Santamaría, Benjamín 1955–

PERSONAL:

Born August 6, 1955, in Mexico City, Mexico; self-exiled to Canada, 2002; son of Iola Daphne Ochoa de Enrríquez (an educator and professional dancer); children: Shakti Paluna Santamaría Crast, Ivana Nansal Santamaría Crast. Religion: ‘Friendly to socialism (non-extremism).’ Hobbies and other interests: Zen martial arts, initiatic traditions of spirituality, human rights and social justice.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mexico Tenochtitlan, Mexico.

CAREER:

Storyteller, writer, educator, actor, and activist. Storyteller, under name El Rey Mono ("The Monkey King"), and actor in popular and sacred theatre, beginning 1970; writer and educator, beginning 1971. Writer-in-residence at Champlain College, Trent University; writer-in-exile-in-residence at George Brown College, Acadia University. Appointed ombudsman for children in Durango, Mexico, 1979, and countrywide, 1997; freelance articulist for La Journada (niños) (newspaper) and Canal 1 television, Mexico, 1980; Instituto Goethe and Alianza Francesa, Cordoba, Argentina, acting teacher, 1983. Yoga instructor.

MEMBER:

PEN Canada (writer in exile).

WRITINGS:

No se olvida (México 68) (novel), Plaza y Janés (Mexico City, Mexico), 1999.

(Reteller) The Tales of the Monkey King (stories), illustrated by Brian Deines, Tundra Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Also author of text book Colorea tus derechos, 1999; author of Valors, derechos y responsabilidades de las niñez ("The Rights of Boys and Girls [Only for Those under 18 Years Old]"; child-friendly version of U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children).

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Books in Canada, December, 2005, Olga Stein, review of Tales of the Monkey King, p. 39.

Resource Links, October, 2005, review of Tales of the Monkey King.

School Library Journal, December, 2005, Margaret A. Chang, review of Tales of the Monkey King, p. 121.