Border Crossings and Beyond

Author of The House on Mango Street which has sold more than two million copies in English alone activist MacArthur grant genius figure of inspiration and controversy Sandra Cisneros is unequivocally one of America''s most important and much discussed contemporary literary figures. In a writing career that has spanned more than three decades Cisneros has written acclaimed poetry and prose including My Wicked Wicked Ways Loose Woman Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories and Caramelo or Puro Cuenta. Border Crossings and Beyond: The Life and Works of Sandra Cisneros traces the ways in which Cisneros''s personal history art and influence are intertwined. The result is a revealing and multi-faceted portrait of the artist as writer woman and Mexican American. From a childhood defined by repeated migrations between Texas and Mexico to the Chicano and women''s movements and the impact of her father''s death author Carmen Hayde Rivera offers a comprehensive and thoughtful engagement of Cisneros''s writings as well as her tremendous personal struggles and significant gifts. It will become mandatory reading for those who wish to understand the significance and power of Cisneros''s contribution to Latina/o literature and American letters.