1984 saw the release of Sandra Cisneros’ first novel The House on Mango Street. This book follows the life of 12-year-old Mexican American, Esperanza Cordero, and tackles classism, racism, sexism, growing up, and responsibility.
The coming-of-age story sold over six million copies and was translated into over 20 languages. Cisneros never expected it to be so popular. Esperanza’s experiences were written through 46 vignettes, each dedicated to their own day or memory.
Since the breakout novel, Cisneros has released poem and short story collections and novels. This past September, she released her first poetry book in 28 years: Woman Without Shame: Poems.
The internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, and creative writer visited Longwood University on Tuesday, Nov. 8. She detailed the significance of love, self-care, and writing. She answered students’ questions about her past, The House on Mango Street, and poetry. Later in the day, Cisneros met students individually to sign copies of her works.
Professor Mary Carroll-Hackett organized the events and introduced Sandra Cisneros. Carroll-Hackett was excited for Longwood students to meet the national bestseller; she encouraged students to attend the event and ask questions.
Sandra Cisneros graced the podium and shared about her life. She is a 67-year-old Mexican American woman, who grew up in Chicago with six brothers. She achieved a B.A. in English and an M.F.A. of Creative Writing. She worked as a teacher for high-school dropouts and for creative writing at every level. Cisneros values her ancestry, spirituality, and self. The writer genuinely wanted to connect with and help students.
An advocate for self-care, Cisneros claimed the first step to putting yourself first is looking within: “read work about your intuition and connect with whatever your lineage is, and spiritual practices of your community… when you learn to do that,” she continued, “you can reconnect with yourself and your self-care.”
Cisneros also pointed out the importance of grounding yourself, stating it is “valuable to take art classes, or it’s valuable to sit under trees and meditate, or it’s valuable to read poetry.”
She frequently called students to write. She claimed people should write everything down, and never write with an end-goal.
“All the things you’ve witnessed die with you, unless you document it in some way; unless you speak it, or write it, or draw it, or paint it.” She stated further, “you get blocked from your highest work, by money, by ego, by anything except love.”
Cisneros not only writes her own novels, poetry, and short stories, she lives by them. Like Esperanza of The House on Mango Street, Cisneros chooses to live her life like a story. “I think we all are clairvoyants when we open our hearts and write, that we channel some inner higher self that can see the future,” she said of writing a character so similar to herself.
Cisneros also compared her life to a library, “my whole life story is inside me; I can take any volume down I want, and I’m never gonna run out. I’m the authority of me.”
If you have any questions for Sandra Cisneros, visit her website of the same name. She reads every submission.
