Sergio Troncoso (born 1961) is an American author of short stories, essays and novels. He often writes about the United States-Mexico border, working-class immigrants, families and fatherhood, philosophy in literature, and crossing cultural, psychological, and philosophical borders.

Biography and literary work

Troncoso, the son of Mexican immigrants, was born in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...

. He grew up on the east side of El Paso in rural Ysleta. His parents built their adobe house, and the family lived with kerosene lamps and stoves and an outhouse in the backyard during their first years in Texas. Troncoso attended South Loop School and Ysleta High School, where he was editor of the high school newspaper and won a Gannett Foundation scholarship to attend the Blair Summer School for Journalism in New Jersey. His grandfather was Santiago Troncoso, who was jailed 28 times by the Mexican government for publishing anti-corruption articles as editor and publisher of El Día in the 1920s, the first daily newspaper in

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( , ; "Juárez City"), commonly referred to as just Juárez (Lipan language, Lipan: ''Tsé Táhú'ayá''), is the most populous city in the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. It was k ...

, Mexico. Sergio Troncoso was accepted to

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

and struggled to adapt to this new world. "When I was at Harvard, I was scared and intimidated and I wasn't sure I belonged," he said in an interview for his 25th-year reunion. Troncoso studied Mexican history and politics to learn about his heritage and graduated ''magna cum laude'' in government, with a Latin American Certificate. He won a Fulbright Scholarship to Mexico, where he studied economics, politics, and literature. Later he received two graduate degrees in international relations and philosophy from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where his interests evolved to questions of the self, philosophy and psychology, and philosophy in literature. In 1999, his book of short stories, ''The Last Tortilla and Other Stories'' ( University of Arizona Press), won the Premio Aztlán Literary Prize for the best book by a new Chicano writer, and the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association. In his story "Angie Luna," the tale of a feverish love affair in which a young man from El Paso rediscovers his Mexican heritage, Troncoso explores questions of

self-identity In the psychology of self, one's self-concept (also called self-construction, self-identity, self-perspective or self-structure) is a collection of beliefs about oneself. Generally, self-concept embodies the answer to the question ''"Who am ...

and the ephemeral quality of love. "A Rock Trying to Be a Stone" is a story of three boys playing a dangerous game that becomes a test of character on the Mexico-U.S. border. "My Life in the City" focuses on a transplanted Texan's yearning for companionship in New York City. "Remembering Possibilities" delves into the terror of a young man attacked in his apartment while he takes solace in memories of a lost love. Troncoso typically sets aside the polemics about social discomfort sometimes found in contemporary Chicano literature and concentrates instead on the moral and intellectual lives of his characters. His novel '' The Nature of Truth'' ( Northwestern University Press) was first published in 2003, and is a story about a Yale research student who discovers that his boss, a renowned professor, hides a Nazi past. A reviewer from ''Janus Head, a journal of Philosophy, Literature, and Psychology'', wrote: "The subtlety, and fairness, with which Troncoso presents these conflicting frameworks ietzschean valor, Christian pragmatism, and blind inductivismstand as the novel's crowning intellectual achievement, side by side with the artistic one: a convincing tale of murder and ruminating guilt." In 2003, Troncoso was also inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2011, Troncoso published two books. His second novel, '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' ( University of Arizona Press), is a story about the Martinez family, who begins life in a shantytown on the U.S.-Mexico border, and struggles to stay together despite cultural clashes, different religions, and contemporary politics. A reviewer from ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...

