The Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation was created in 2000 to honor the memory of Sandra Cisneros' father, an upholsterer. "My father lived his life as an example of generosity and honest labor," Cisneros has written, "Even as he warned us to save our centavitos, he was always giving away his own. A meticulous craftsman, he would sooner rip the seams of a cushion apart and do it over than put his name on an item that wasn't up to his high standards. I especially wanted to honor his memory with an award showcasing writers who are equally proud of their own craft."

Since 2007, the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation has awarded over $75,500 to writers born in Texas, writing about Texas, or living in Texas. The Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation invites a panel of nominators to recommend writers from across the writing disciplines who exhibit both exceptional talent and profound commitment to their chosen form of artistic expression.

Three judges are invited annually to choose one or more recipients. Past judges have included journalists, memoirists, anthropologists, poets, historians, essayists, and novelists — Edwidge Danticat, Linda Hogan, Dr. Antonia Castañeda, John Phillip Santos, Dagoberto Gilb, Elva Treviño Hart, Dr. Ruth Behar, Dr. Arturo Madrid, Dr. Norma Elia Cantú, Dr. Carmen Tafolla, Carla Trujillo, and Rubén Martínez.

Sandra Cisneros has written: "In my own experience, grants not only allowed me time to write, but, more importantly, confirmed I was indeed a writer at precarious moments when my own faith in my art wobbled." It is her hope this award will strengthen the resolve of the award winners and further them along in their careers.

For more information or to make a donation to the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, please email the Foundation Coordinator at acdm.foundation@gmail.com or write to:

The Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation
P.O. Box 831046
San Antonio, TX 78283

Please note: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, nominations, applications, or individual or organizational funding requests. All unsolicited materials will be immediately discarded.

Award history

2008 Awards announcement

 

	Recipients			Judges
2008	Sheryl Luna	Poet		Wanda Coleman, Lois-Ann Yamanaka, Ramiro Salazar
	Kristin S. vanNamen	Prose Writer
2007	Raul R. Salinas	Established Artist		Josip Novakovich, Harryette Mullen, Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark
	Elisa A. Garza	Emerging Artist
	Monica Ortiz	Honorable Mention
2006	Christine Granados			Edwidge Danticat, Linda Hogan, Antonia Castaneda
2005	David Rice, Cristina Henriquez			Joy Harjo, Rueben Martinez, Marion Winik
2004	Diana López	Established Writer		Ai, Richard Blanco, Paul Bonin-Rodríguez
	Natalia Treviño	Emerging Writer
	David Rutschman	Honorable Mention
2003	Gregorio Barrios	Established Writer		Carla Trujillo, Gilberto Quesada, Ruben Martinez
	Pablo Miguel Martínez	Emerging Writer
	Sterling Houston	Honorable Mention
2002	Amalia Ortiz, Barbara Renaud González, Deborah Paredez			Dagoberto Gilb, Ruth Behar, Elva Trevino Hart
2001	Frances Treviño, JoAnne Reyes Boitel			Norma Cantú, John Phillip Santos, and Carmen Tafolla
2000	Nicole Pollentier			Arturo Madrid, Norma Cantu, Bryce Milligan

 

 

 

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