Ernesto Quiñonez (born 1965) is an Ecuadorian-Puerto Rican novelist. His work received the

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Discover Great New Writers designation, the

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Bookstore Original New Voice selection, and was declared a "Notable Book of the Year" by ''

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'' and the ''

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''. Quiñonez is an associate professor at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

Work

Quiñonez's first novel, ''Bodega Dreams'', was published in 2000. ''

'' declared it "a New Immigrant Classic" and "a stark evocation of life in the projects of El Barrio ... the story he tells has energy and nerve." ''

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'' announced that "Quiñonez knows this 'hood--readers may have to remind themselves that this is a work of fiction and not a memoir. His prose, detailed and passionate, brings the tale to life." In Quiñonez's second novel, ''Chango's Fire'' (2004), the protagonist, Julio Santana, is an intelligent high-school dropout who moonlights as an arsonist. ''

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'' declared that ''Chango's Fire'' "succeeds in its rich characterizations of the people of the barrio, led by Julio, whose complexity and sensitivity carry the story." The ''

El Paso Times The ''El Paso Times'' is the newspaper for the US city of El Paso, Texas. The paper is the only English-language daily in El Paso (after the ''El Paso Herald-Post'', an afternoon paper, closed in 1997), but often competes with the Spanish-languag ...

'' praised Quiñonez's "extraordinary ability to detail, and nurture, and then unveil complex emotions in his characters. For any reader who wants to believe in a difficult protagonist, and appreciate the reality of El Barrio beyond facile stereotypes, this book is essential." ''

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'' criticized the characters and situations in ''Chango's Fire'' for lack of believably but hailed "Quiñonez's ingeniously detailed revelations of how people cheat and improvise, to survive in an impoverished and dangerous racist environment. This is an author who knows his material." ''

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'' heralded it as a "searing portrait of a community at the tipping point ... Quiñonez ably illuminates the sordid politics of

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and the unexpected places new immigrants turn to for social and spiritual support." ''

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'' declared that Quiñonez's third novel, ''Taina'' (2019), "Though... far more modest in scope... has the same complicated intimacy with the neighborhood and its history as ''Bodega Dreams''." Quiñonez is a Story Teller for The Moth and a

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Writers Lab fellow and last appeared in the "Blackout" episode of PBS's ''

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''.

Bibliography

Novels

*''Bodega Dreams'' (2000) *''Chango's Fire'' (2004) *''Taina'' (2019)

Essays

*"The White Baby", ''The New York Times'', June 6, 2000 *"Dog Days", ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...

'', November 26, 2000 *"Counting The Ways", ''The New York Times Magazine'', November 11, 2001 *"Y Tu Black Mama, Tambien?", ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'', June 12, 2003 *"Catcalling", ''Newsweek'', August 14, 2001 *"The Fires Last Time", ''

''; December 18, 2000. *"The Diaper Caper and Small Dog Scam", ''The New York Times'', July 8, 2007 *"The Black and Brown Divide", ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', July 2008

References

External links

The American Experience: Blackout (PBS)The Moth Presents Ernesto Quiñonez: Spanish Harlem, 7th Grade (via YouTube)Ernesto Quiñonez, fiction writer (via YouTube)Ernesto Quiñonez (The Moth)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinonez, Ernesto 21st-century American novelists American male novelists 1969 births Living people Ecuadorian emigrants to the United States Hispanic and Latino American novelists 21st-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) Cornell University faculty