'' wrote: "In a media market where cultural stereotypes abound, it's refreshing to read a novel featuring Latino characters who are nuanced and authentic. Sergio Troncoso's latest, ''From This Wicked Patch of Dust'', follows a family from humble beginnings in a Texas border town through several decades as its members move beyond their Mexican Catholic culture to inhabit Jewish, Muslim and Ivy League spaces....These middle spaces have long been fodder for writers, though the El Paso-born and Harvard-educated Troncoso has created new, empathetic characters to explore it. No, the real beauty of this book is that it mines the rich diversity of tradition and culture among Latinos, as well as the commonalities they share with other Americans- love of family, faith and country." The novel was named as one of the best books of the year by ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' and won the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association. The novel was chosen as a Notable Book by ''Southwest Books of the Year''. Troncoso's novel was also a finalist for Reading The West Book Award from the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association, and was shortlisted runner-up for the biannual PEN/Texas Southwest Book Award for Fiction. '' Crossing Borders: Personal Essays'' ( Arte Público Press) was also published in 2011, and is a collection of sixteen essays about how Troncoso made the leap from growing up poor along the border to the Ivy League, his wife's battle against breast cancer, his struggles as a writer in New York and Texas, fatherhood, interfaith marriage, and Troncoso's appreciation of Judaism. A reviewer for '' The El Paso Times'' wrote: "These very personal essays cross several borders: cultural, historical, and self-imposed....We owe it to ourselves to read, savor and read them again." The collection of essays won the Bronze Award for Essays from ''ForeWord Reviews'', and the Silver Medal for Best Biography in English from the ''International Latino Book Awards''. Troncoso was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2012. In 2013, he co-edited ''Our Lost Border: Essays on Life amid the Narco-Violence'' (Arte Público Press), a collection of essays on how the unique bi-national and bi-cultural existence along the United States-Mexico border has been disrupted by recent drug violence. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called it an "eye-opening collection of essays," and the '' San Antonio Express-News'' said it was "exceptionally beautiful and poignant writing." The collection won the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association and the Gold Medal for Best Latino-focused Nonfiction Book (Bilingual) from the ''International Latino Book Awards''. In 2013, Troncoso also received the Literary Legacy Award from the El Paso Community College. On July 29, 2014, the El Paso City Council voted unanimously to rename the Ysleta public library branch in honor of Sergio Troncoso. At the re-dedication ceremony on October 2, 2015, the author announced the creation of the annual Troncoso Reading Prizes to encourage the love of reading and writing in grade school, middle school, and high school students in the Ysleta area. Troncoso was a judge for the Shrake Award for Best Short Nonfiction from the Texas Institute of Letters in 2014. For three years, he also served on the Literature panel of the New York State Council on the Arts, and in 2014 he was co-chair of that panel. Arte Público Press also published a revised and updated paperback edition of Troncoso's novel ''The Nature of Truth'' in 2014. The revised edition of ''The Nature of Truth'' won the Bronze Award for Adult Multicultural Fiction from ''ForeWord Reviews'' in 2015, and was also chosen as one of the Top Ten Best Fiction Books for 2014 by ''TheLatinoAuthor.com''. In a review of the revised novel from ''Prime Number Magazine'', Brandon D. Shuler wrote: "Without the intellectual questioning of truth in ''The Nature of Truth'', his mature works, I believe, would not have been possible. Troncoso, primarily known for his US-Mexican Border works, is, as ''The Nature of Truth'' suggests, the brightest and most able of the modern Border writers and thinkers." Troncoso served as one of three national judges for the 2016 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. In 2017, he was a national writing juror in the Critical Essay category for the Scholastic Writing Awards and final judge in the Essay category in the New Letters Literary Awards. That year the author was elected to a second two-year term on the board of councilors of the Texas Institute of Letters and in May he was appointed secretary, an officer of the TIL. In October 2017, Troncoso permanently endowed the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction at the Texas Institute of Letters to encourage the next generation of writers from his home state. On April 7, 2018, Troncoso was elected vice president of the Texas Institute of Letters. He was again a national writing juror for Scholastic Writing Awards, this time in the Personal Essay category in 2018. In 2019, Troncoso published a collection of linked short stories on immigration, ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' ( Cinco Puntos Press), which

