And while on the subject of good diverse, universal literature, I want to congratulate Benjamin Alire Sáenz, whose work continues to inspire and serve as a perfect example of a more inclusive definition of diversity. In March, Sáenz became the first Latino to ever win the coveted PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, published by Cinco Puntos Press. The author’s latest win comes on the heels of his multiple wins for his young adult novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (published by Simon and Schuster ) which won a Printz Honor for excellence in young adult literature, the Pura Belpré Medal for best Latino Narrative, and a Stonewall Award for the book that best relates the LGBT experience. Now, that’s universal!
