Today marks the birth of Puerto Rican playwright, short-story writer, and essayist Luis Rafael Sánchez (November 17, 1936). Sánchez was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico. After earning his BA in theater from the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, he spent time in Mexico to continue studying theater arts. With a scholarship from the UPR, he spent a year at Columbia University, where he studied theater and creative writing. He completed an MA in dramatic arts from the City University of New York and a PhD in literature from the Complutense University of Madrid. For decades Sánchez has taught at various universities in the United States and the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, of which he is now Professor Emeritus.

Sánchez began his literary career as a playwright and he is the author of theater pieces such as Farsa del amor compradito (1960), Los ángeles se han fatigado (1960), La espera (1960), La hiel nuestra de cada día (1962), La pasión según Antígona Pérez (1968), and Quíntuples (1985). In 1976, the success of his first novel, La guaracha del Macho Camacho [translated to great acclaim as Macho Camacho’s Beat] earned him international fame. He is also well known for his short stories and essays. Some of his other works include En cuerpo de camisa (1966), La guagua aérea (1983), La importancia de llamarse Daniel Santos (1989), and Indiscreciones de un perro gringo (2007).

For biography (in Spanish), see http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/s/sanchez_luis.htm and http://www.prpop.org/biografias/l_bios/luis_rafael_sanchez.shtml  (Photo by Laura Macgruder from this site.)