By: Stephanie Loethen and Aimee Nienstedt

Born in Chicago, Illinois December 20, 1954 One of seven children and only daughter to a Mexican father and Mexican-American mother Spent most of her childhood in Texas and Mexico Earned her B.A. English in 1976 from Loyola University of Chicago and her M.F.A. creative writing in 1978 from the University of Iowa writers workshop BIOGRAPHY

Latin American Author, and writes short stories, essays, books, and poems. She writes about the Latin experiences in America. Influenced by her experiences, thus it inspires how and what she writes Themes in her writing – love, feminism, and religion BIOGRAPHY

Bad Boys My Wicked Wicked Ways Loose Woman Woman Hollering Creek and other stories Hairs/Pelitos The House on Mango Street Caramelo Vintage Cisneros PUBLISHED WORKS

Published in 1984 Won the Before Columbus Foundation’s American book award in 1985 Required reading in middle schools, high schools, and unversities Sold over two million copies “THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET”

“CARAMELO” Notable book of the year by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, and the Seattle Times Awarded the Premio Napoli and was short listed for the Dublin International IMPAC award in 2005 Nominated for the Orange Prize in England

“Woman Hollering Creek” published in 1991 Was awarded numerous awards and was selected as book of the year. This work entails the lives of Latinos who have crossed the boarders to experience living on the American side. The life of the character, Cleofilas, illustrates man of Cisnero’ central themes in her works: a woman who is oppressed by other in life, minorities stuck in the same situation. For Cleofilas, since she has difficulty with English, there is a language barrier that inhibits her communication, thus making it difficult “WOMAN HOLLERING CREEK”

There are similarities between "Woman Hollering Creek" and Cisneros‘ life - such as the ethnicity and how Cleofilas had six brothers. The time Cisneros spent working on her MFA made her realize that not many really understood difficult things that Latin Americans can face, women in particular. This inspired her writings from there on out. "Woman Hollering Creek" is about the search to find a better person within yourself and a better life. Though with Cleofilas' excitement to be given away to be married, not everything turns out how it should be. Just as how she had to figure out how to fend for herself, we also have to overcome adversity. “WOMAN HOLLERING CREEK”

1995 Cisneros’ was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and organized the Latino MacArthur fellows 2003 Texas Medal of the Arts Received numerous other honors from Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages American Book Award BIOGRAPHY

President and Founder of Macondo Foundation and Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Lives in San Antino, Texas with many animals Currently working on several projects including a children's book, and a collection of fiction books. BIOGRAPHY

sandra-cisneros The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Seventh Edition, p s/cisnerosSandra.php REFERENCES