Tim Z. Hernandez (Associate Professor)
POETRY / FICTION / NON-FICTION
Tim Z. Hernandez is an award winning writer, research scholar, and performance artist, whose works have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, C-Span Book TV, Public Radio International, and National Public Radio.
In 2006, his debut collection of poetry, Skin Tax (Heyday Books) received the American Book Award, and the James Duval Phelan Award from the San Francisco Foundation. His first novel, Breathing, In Dust (Texas Tech Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Press) was awarded the 2010 Premio Aztlan Prize in fiction from the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and in 2011, the Poetry Society of America named him one of sixteen New American Poets. In 2013, he released his third collection of poetry, Natural Takeover of Small Things (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), which went on to recieve the 2014 Colorado Book Award in Poetry. Also in 2013, he released an historical fiction novel, Mañana Means Heaven (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), which is based on the life of Bea Franco, the real woman behind author Jack Kerouac’s “Mexican Girl” in his book On the Road. Based on Hernandez’s relentless search to locate the mysterious Bea Franco, the book is grounded in one-on-one interviews the author conducted with her before she died at the age of 92. Mañana Means Heaven garnered rave reviews from international critics, and went on to receive the 2014 International Latino Book Award. In 2014 he was also a finalist for the inaugural Split This Rock Freedom Plow Award for his work on locating the victims of the 1948 plane wreck at Los Gatos—the incident made famous by Woody Guthrie’s song of the same name. The result of this six year long investigative work is the basis for his most recent book, All They Will Call You (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), and the forthcoming documentary, Searching for the Plane Wreck at Los Gatos Canyon.
As a performer, Hernandez has collaborated with experimental theater troupes, Grammy Award winning composers, hip-hop and Latin Rock artists, from universities and cultural institutions to black box theaters in New York City, from the Getty Center in Los Angeles to the migrant labor camps of central California.
Hernandez holds a B.A. in Writing & Literature from Naropa Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, and an M.F.A. from Bennington College in Vermont. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas El Paso’s Bilingual M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing.
POESÍA/ FICCIÓN / NO FICCIÓN
Tim Z. Hernandez es un escritor premiador, investigador y artista de performances, cuyo trabajo ha sido presentado en Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, C-Span Book TV, Public Radio International y National Public Radio.
En el 2006, su primer libro de poesía Skin Tax (Heyday Books) recibió el American Book Award and el James Duval Phelan Award de San Francisco Foundation. Su primera novela, Breathing, In Dust (Texas Tech Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Press) recibió en 2010 el Premio Aztlan Prize en narrativa del National Hispanic Cultural Center, y en 2011 Poetry Society of America lo nombró como uno de los diecisés New American Poets. En el 2013, apareció su tercer libro de poesía, Natural Takeover of Small Things (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), el que recibió el 2014 Colorado Book Award in Poetry. Ese mismo año publicó una novela histórica, Mañana Means Heaven (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), sobre la vida de Bea Franco, la mujer detrás de Jack Kerouac’s “Mexican Girl” en su célebre libro On the Road. Basada en la infatigable búsque de Hernandez por localizar a la misteriosa Bea Franco, el libro nos presenta las entrevistas que el autor le hiciera a ella antes de fallecer a los 92 años de edad. Mañana Means Heaven mereció estupendas reseñas de críticos internacionales y ganó el 2014 International Latino Book Award. Ese mismo año fue finalista del inaugural Split This Rock Freedom Plow Award por su labor localizando a las víctimas del accidente de avión de 1948 en Los Gatos—el incidente se hizo conocido por una canción de Woody Guthrie con el mismo nombre. Como resultado de esta búsqueda de más seis años, apareció su más reciente libro, All They Will Call You (Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Arizona Press), y su próximo documental, Searching for the Plane Wreck at Los Gatos Canyon.
Hernandez también ha collaborado con grupos experimentales de teatro, con ganadores del Grammy Award, con artistas de hip-hop and Latin Rock, desde universidades e instituciones culturales hasta con "black box theaters" en New York City, desde Getty Center en Los Angeles hasta con la labor de los inmigrantes en el centro de California.
Hernandez tiene un B.A. en Writing & Literature por Naropa Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é y un M.F.A. por Bennington College en Vermont. Actualmente, es profesor en The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas El Paso’s Bilingual M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing.
Books
