Benjamin Alire Sáenz, an acclaimed author known for his exploration of identity, sexuality, and life along the U.S.-Mexico border, has died at the age of 71. Sáenz passed away last week in El Paso, Texas, after a prolonged illness, according to a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Born in Old Picacho, New Mexico, Sáenz was an ordained Catholic priest before leaving the clergy and publicly coming out as gay. Throughout his career, he drew heavily on his experiences as a Mexican American and his personal journey in his literary work. He was widely recognized for his contributions to fiction and poetry, notably becoming the first Latino writer to win the PEN/Faulkner Award.

Sáenz received the PEN/Faulkner prize in 2013 for his short story collection "Everything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club," which portrays life in El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. In addition to his adult fiction, Sáenz garnered considerable attention for his young adult literature, particularly the 2012 novel "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe." The book, centered on the relationship between two Mexican American boys, was honored with the Stonewall Book Awards and the Lambda Literary Award for its depiction of LGBTQ+ themes. Its popularity led to a 2023 film adaptation, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for "Hamilton," narrating the audiobook and participating in the film’s production. Miranda expressed his sorrow over Sáenz’s death on social media, calling him a "maestro."

Sáenz’s literary output also included the sequel to his youth novel, “Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World,” the poetry collection "The Book of What Remains," and adult novels such as "In Perfect Light" and "Names on a Map."

In addition to his writing, Sáenz had a longtime academic career at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he earned a master’s degree in creative writing. He taught at the university for several decades, eventually serving as chair of the creative writing department before retiring in 2016.

Simon & Schuster announced that Sáenz’s upcoming book, "When the World Was Happy," is set for publication next month. The novel draws partially on a personal tragedy—the 1990 shooting at a bowling alley in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in which his niece was killed. Sáenz was further compelled to write the book after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, describing it as an event that would not "leave me alone until I wrote about it." In an author’s note, he said the work was an attempt to explore how people endure and survive senseless acts of violence.