Time ...

Chat with Benjamin Alire Sáenz - YouTube

Chat with Benjamin Alire Sáenz - YouTube

Local teen, Eric Garcia, interviews author and poet, Benjamin Alire Sáenz about his YA novels, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of ...

Benjamin Alire Saenz

Benjamin Alire Saenz

2019 Lambda Literary Retreat Faculty Reading at Otis College: Benjamin Alire Saenz, Young Adult.

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  • What topics does Benjamín Alire Sáenz speak about?

    Benjamín Alire Sáenz is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Bestselling Authors, Children's Authors, Fiction Authors, Hispanic Heritage, LGBTQ, Poetry
  • Where does Benjamín Alire Sáenz travel from?

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Benjamín Alire Sáenz is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Benjamín Alire Sáenz for your event is available upon request. Benjamín Alire Sáenz generally travels from El Paso, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Pam Muñoz Ryan, Lois Lowry, Sonia Nazario, Laura Numeroff and Sophie Santos. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Benjamín Alire Sáenz for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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