Oscar Hijuelos Biography

American writer, born in New York City, the son of Cuban immigrant parents, educated at the City College of the City University of New York. He worked for several years in the advertising industry before turning to writing. In a remarkably short time, Hijuelos established an important critical reputation; some reviewers have compared him to Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his stylistic use of magic realism as a way to merge history, myth, and the fantastic. His lyrical writings explore the immigrant experience, Cuban displacement, and the Latin American community. Hijuelos's highly acclaimed The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1989) won a Pulitzer Prize and was made into a successful film. His other novels include Our House in the Last World (1983), The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Monez O'Brien (1993) and Mr Ives' Christmas (1995). See Latino/Latina Literature in English.