Denise Chávez
Denise Chávez is a prominent author and playwright born on August 15, 1948, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her literary work reflects the diverse cultural landscape of the Southwest, focusing on the lives and resilience of ordinary working-class Latino women, as well as the broader experiences of Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Anglo-Americans. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in theater and a Master of Fine Arts from Trinity University, she developed a multifaceted writing career that includes poetry, fiction, drama, and plays, many of which have been performed in both English and Spanish across the United States and Europe.
Chávez's notable works include *The Last of the Menu Girls* and *Face of an Angel*, both of which explore themes of cultural and personal identity with a blend of wit and compassion. Her more recent novels, such as *Loving Pedro Infante* and *The King and Queen of Comezón*, continue to engage readers with their rich character development and storytelling. In response to contemporary issues, particularly immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border, Chávez founded the charity Libros para el Viaje in 2020, aimed at providing books for immigrant children. Through her writing and activism, Chávez remains a significant voice in discussing the complexities of identity and community in the modern landscape.
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Subject Terms
Denise Chávez
- Born: August 15, 1948
- Birthplace: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Author Profile
Denise Chávez was born in the desert Southwest, and she writes about Native Americans, Mexican Americans, Anglo-Americans, and others who provide the region’s rich cultural tapestry. Her works consistently focus on the strength and endurance of ordinary working-class Latino women.
Chávez had twelve years of Catholic schooling and started writing diaries and skits while still in elementary school. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in theater from New Mexico State University in 1971 and a Master of Fine Arts in theater from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, in 1974. She later earned a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico in 1984. During her time in school, she worked in a variety of jobs—in a hospital, in an art gallery, and in public relations. She also wrote poetry, fiction, and drama. Her writing centered around themes focused on the lives of women. Chávez taught at Northern New Mexico Community College, the University of Houston, Artist-in-the-Schools programs, and writers’ workshops.
Boasting a prolific writing career, Chávez has written numerous plays and literary pieces, which she often performed or directed. This included a national tour with her one-woman performance piece. Her plays have been produced throughout the United States and Europe and are in English and Spanish. Her portfolio includes Novitiates (1971), The Flying Tortilla Man (1975), Rainy Day Waterloo (1976), The Third Door (1978), Sí, hay posada (1980), The Green Madonna (1982), La morenita (1983), El más pequeño de mis hijos (1983), Plague-Time (1984), Novena Narrativas (1986), and Language of Vision (1987).
The Last of the Menu Girls (1986), are a series of stories about a young Chicana. The novel Face of an Angel (1994) established Chávez’s high reputation as a fiction writer. Both works address critical questions of personal and cultural identity with extraordinary wit and compassion. In 2001, Chávez published the humorous novel Loving Pedro Infante, which is told from the viewpoint of Teresina Avila, a Mexican American woman who dreams of having a lover like 1950s Mexican singer and actor Pedro Infante. Her 2014 work, The King and Queen of Comezón, is slightly different as it focuses on the life and thoughts of the man Arnulfo Olivárez's regrets as he looks back on his life. The word "Comezón" is Spanish for "itch," but an itch that can never be satisfied. Her 2024 novel, Street of Too Many Stories, follows four families living in a New Mexican calle. Imbued with magic, the novel explores intersections and how lives, streets, and emotions all intersect.
Chávez has a striking ability to create a sense of individual voice for her characters, and she makes that voice resonate for readers who may or may not be familiar with the places and people about whom she writes.
In the 2020s, Chávez's writings continue to find resonance as immigration along the southern United States-Mexico border has evolved into a divisive political issue. Long accustomed to writing about the border region, the issue has also spurred the latest chapter in Chávez history of activism. In early 2020, Chávez created a charity called Libros para el Viaje, or "Books for the Journey." This organization sought to deliver books to immigrant children sheltered on both sides of the United States-Mexican border.
Bibliography
Balassi, William, et al., editors. This Is About Vision: Interviews with Southwestern Writers. U of New Mexico P, 1990.
Clark, Carol. "Santa Fe International Literary Festival Announces 2023 Lineup Of Literary Stars from Near and Far." Daily Post, 16 Apr. 2023, ladailypost.com/the-santa-fe-international-literary-festival-announces-2023-lineup-of-literary-stars-from-near-and-far. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Farah, Cynthia. Literature and Landscape: Writers of the Southwest. Texas Western Press, 1988.
Gomez, Myrriah. "Denise Eliz Chávez.” Chicana Portraits: Critical Biographies of Twelve Chicana Writers, 2023, p. 155
Kochera, Angela. "Latina Author Delivers Books to Migrants in New Mexico."The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Jun. 2000, www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/01/05/latina-author-organizes. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Moore, Derrickson. "'Corn Mother' Festival Celebrates Books, Arts, Music." LCSUN. Las Cruces Sun-News, 19 Apr. 2014. Accessed 27 Mar. 2015.
Portillo, Ernesto. " Neto's Tucson: Author's Cuentos Bring Borderlands to Life." Tucson. Arizona Daily Star, 7 Mar. 2015. tucson.com/news/local/netos-tucson-authors-cuentos-bring-borderlands-to-life/article‗6241408a-c754-5a0e-b5ad-9128b7e92d34.html. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Reed, Ishmael. Hispanic American Literature. HarperCollins, 1995.