Sor Juana: Or, the Persistence of Pop, Paperback

Description

A sixteenth-century Mexican nun, Sor Juana In s de la Cruz, has become one of the most rebellious and lasting icons in modern times, on par with Mahatma Gandhi, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and Nelson Mandela. Referenced in ranchera, tejana, and hip-hop lyrics, and celebrated in popular art as a guerrillera with rifle and bullet belts, Sor Juana has become ubiquitous. The conduits keep multiplying: statues, loter a cards, key chains, recipe books, coffee mugs, D a de los Muertos costumes. Ironically, Juana In s de Asbaje--alias Sor Juana In s de la Cruz--died in anonymity. Her grave was unmarked until the 1970s.

Sor Juana: Or, the Persistence of Pop encapsulates the life, times, and legacy of Sor Juana. In this immersive work, essayist Ilan Stavans provides a biographical and meditative picture of the ways in which popular perceptions of her life and body of work both shape and reflect modern Latinx culture.

About the author

Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities and Latin -American and Latino Culture at Amherst College. An internationally renowned, award--winning essayist and translator and the recipient of many honors, his recent books include Quixote, Borges, the Jew, and I Love My Selfie.