Benjamin Alire Sáenz: key obituary facts
Is Benjamin Alire Sáenz dead? Yes. Benjamin Alire Sáenz died on July 28, 2026, at age 71.
Cause of death: Benjamin Alire Sáenz's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Benjamin Alire Sáenz known for?
He was a poet, novelist and writer from the United States.
More about Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Born: 16 August 1954.
Place of birth: Doña Ana County.
Gender: male.
Occupation: writer, novelist, poet, children's writer, short story writer, docent, young adult author.
Education: University of Iowa, University of Texas at El Paso, Stanford University, Las Cruces High School.
Employer: University of Texas at El Paso.
Awards: Lambda Literary Award, American Book Awards, Tomás Rivera Award, Belpré Medal, Américas Award, PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
Also known as: Benjamin Alire Saenz.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the American author of “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” died on July 28, 2026, at age 71.
A poet, novelist and writer of children’s books, he was born in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and was raised near Las Cruces. Sáenz studied at the University of Texas at El Paso and also attended the University of Iowa and Stanford University.
His work was recognized with honors including the Lambda Literary Award, the American Book Awards, the Tomás Rivera Award, the Belpré Medal, the Américas Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He taught at the University of Texas at El Paso and was also known as a short story writer, docent and young adult author.