Rediscover: Rudolfo Anaya

Rudolfo Anaya, "who helped launch the 1970s Chicano Literature Movement with his novel Bless Me, Ultima," died June 28 at age 82, the Associated Press reported. Anaya's many books include a mystery series featuring Mexican-American detective Sonny Baca, novels (Heart of Aztlan, Tortuga, Serafina's Stories and more), story collections, children's books and anthologies, as well as works of nonfiction poetry. He also launched the creative writing program at the University of New Mexico and opened a retreat in Jemez Spring, N.Mex., for aspiring Latinx writers. In 2016, Anaya was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.

In a statement, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham described Anaya as one of the state's greatest artists and a seminal figure in literature, adding: "Through his indelible stories, Rudolfo Anaya, perhaps better than any other author, truly captured what it means to be a New Mexican, what it means to be born here, grow up here and live here. His life's work amounts to an incredible contribution to the great culture and fabric of our state--not only through his prodigious literary contributions but through his decades as an educator at the University of New Mexico." Bless Me, Ultima is available from Grand Central ($15.99).

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