The presentation of a national award for extraordinary contributions to the field of writing has helped solidify a UNM professor's place in literary history.
Rudolfo Anaya, a professor emeritus in UNM's English Department, was honored during a Zimmerman Library ceremony Friday for receiving the National Medal of Arts.
The medal was originally presented to Anaya President George W. Bush during a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C.
"Professor Anaya is proof that we can change the world with our contributions," said UNM Provost Brian Foster. "It is important that we recognize how much we all can benefit from a person of his stature."
Anaya, a New Mexico native and author of several renowned works of fiction including Bless Me, Ultima and Tortuga, stressed the importance of the innocente spirit in his literature, during the Friday ceremony.
"Recognizing the innocente spirit in me helps me to stay in constant contact with the beauty, mystery and marvels of life," Anaya said of his writing style. "It allows the most simple experiences to take on a deeper reality, and it is that which I try to define in my writing."
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Anaya said that he believes the world is as much spiritual as it is material, and that the life of a writer is stuck between memories and dreams. He said that we leave parts of us with the people we have loved and the places we have been, making our spiritual reality part of a much bigger picture.
"The innocente inside us knows this, and allows us to take from these experiences and make sense of our lives."
According to its Web site, the National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, honors individuals and organizations who, in the president's judgment, are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.
"It is important that we recognize all of the things that Professor Anaya stands for," said Fran Wilkinson, deputy dean of UNM's General Library. "From thought-inspiring author to human rights advocate, his life has been dedicated to gaining respect for people of all cultures."
In describing his trip to Washington, D.C., to receive the award, Anaya said that his belief that there is corresponding goodness in everyone was reaffirmed. He said that his innocente spirit forced him to treat President Bush and the first lady, Laura Bush, along with fellow recipients of the award Johnny Cash and Kirk Douglas, like he would anyone else, in an attempt to "tear down the walls that separate us."
"The soul of a person, the essence of life within all of us bonds us to each other," Anaya said.
According to sources, Anaya, who was one of only eight American recipients for the annual award, was honored for his "exceptional contribution to contemporary American literature that has brought national recognition to the traditions of the Chicano people, and for his efforts to promote Hispanic writers."
Scott Sanders, English Department chairman, thanked Anaya for his contributions to the field of writing and wished him success into the future.
"A person of his intellect is rarely encountered, even in an academic setting," Sanders said. "We wish him every success in the years ahead when he will surely bring honor to all of us."
Anaya said that his award is a testament to all people striving to have their voices heard, and the progress that has been made in projecting the Southwest as the emerging center of literature in the United States.
"This award is for all of us," Anaya said. "I accepted it on behalf of all the people who have enriched my life."
