Angie Cruz, the acclaimed novelist and editor, has been awarded the 43rd Dos Passos Prize for Literature, an annual honor presented by Longwood University. The prize recognizes an American writer whose work experiments with form, explores diverse voices, and deserves broader recognition.
Cruz, widely known for her novels How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water (2022), Dominicana (2019), and Let It Rain Coffee (2006), was selected from a shortlist of five finalists, which included prominent authors Luis Alberto Urrea, Victor Lavalle, Peter Rock, and Carter Sickels. The prize includes an honorarium and a medal, and Cruz will visit Longwood University this spring to accept the award and participate in a public reading from her work.
A Voice for Immigrant and Working-Class Narratives
Dr. David Magill, professor of literatures of diversity and chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages at Longwood, emphasized the significance of Cruz’s storytelling:
“Angie Cruz’s fiction offers compelling depictions of the lives of working-class immigrant people in the United States, challenging the stereotypes that circulate in our culture through her inventive narratives. She combines keen attention to language with storytelling that is at times playful, at times passionate, but always evocative and detailed.”
Cruz’s literary work is deeply rooted in themes of home, gender, race, displacement, and the struggles of working-class life. Her Dominican heritage and experiences traveling between New York and the Dominican Republic significantly shape her narratives, giving them authenticity and depth.
Award-Winning Literary Career
Among her acclaimed works, Dominicana was inspired by her mother’s immigration story. The novel was shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and praised by major outlets such as NBC News, which called it “one of the most evocative and empowering immigrant stories of our time.” The New York Times Book Review described it as “lovely and compelling.”
Her most recent novel, How Not To Drown in A Glass of Water (2022), received high praise and was a finalist for the 2024 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the Aspen Words Literary Prize. It was included in The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2022 and The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Fiction. In 2021, Cruz also received the Gina Berriault Award, given to writers who demonstrate a love for storytelling and a commitment to mentoring young authors.
The Legacy of the Dos Passos Prize
Established in 1980, the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature is the oldest literary award given by a Virginia college or university. It honors authors who provide incisive, original commentary on American themes, experiment with literary form, and explore a broad range of human experiences.
The selection jury for the 2024 Dos Passos Prize included last year’s winner, novelist Patricia Engel, as well as Dr. Eric Waggoner, executive director of the West Virginia Humanities Council, and Dr. Magill, who chaired the jury.
Notable past winners of the prize include Shelby Foote (1988), Earnest J. Gaines (1993), Maxine Hong Kingston (1998), Colson Whitehead (2012), Ruth Ozeki (2014), Paul Beatty (2015), Karen Tei Yamashita (2018), and Rabih Alameddine (2019). Many of these authors have gone on to receive further accolades, with Whitehead winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice and Beatty securing the Booker Prize in 2016.
A Multifaceted Literary Career
In addition to her fiction writing, Angie Cruz has played a significant role in literary publishing and education. She has received fellowships and residencies at esteemed institutions such as Lighthouse Fellowship, Siena Art Institute, Yaddo, and the MacDowell Arts Colony.
Cruz’s academic background includes a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, a bachelor’s degree in English literature from SUNY Binghamton, and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. She currently serves as an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is an affiliate of CAAPP: the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics. She is also the co-founder and editor of the award-winning literary journal Aster(ix), which amplifies marginalized voices in literature.
Looking Ahead
With the Dos Passos Prize adding to her growing list of accolades, Cruz continues to be a vital voice in contemporary American literature. Her work not only highlights the complexities of immigrant and working-class experiences but also enriches the literary landscape through innovation in storytelling and a deep commitment to representation.
Her upcoming visit to Longwood University promises to be an engaging event for literary enthusiasts, as she shares insights into her writing process and the narratives that have resonated with readers across the country.Angie Cruz (Photo credit: Erika Morillo)
