Dr. Octavio Quintanilla's newly released book, titled “The Book of Wounded Sparrows,” has made the 2024 National Book Awards Longlist. 

This extraordinary achievement is made even more noteworthy by the fact that the book has only had a soft launch at this point. The official launch will take place Oct. 3 on the OLLU campus.

"It’s kind of weird, kind of surreal, but for them to say, 'You know what? This book from this press is good enough to be in the top 10,' what else can you ask for," said Dr. Quintanilla

The former Poet Laureate of San Antonio and an OLLU Professor of English, Dr. Quintanilla is an internationally renowned poet and writer. His book, “Las Horas Imposibles / The Impossible Hours” has received the 2024 Ambroggio Prize given by the Academy of American Poets. It will be released by University of Arizona Press next year. He is also the author of “If I Go Missing” (Slough Press, 2014). In addition, Dr. Quintanilla is the founder and director of the literature and arts festival, VersoFrontera, and publisher of Alabrava Press. His Frontextos (visual poems) have been published and exhibited widely.

“This is incredible, national recognition for one of our faculty members,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Alan Silva, PhD. “Big universities periodically receive this type of recognition, but it's rare even for those institutions. For this to happen at OLLU puts us on the map in a whole new way.”

Finalists for the National Book Awards will be announced Oct. 1. OLLU will celebrate the official launch of Dr. Quintanilla’s book two days later. The celebration will take place:
Thursday, Oct. 3
6:30 p.m.
Main Building, Room 311