Junot Díaz Junot Díaz ( ; born December 31, 1968) is a Dominican American writer, creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a former fiction editor at '' Boston Review''. Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience ...

praised as a "masterwork" and

Luis Alberto Urrea Luis Alberto Urrea (born August 20, 1955 in Tijuana, Mexico) is a Mexican-American poet, novelist, and essayist. Life Luis Urrea is the son of Alberto Urrea Murray, of Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico and Phyllis Dashiell, born in Staten Island, New Y ...

called "a world-class collection." A reviewer for '' The Texas Observer'' wrote: "The El Paso author’s newest collection depicts contemporary Mexican American life with a characteristic blend of sorrow and humor. It’s his most powerful work yet, and an essential addition to the Latinx canon." ''Lone Star Literary Life'' chose the book for the "Best of Texas 2019". "Rosary on the Border," the first story in ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'', won the 2020 Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story from the Texas Institute of Letters. ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' won the Gold Medal for Best Collection of Short Stories from the ''International Latino Book Awards'' and the Silver Award for Adult Multicultural Fiction from ''ForeWord Reviews''. In 2023, Luis Alberto Urrea wrote in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' is simply brilliant." On March 28, 2020, Troncoso was elected president of the Texas Institute of Letters. His two-year term as president was noted for achieving a record number of submissions for the twelve annual literary contests of the Texas Institute of Letters, increased engagement with members that resulted in a record number paying their membership dues, two years of financial surpluses, and the selection of lifetime achievement awards for Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Celeste Bedford Walker, the first African-American to win that award. In a profile by '' Texas Monthly'', Sergio Troncoso said: “I threw my heart and soul into the TIL. That meant representing all of Texas.... The organization truly is morphing into something beyond white guys from Dallas and Austin.” Troncoso's term as TIL president ended at the annual banquet in

on April 23, 2022. In 2021, Troncoso edited an anthology of mostly unpublished essays, poetry, and short stories, ''Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in between Worlds'' ( Texas A&M University Press and Wittliff Collections), which ''

'' praised in a starred review: "A deeply meaningful collection that navigates important nuances of identity." ''Nepantla Familias'' won the Bronze Medal for Anthologies from the ''Independent Publisher Book Awards'' and the Silver Medal for Best Culturally Themed Academic Book from the ''International Latino Book Awards''. Sergio Troncoso 2022 Texas Book Festival

Sergio Troncoso 2022 Texas Book Festival

In 2022, he published his eighth book and third novel, ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' ( Lee & Low Books: Cinco Puntos Press). Ben Fountain praised it: "In this superb novel, Sergio Troncoso gives us a fresh take not only on the great American road trip, but on the American Dream itself in all its glorious and increasingly fragile promise." ''

'' wrote in a review: "Troncoso delivers a surprisingly fast-paced, character-driven story.... A sublime, diverse cast drives this tale of looking for a safe, welcoming home.” ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' won the Gold Medal for Best Novel- Adventure or Drama (English) from the ''International Latino Book Awards''. Librarians also selected ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' for the Top Ten List in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Social Advocacy of the ''In the Margins Book Awards''. On January 7, 2023, the council and past presidents of the Texas Institute of Letters voted unanimously to name Sergio Troncoso a Fellow of the institute. In its 86-year-old history, the TIL has appointed only seventeen previous Fellows, an honorary designation meant to distinguish TIL members for their service and contributions to the organization. Previous Fellows of the institute have included J. Frank Dobie,

Thomas C. Lea III Thomas "Tom" Calloway Lea III (July 11, 1907 – January 29, 2001) was an American muralist, illustrator, artist, war correspondent, novelist, and historian. The bulk of his art and literary works were about Texas, north-central Mexico, and his W ...

