“ A woman who no one came for and no one chased away ”

1. “A woman who no one came for and no one chased away” A look into the world of Sandra Cisneros

2. Sandra Cisneros was born on December 20, 1954 in Chicago to Mexican-American parents • She is the first Hispanic-American writer to achieve commercial success • Cisneros is credited with bringing the Chicana (Mexican-American) female perspective into the mainstream

3. Her Education • Cisneros attended Loyola University and later earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa • She found inspiration in Emily Dickinson, her favorite American poet, who was confined to her house, just as Cisneros felt confined to Chicago • Many years later, she realized that part of Dickinson’s success resulted from her education, a house of her own, and money.

4. Her Childhood • Even though she had 6 brothers, Cisneros remembers her childhood as solitary, which proved important • Her family visited her grandparents in Mexico City often, making it difficult for Cisneros to make friends and succeed in school, and she often turned to literature for solace • Her family adopted a very traditional perspective and wanted Cisneros to become a “typical” woman and was disappointed when she left home before any of her brothers

5. About her Writings • Because of her unique childhood, Cisneros focuses her writing on that Latina perspective, incorporating not only her own experiences but the experiences of those around her • Many of her works are a medley of fiction and poetry • "If I were asked what it is I write about, I would have to say I write about those ghosts inside that haunt me, that will not let me sleep, of that which even memory does not like to mention."

6. The House on Mango Street • The novel is told through the eyes of Esperanza- a poor, Latina adolescent who longs for a room of her own and a house of which she can be proud • Esperanza experiences “that slippery age when you are both child and woman and neither”—a shy girl who couldn’t come out of her shell • The story takes place in Chicago and describes the feeling of being isolated, poor, trapped, and stereotyped • HOMS was Cisneros’ first novel and received widespread critical acclaim

7. Other Works • Caramelo (2002) • Loose Woman: Poems (1994) • Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991) • My Wicked Wicked Ways (1987)

8. From the Author • “I like to think that somehow my family, my Mexicanness, my poverty all had something to do with shaping me into a writer” • “I’ve traveled [all over the world and] along the way there is straw for the taking. With a little imagination it can be spun into gold”