Biography
Tim Z. Hernandez is a writer and performer originally from Central California’s San Joaquin Valley. He has studied extensively in a variety of mediums including: creative writing, physical theater and murals. His written work and art have been published in various anthologies, and his performances have been featured in prestigious venues such as: LA’s Getty Center Museum, The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, San Francisco’s Intersection for the Arts, Stanford University, and at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. In the past, he’s been commissioned by major groups such as the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and the National Fanny Mae Foundation to write and perform his original plays on issues such as homelessness and poverty. He’s the recipient of several notable awards including: 2006 American Book Award for his debut collection of poetry Skin Tax, 2006 Zora Neal Hurston Award for writers of color dedicated to their communities, and the 2003 James Duval Phelan Award sponsored by the San Francisco Foundation. His debut novel, Breathing, In Dust (Texas Tech University Press, 2010) recently received the 2010 Premio Aztlan Prize in Fiction, was a finalist for the California Book Award, and was featured on NPR's All Things Considered by Alan Cheuse.
He received his BA in Writing & Literature from Naropa University, and his MFA from Bennington College in Vermont. He is a frequent visiting writer at Universities and literary venues across the U.S. When he’s not writing, he works as an arts education consultant for non-profit groups, foundations, libraries, and school districts across the nation, offering workshops to youth and aspiring writers and performers. He currently lives in Colorado with his family.