Achy Obejas (born June 28, 1956) is a
Cuban-American
Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or ...
writer and translator focused on personal and national identity issues,
living in
Benicia, California. She frequently writes on her sexuality and nationality, and has received numerous awards for her creative work. Obejas' stories and poems have appeared in ''
Prairie Schooner
''Prairie Schooner'' is a literary magazine published quarterly at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with the cooperation of UNL's English Department and the University of Nebraska Press. It is based in Lincoln, Nebraska and was first publish ...
'', ''
Fifth Wednesday Journal'', ''
TriQuarterly
''TriQuarterly'' is a name shared by an American literary magazine and a series of books, both operating under the aegis of Northwestern University Press. The journal is published twice a year and features fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, liter ...
'', ''Another Chicago Magazine'' and many other publications. Some of her work was originally published in ''
Esto no tiene nombre'', a Latina lesbian magazine published and edited by
tatiana de la tierra
Tatiana de la tierra (May 14, 1961 – July 31, 2012) was a Columbian writer, poet and activist. She was the author of the first international Latina lesbian magazine '' Esto no tiene nombre.''
Early life
Tatiana de la tierra was born in Villavic ...
, which gave voice to the Latina lesbian community. Obejas worked as a journalist in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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for more than two decades. For several years, she was also a writer in residence at the University of Chicago, University of Hawaii, DePaul University, Wichita State University, and Mills College in Oakland, California. She also worked from 2019-22 as a writer/editor for Netflix on the bilingual team in the Product Writing department.
Obejas practices activism through writing, by telling her own story about her identity, as well as others. Written in collaboration with Megan Bayles, the anthology Immigrant Voices: 21st Century Stories, is a collection of stories that seeks to describe the experience of people who have emigrated to America. While most anthologies focus on one group, this anthology expands the perspective to multiple group identities.
Personal life
Obejas was born June 28, 1956, in
Havana, Cuba.
[''Contemporary Authors Online'' Thompson Gale, 2006.] After emigrating to the United States at the age of six, she lived in
Michigan City, Indiana, and attended
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
from 1977 to 1979, when she moved to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
Nationality
At the age of 39, Obejas revisited Cuba. Reflections on her home country are dispersed throughout her work, such as in the story collection ''
We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?''
Although she has lived in the Midwest since childhood, Obejas says her Cuban origins continue to be a defining detail in her life. In an interview with
Gregg Shapiro, Obejas discussed the peculiar duality of growing up in the U.S. but not truly identifying as an American:
I was born in Havana and that single event has pretty much defined the rest of my life. In the U.S., I'm Cuban, Cuban-American, Latina by virtue of being Cuban, a Cuban journalist, a Cuban writer, somebody's Cuban lover, a Cuban dyke, a Cuban girl on a bus, a Cuban exploring Sephardic roots, always and endlessly Cuban. I'm more Cuban here than I am in Cuba, by sheer contrast and repetition.[Gregg Shapiro]
"In 'AWE': Achy Obejas on her new work"
''Windy City Times'', August 8, 2001.
Sexuality
Obejas identifies as a lesbian and frequently references sexuality in her writing. Although she often writes about her characters' struggles with sexuality and family acceptance, in an interview with Chicago LGBT newspaper ''
Windy City Times
''Windy City Times'' is an LGBT newspaper in Chicago that published its first issue on September 26, 1985.
History
''Windy City Times'' was founded in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish and Tracy Baim, who started Sentury Publicat ...
'', she said she did not experience significant family problems because of her sexuality:
Remember, Cuba was known as the brothel of the Caribbean prior to the revolution. People went to Cuba to do the things they couldn't do in their home countries, but were free to do there. So Cubans have a sort of thick skin to most sexual stuff, which is not to say that my parents did, but as a general rule in the environment and the culture, there's a lot more possibility. I never had any sense of shame or anything like that.
On a personal level, Obejas says she always accepted her sexual identity as part of herself:
In terms of my own sexuality, I don't know what it was, but I just never blinked. I was always amazed when other people did; I was always sort of flabbergasted when people would suffer angst about it. I understood that it was taboo and all of that, but I chalked it up as a kind of a generational problem.[Tracy Baim, "Achy Obejas Talks About Cuba, Books and Sexuality"](_blank)
''Windy City Times'', January 2, 2008.
Career
She earned an M.F.A from
Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a requisite course of study, work an on-campu ...
in 1993.
She was the Springer Lecturer in Creative Writing (2003–05) at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
, as well as an advisor for the online prose magazine ''
Otium
''Otium'', a Latin abstract term, has a variety of meanings, including leisure time in which a person can enjoy eating, playing, relaxing, contemplation and academic endeavors. It sometimes, but not always, relates to a time in a person's ret ...
''. In fall of 2005, she served as the Distinguished Writer in Residence at the
University of Hawai'i
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
. She was the
Sor Juana
Sor may refer to:
* Fernando Sor (1778–1839), Spanish guitarist and composer
* Sor, Ariège, a French commune
* SOR Libchavy, a Czech bus manufacturer
* Sor, Azerbaijan, a village
* Sor, Senegal, an offshore island
* Sor River, a river in the ...
visiting writer at
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
from 2006 to 2012. From 2013 to 2019, she served as the Distinguished Visiting Writer at Mills College, where she founded a Low-Residency MFA in Translation Program.