, John Graves, A.C. Greene, Robert Flynn, William D. Wittliff, and Carolyn C. Osborn. Troncoso is the first Mexican American writer to receive this distinction. In 2024, Troncoso was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, along with Tracy Daugherty, Molly Ivins, Cormac McCarthy, Jan Seale, and

Cynthia Leitich Smith Cynthia Leitich Smith (born 1967) is a New York Times best-selling author of fiction for children and young adults. A citizen of the Creek people, Muscogee Creek Nation, she writes fiction for children and teens centered on the lives of modern- ...

. For many years, the author has taught fiction and nonfiction workshops at the Yale Writers' Workshop in New Haven, Connecticut. His literary papers are archived at the Wittliff Collections in San Marcos, Texas. His stories have been featured in many anthologies, including ''We Wear the Mask: Fifteen True Stories of Passing in America'' (Beacon Press), ''Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing'' (Cengage Learning), ''Camino Del Sol: Fifteen Years of Latina and Latino Writing'' (University of Arizona Press), ''Latino Boom: An Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature'' (Pearson/Longman Publishing), ''Hecho en Tejas: An Anthology of Texas-Mexican Literature'' (University of New Mexico Press), ''City Wilds: Essays and Stories about Urban Nature'' (University of Georgia Press), and ''New World: Young Latino Writers'' (Dell Publishing). His work has also appeared in ''

Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an Asterism (astronomy), asterism of an open cluster, open star cluster containing young Stellar classification#Class B, B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Tau ...

'', '' Texas Highways'', '' New Letters'', '' Yale Review'', '' Michigan Quarterly Review'', ''New Guard Literary Review'', ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...

'', '' Texas Monthly'', ''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...

'', ''Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas'', ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

'', '' Hadassah Magazine'', '' Other Voices'', and many other newspapers and magazines.

Bibliography

Books

*''Nobody's Pilgrims'' ( Lee & Low Books: Cinco Puntos Press, 2022) *''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' ( Cinco Puntos Press, 2019) *'' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' ( University of Arizona Press, 2011) *'' Crossing Borders: Personal Essays'' ( Arte Público Press, 2011) *'' The Nature of Truth'' ( Northwestern University Press, 2003); ( Arte Público Press, 2014) *''The Last Tortilla and Other Stories'' ( University of Arizona Press, 1999)

Anthology (editor)

*''Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in between Worlds'', ( Texas A&M University Press and Wittliff Collections, 2021) *''Our Lost Border: Essays on Life amid the Narco-Violence'', ( Arte Público Press, 2013)

Awards

* 1983 - Fulbright Scholar * 1999 - Premio Aztlán Literary Prize for ''The Last Tortilla and Other Stories'' * 2000 - Southwest Book Award from Border Regional Library Association for ''The Last Tortilla and Other Stories'' * 2003 - Inducted into Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Alumni Hall of Fame * 2011 - Notable Book in ''Southwest Books of the Year'' from Pima County Public Library for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2011 - Honorable Mention for Multicultural Fiction from ''Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards'' for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2011 - Bronze Award for Essays from ''Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards'' for '' Crossing Borders: Personal Essays'' * 2012 - Honorable Mention for Tejas Fiction Award from National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2012 - Inducted as Member of the Texas Institute of Letters * 2012 - Silver Medal for Best Biography in English from International Latino Book Awards for '' Crossing Borders: Personal Essays'' * 2012 - Honorable Mention for Best Novel in English (Adventure/Drama) from International Latino Book Awards for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2012 - Finalist for Reading the West Award in Adult Fiction from ''Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association'' for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2012 - Best Books of 2012 from ''

'' for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2012 - Finalist for Red Hen Press Short Story Award for "Turnaround in the Dark" * 2012 - Southwest Book Award from Border Regional Library Association for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2013 - Literary Legacy Award from El Paso Community College * 2013 - Short-listed runner-up for PEN/Texas Southwest Book Award for Fiction for '' From This Wicked Patch of Dust'' * 2013 - Southwest Book Award from Border Regional Library Association for ''Our Lost Border: Essays on Life amid the Narco-Violence'' * 2014 - Gold Medal for Best Latino-focused Nonfiction Book (Bilingual) from International Latino Book Awards for ''Our Lost Border: Essays on Life amid the Narco-Violence'' * 2014 - Ysleta branch public library renamed ''Sergio Troncoso Branch Library'' by

