Oscar Hijuelos
Oscar Hijuelos
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Born Oscar DeLeon Hijuelos, he is commonly known as Oscar Hijuelos.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: December 18, 1951, in New York City
Passed away: October 12, 2013
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator, and professor.
Early Life and Background
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Oscar Hijuelos was born to Cuban immigrant parents in New York City. His father, Oscar DeLeon Hijuelos Sr., was a chef who immigrated from Cuba, while his mother, Dolores Hijuelos, was a schoolteacher from Puerto Rico. The family settled in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan's Upper West Side, where Hijuelos spent most of his childhood.
Growing up in a culturally rich and diverse environment had a profound impact on Hijuelos' writing style and perspective. His experiences as a Latino growing up in New York City influenced much of his work, which often explored themes of identity, culture, family, love, and social justice.
Hijuelos attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx before enrolling at Hunter College. He later transferred to Lehman College, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English. After college, Hijuelos worked as a journalist for several newspapers, including _The New York Post_ and _El Diario La Prensa_, covering local politics and culture.
Major Accomplishments
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Hijuelos' writing career spans over three decades, during which he published eight novels, five collections of short stories, two plays, a collection of poetry, and several essays. His work has been widely praised for its lyrical prose, nuanced characterization, and exploration of the human condition.
Some of his notable works include:
_The Four Seasons_ (1994): A novel that explores the lives of four Cuban-American men growing up in New York City.
_Empress of the Splintered Paillette_ (1987): A collection of short stories that examine the experiences of Latino immigrants in the United States.
Notable Works or Actions
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Hijuelos' writing has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including:
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his novel _The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love_.
National Book Critics Circle Award: Hijuelos received this award in 1987 for his collection of short stories _Empress of the Splintered Paillette_.
Impact and Legacy
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Oscar Hijuelos' work has had a profound impact on American literature, particularly in the realm of Latino and Chicano writing. His novels and short stories offer nuanced portrayals of Latino culture, history, and identity, challenging stereotypes and contributing to a more inclusive representation of the American experience.
Hijuelos' legacy extends beyond his literary achievements. He was a dedicated educator, teaching creative writing at several universities, including New York University and Lehman College. His commitment to mentoring young writers has helped shape the next generation of Latino voices in literature.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Oscar Hijuelos' work is widely quoted and remembered for its:
Lyrical prose: His writing is characterized by its poetic style, which captures the rhythms and cadences of everyday life.
Nuanced characterization: Hijuelos' characters are multidimensional and complex, reflecting the diversity and richness of Latino culture.
* Exploration of identity: His work explores themes of identity, culture, family, love, and social justice, offering a nuanced portrayal of the human experience.
Quotes by Oscar Hijuelos
The house in which the fourteen sisters of Emilio Montez O’brien lived, radiated femininity.
Oh yes!...The sweet summons of God to man. That's when He calls you up to His arms. And it's the most beautiful thing, a rebirth, a new life. But, just the same I'm in no rush to find out.
I like to encourage young talented writers to try and help them get published and so forth, but that's all. That's the best I can do.
When you're writing a novel - at least the way I write is I work from what I would call 'emotional atmosphere,' ambiance to ambiance.
If you start believing all that press about you, you're in trouble. I don't even read my reviews.
When you write fiction, you can sort of invent more but also pack it with emotions that are very pertinent to you. Whereas with nonfiction, you have to be as factual as possible but also hopefully - also bring... emotional relevance to the piece.
It's true that immigrant novels have to do with people going from one country to another, but there isn't a single novel that doesn't travel from one place to another, emotionally or locally.
I teach at Duke, and I have students who are all of twenty who want to write memoirs, and you know it's all pretty interesting stuff, but a lot of them lack gravitas, you know.
As a kid I had all kinds of questions about how I fit it with my neighborhood and friends and other Latinos.