In 2008, she translated
Junot Diaz Junot is a French name that may refer to the following notable people:
;Given name
*Junot Díaz (born 1968), Dominican American
;Surname
* Laure Junot, Duchess of Abrantes (1784–1838), French writer
* Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantès (17 ...
's
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ''
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'', into Spanish. The
Dominican-American
Dominican Americans ( es, domínico-americanos, ) are Americans who trace their ancestry to the Dominican Republic. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Dominican descent or to someone who has migrated to the United Stat ...
author's novel addresses many themes, including young adult sexuality and national identity, also present in Obejas' work. She's also translated work by
Rita Indiana
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
,
Wendy Guerra
Wendy Guerra (born 11 December 1970), formally Wendy Guerra Torres, is a Cuban poet and novelist, based in Miami.
After a brief career acting in Cuban film and television, she turned to writing and won recognition more readily abroad than within ...
,
Adam Mansbach
Adam Mansbach (born July 1, 1976) is an American author. He has previously been a visiting professor of literature at Rutgers University-Camden, with their New Voices Visiting Writers program (2009–2011).
Biography
Mansbach graduated from C ...
,
Carlos Velazquez
Carlos may refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Carlos, Alberta, a locality
;United States
* Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County
* Carlos, Minnesota, a small city
* Carlos, West Virginia
;Elsewhe ...
, F.G. Haghenbeck, and many others. She is the rare translator who can work in and out of both English and Spanish.
Obejas has written the novels ''Ruins'', ''Memory Mambo'' and ''Days of Awe'', and the story collection ''We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?'' as well as the poetry chapbook ''This is What Happened in Our Other Life.'' A new collection of short stories, "The Tower of Antilles & Other Stories" is coming from Akashic in 2017.
In a reflection on Obejas' work, Latina comedian
Lisa Alvarado says of the writer, "Her work exudes a keen sense of humor, of irony, of compassion and is laced with the infinite small moments that make her poetry and her novels sing with the breath of real life."
["Achy Obejas, Renaissance Woman, Cuban Style"](_blank)
La Bloga, February 27, 2009.
Journalism
Throughout her career, Obejas has worked for many different publications, including the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'', ''
Windy City Times
''Windy City Times'' is an LGBT newspaper in Chicago that published its first issue on September 26, 1985.
History
''Windy City Times'' was founded in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish and Tracy Baim, who started Sentury Publicat ...
'', ''
The Advocate'', ''
Out'', ''
Vanity Fair'', ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'', ''
Ms.
Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...
'', ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'', and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. Currently, she contributes to In These Times.
As a ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' columnist for nearly ten years, Obejas penned the nightlife column "After Hours". The column started when then-Friday section editor Kevin Moore asked the self-described insomniac if she would like to cover nighttime entertainment for the paper. In 2001, Obejas announced that she would no longer write the column.
Works
Novels
* ''Memory Mambo'' (1996)
* ''Days of Awe'' (2001)
* ''Ruins'' (2009)
Collections
* ''
We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?'' (1994) (stories)
* ''This Is What Happened In Our Other Life'' (2007) (poems)
* ''The Tower of the Antilles'' (2017) (stories)
Other
* ''Havana Noir'' (2007) (translator and editor)
* ''La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao'' (2008) (translator)
* "Immigrant Voices: 21st Century Stories" (2014) (co-editor with Megan Bayles)
* Papi by Rita Indiana (2016) (translator)
* ''Boomerang / Bumerán'' (poetry) (2021)
Awards
Obejas has received a Pulitzer Prize for her work in a ''Chicago Tribune'' team investigation, the Studs Terkel Journalism Prize, several Peter Lisagor journalism honors, and two Lambda Literary awards.
She has also been a
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
fellow in poetry and served residencies at Yaddo, Ragdale and the Virginia Center for the Arts.
In 2010 she was inducted into the
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame (formerly Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame) is an institution founded in 1991 to honor persons and entities who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community in Chic ...
.
In 2014, she was awarded a USA Ford Fellowship for literature and translation.
"2014 United States Artists Fellows".
/ref>
See also
*List of Cuban American writers
See also
* Cuban American literature
* List of Cuban writers
* List of Cuban women writers
* List of Cuban Americans
* Before Columbus Foundation
References
Bibliography
* (Anthology; includes writer biographies)
* (Anthology; includes w ...
*List of LGBT writers
This list of LGBT writers includes writers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or otherwise non-heterosexual who have written about LGBT themes, elements or about LGBT issues (such as Jonny Frank). Works of these authors are part of LGB ...
References
External links
Official site
*Marika Preziuso (October 2010).
Interview with Achy Obejas
''sx salon''. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
''Otium''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obejas, Achy
1956 births
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American women novelists
American women poets
American writers of Cuban descent
Cuban emigrants to the United States
DePaul University faculty
English–Spanish translators
Hispanic and Latino American novelists
Hispanic and Latino American poets
Hispanic and Latino American women journalists
Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction winners
American lesbian writers
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people
Cuban LGBT poets
Cuban LGBT novelists
Living people
People from Havana
People from Michigan City, Indiana
Writers from Chicago
American LGBT poets
American LGBT novelists
American women journalists
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers
20th-century American poets
21st-century American poets
20th-century American translators
21st-century American translators
Cuban women writers
Cuban lesbian writers
Novelists from Indiana
Novelists from Illinois
20th-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American women academics
Lesbian novelists
21st-century LGBT people