City Council * 2014 - Bronze Award for Multicultural Fiction from ''Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards'' for '' The Nature of Truth'' * 2015 - Finalist in Genre Fiction from ''Housatonic Book Awards'' for '' The Nature of Truth'' * 2016 - Long-listed in Disquiet Prize (Fiction) from Guernica Magazine for "Mexican Rosary" * 2017 - Finalist in Machigonne Fiction Contest from ''The New Guard Volume VII'' for "Fragments of a Dream" * 2018 - Finalist for Edwin Shrake Award for Best Short Nonfiction from Texas Institute of Letters for "Passing Ambition" * 2019 - Silver Award in Multicultural Fiction from ''Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards'' for ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' * 2020 - Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story from Texas Institute of Letters for "Rosary on the Border" * 2020 - Gold Medal for Best Collection of Short Stories (English or Bilingual) from International Latino Book Awards for ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' * 2021 - Silver Medal for Best Culturally Themed Academic Book from International Latino Book Awards for ''Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in Between Worlds'' * 2021 - Silver Medal for The Rudolfo Anaya Best Latino Focused Fiction Book Award (English) from International Latino Book Awards for ''A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant's Son'' * 2022 - Finalist for Edwin Shrake Award for Best Short Nonfiction from Texas Institute of Letters for "Dust to Dust: A Mother's Hope Binds Her Family in the Border Town of Ysleta" * 2022 - Bronze Medal for The Rudolfo Anaya Best Latino Focused Fiction Book Award (English) from International Latino Book Awards for ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' * 2022 - Gold Medal for Best Novel-Adventure or Drama (English) from International Latino Book Awards for ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' * 2022 - Finalist for Multicultural Fiction from ''Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards'' for ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' * 2023 - Named Fellow of the Texas Institute of Letters * 2023 - Finalist for Montaigne Medal from ''Eric Hoffer Book Awards'' for ''Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in Between Worlds'' * 2023 - Bronze Award for Anthologies from Independent Publisher Book Awards for ''Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in Between Worlds'' * 2023 - Top Ten List for Fiction, Nonfiction, and Social Advocacy from ''In the Margins Book Awards'' for ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' * 2023 - Honorable Mention in Fiction Award from ''Philosophical Society of Texas'' for ''Nobody's Pilgrims'' * 2024 - Inducted as Member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame

References

External links

*
Sergio Troncoso Papers at The Wittliff CollectionsSergio Troncoso Branch Library''Pleiades'', "An Interview with Sergio Troncoso", September 15, 2024''El Paso Matters'', "'Nobody’s Pilgrims' is a journey of danger offering hope and love", July 19, 2023
*[https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/sergio-troncoso-making-texas-literature-representative/ ''Texas Monthly'', "Sergio Troncoso Is Making Sure That Texas Literature Represents All of Texas", August 2022]
''Inklette Magazine'', "A Conversation with Sergio Troncoso", July 19, 2022''American Book Review'' Interview with Frederick Luis Aldama, 2021''Literal Magazine: Latin American Voices'' Interview with Rose Mary Salum, 2021''The Rumpus'' Interview with Eddy F. Alvarez Jr., 2021''Contra Viento Journal'' Interview with Gabriel Dozal, 2020
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troncoso, Sergio American male essayists American male novelists American male short story writers American writers of Mexican descent Harvard College alumni Hispanic and Latino American writers Hispanic and Latino American short story writers Hispanic and Latino American novelists Living people Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Texas People from the Upper West Side Writers from Connecticut Writers from El Paso, Texas Writers from Texas Writers from Manhattan Yale University alumni 1961 births 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 20th-century American essayists 21st-century American essayists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers