Age, Biography and Wiki

Gary Soto (Gary Anthony Soto) was born on 12 April, 1952 in Fresno, California, is an American poet and writer. Discover Gary Soto's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 71 years old?

Popular As Gary Anthony Soto
Occupation Author, poet
Age 71 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born 12 April 1952
Birthday 12 April
Birthplace Fresno, California
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 12 April. He is a member of famous Author with the age 71 years old group.

Gary Soto Height, Weight & Measurements

At 71 years old, Gary Soto height not available right now. We will update Gary Soto's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Mariko Heidi Soto

Gary Soto Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Gary Soto worth at the age of 71 years old? Gary Soto’s income source is mostly from being a successful Author. He is from United States. We have estimated Gary Soto's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Author

Gary Soto Social Network

Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter Gary Soto Twitter
Facebook
Wikipedia Gary Soto Wikipedia
Imdb

Timeline

1910

Soto was born to Mexican-American parents Manuel (1910–1957) and Angie Soto (1924-).

In his youth, he worked in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley.

1952

Gary Anthony Soto (born April 12, 1952) is an American poet, novelist, and memoirist.

1957

Soto's father died in 1957, when he was five years old.

As his family had to struggle to find work, he had little time or encouragement in his studies.

Soto notes that in spite of his early academic record, while at high school he found an interest in poetry through writers such as Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Jules Verne, Robert Frost and Thornton Wilder.

1974

Soto attended Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno, where he earned his B.A. degree in English in 1974, studying with poet Philip Levine.

1976

He did graduate work in poetry writing at the University of California, Irvine, where he was the first Mexican-American to earn a M.F.A. in 1976.

He states that he wanted to become a writer in college after discovering the novelist Gabriel García Márquez and the contemporary poets Edward Field, W. S. Merwin, Charles Simic, James Wright and Pablo Neruda, whom he calls "the master of them all."

Soto taught at University of California, Berkeley and at University of California, Riverside, where he was a Distinguished Professor.

Soto was a 'Young People's Ambassador' for the United Farm Workers of America, introducing young people to the organization's work and goals.

Soto's first collection of poems, The Elements of San Joaquin, won the United States Award of the International Poetry Forum in 1976 prior to its publication in the Pitt Poetry Series in 1977.

The New York Times Book Review also honored the book by reprinting six of the poems.

1985

In 1985, his memoir Living Up the Street received the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award.

1993

In 1993, Soto received the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence from the Association for Library Service to Children for his production work on the film The Pool Party.

1995

Beginning in 1995 with Chato's Kitchen (Chato y su cena), Soto released a series of children's picture books in Spanish and English about a real, cool cat (gato), a low rider from the barrio of East Los Angeles.

1999

In 1999, Soto received the Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature, the Author-Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes.

Other honors include the "Discovery"/The Nation Prize, the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Award from Poetry.

He has received The California Library Association's John and Patricia Beatty Award (twice), a Recognition of Merit from the Claremont Graduate School for Baseball in April, the Silver Medal from the Commonwealth Club of California, and the Tomás Rivera Prize.

The library at Winchell Elementary School in Fresno was named after Soto.

2000

They were illustrated by Susan Guevara, and the second one Chato and the Party Animals (Chato y los amigos pachangueros.) (2000) won the Pura Belpre Medal for best illustration in 2002.

2004

The series continued with Chato Goes Cruisin' (2004) and Chato's Day of Dead (2006).

2009

Soto became the sponsor for the Pattonville High School Spanish National Honor Society in 2009.

Soto lives in northern California, dividing his time between Berkeley and Fresno, but is no longer teaching.

Soto's poetry focuses on daily experiences, often reflecting on his life as a Mexican American.

Regarding his relationship with the Mexican-American community, Soto commented "as a writer, my duty is not to make people perfect, particularly Mexican Americans. I’m not a cheerleader. I’m one who provides portraits of people in the rush of life."

Soto writes novels, plays and memoirs, and has edited several literary anthologies.

His story "The No-Guitar Blues" was made into a film, and he produced another film based on his book "The Pool Party."

He is a prolific writer of children's books.

About his work Joyce Carol Oates noted "Gary Soto's poems are fast, funny, heartening, and achingly believable, like Polaroid love letters, or snatches of music heard out of a passing car; patches of beauty like patches of sunlight; the very pulse of a life."

2011

In 2011, the Old Administration Building at Fresno City College became the permanent home of the Gary Soto Literary Museum.

2014

In 2014, Soto received the Phoenix Award for his 1994 children's book Jesse.

The award committee stated: "Jesse is both a coming-of-age story of one Mexican-American boy with a poetic sensibility and the story of a community and a country at a difficult time—facing poverty and prejudice and war, problems we are still facing today. Jesse offers an unembellished slice of life in Vietnam-era Fresno, California."