Author Rudy Ruiz Nominated to the Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist

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Award-winning author Rudy Ruiz has been carving a niche in contemporary literature for years. His stories, rich in culture and emotion, connect with readers from all walks of life. This year, Ruiz’s memorable The Border Between Us, a collection of interconnected stories written over several years and now assembled into a compelling bildungsroman, has earned him a spot on the longlist for the prestigious 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize — a milestone that cements his growing stature in the literary space.

According to New Literary Project, “This prize is awarded not in recognition of a book, but for an author: an already emerged and still emerging author of national consequence—short stories and/or novels—at the relatively middle stage of a burgeoning career.”

For Rudy Ruiz, the longlisting acknowledges his past successes and hints at an even brighter future in literature. “I don’t recall the precise moment I knew I wanted to write, but I know I was a young kid,” Ruiz told Hasty Book List. “I loved reading, thanks to my mom, and I was swept away by the magical storytelling abilities of both my grandmother and my father. I sensed that my role in the family would be to build on those multigenerational stories and legends and share them with others through my writing.”

A Celebration of Emerging Excellence

The Joyce Carol Oates Prize, often described as a “working prize,” celebrates authors who are both seasoned and ascending. With a monetary award and a residency at the University of California, Berkeley, the prize aims to support recipients in their current work and in future endeavors. By joining a cohort of literary talents like Ben Fountain and Lauren Groff, whose works challenge norms and highlight the human condition, Ruiz gains a platform that has propelled past winners to new career heights. His inclusion reflects the literary community’s recognition of his distinct storytelling talent and impact.

At the heart of Ruiz’s nomination lies his latest novel The Border Between Us, a touching tale that weaves together the struggles of an immigrant family striving for the American dream. Narrated by young protagonist Ramón López, the novel is a mosaic of interconnected short stories that chronicle the trials and triumphs of a family caught between cultural identities. From Ramón’s ingenious entrepreneurial schemes selling chile packets to his father’s ill-fated ventures, the narrative captures the struggles and hopes that shape the immigrant journey.

Ruiz captures the universal longing for a better life while delving into the specific struggles of immigrant families navigating a world fraught with systemic inequities and cultural dissonance. His prose, lyrical yet unpretentious, transforms the mundane into the profound, making The Border Between Us a literary triumph.

“Since I began writing,” Rudy Ruiz shared. “I’ve been committed to bringing voices to the voiceless and making visible the invisible. My driving motivation is to humanize immigrants and the border in hopes that someday all Americans will recognize just how essential both are to the vitality of our nation.”

Themes That Transcend Borders

Ruiz’s work is characterized by its exploration of identity, belonging, and intergenerational struggles. In The Border Between Us, these themes coalesce into a narrative that’s as much about personal growth as it is about familial and societal dynamics. The novel’s depiction of the López family is heartwarming yet heartrending, reflecting the duality of aspiration and sacrifice.

Moreover, Rudy Ruiz’s male protagonists often grapple with a metaphorical maldición — a familial or societal “curse” that impedes their paths to success. In The Border Between Us, this is exemplified by Ramón’s father and uncles, whose professional and personal lives are marred by repeated failures. This theme of inherited struggle is also present in Ruiz’s earlier works, such as Valley of Shadows and The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramírez. In these, male protagonists face literal and symbolic curses that shape their lives, blending magical realism with meaningful social insights.

A Legacy of Socially Engaged Literature in the Making

Ruiz’s journey to the Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist is the culmination of years of dedication to his social vision and his craft, along with growing literary recognition. The Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist is the latest in a steady stream of accolades. Ruiz is a recipient of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, and multiple International Latino Book Awards. He was also inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

His works, from the short story collection Seven for the Revolution to his latest novel The Border Between Us, have consistently pushed boundaries, offering readers a window into experiences that are deeply personal while universally relatable. His stories focus on the marginalized and overlooked, making him a champion for underrepresented voices in literature.

The longlisting also reflects the growing acknowledgment of Latino authors in American literature. Ruiz’s narratives, deeply rooted in his Mexican American heritage, bring essential perspectives to the literary world. His storytelling, rich in cultural depth and universal appeal, exemplifies the transformative impact of diverse voices and their role in promoting cultural empathy, social justice, equity and inclusion, and human rights. Ruiz has further articulated his commitment to this vital role by complementing his fiction writing with extensive non-fiction work specifically dedicated to advocating for the rights of immigrants and the wellbeing and advancement of multicultural communities. His non-fiction writing includes his Spanish-language book ¡Adelante!, an essay in the anthology Going Hungry, and numerous columns featured in major daily newspapers and CNN.com on issues ranging from comprehensive immigration reform and border policy to public health inequities and systemic racism. 

The Joyce Carol Oates Prize longlist designation recognizes Ruiz’s literary achievements and commitment to being an agent for change through his writing, setting the stage for future successes. The acknowledgement conveys that Ruiz has joined an elite group of authors who are in the process of significantly shaping literature along with our national conversation.

Simply being on the longlist is a notable accomplishment. It reflects the literary world’s growing recognition of his mastery of the craft and highlights his role as a powerful storyteller and thinker of national consequence. For both readers and writers, Ruiz’s journey is an inspiring example of vision, perseverance, the timeless appeal of heartfelt and authentic stories, and the intangible value of writing and literature that aim to change the world, one reader at a time.

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