American literature -- Mexican American authors

Subseries Description Early poems span 1971-1986 and are arranged alphabetically. Many were originally housed in two black binders. The first binder contents are in folders 1-51 and were from Cisneros’ time at The University of Iowa. The second binder is in folder 53 and contains early poems, many later published in My Wicked Wicked Ways. Additional early poems not originally housed in one of the two binders are listed alphabetically and include high school poems. Also included are titles with numerous...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

Cisneros’ 2015 book of essays, A House of My Own appears to have originally been titled “Writing in My Pajamas.” There are no final drafts of the book since the archive was acquired before its publication, but the material does provide evidence of her early essay selections. Many of the essays were previously published, and some overlap with series VII: Writings – Nonfiction.

Series Description From the Series: Monographs represent a significant portion of the archive and include material relating to each of Cisneros’ published books, as well as her children’s storybooks. The series is arranged chronologically according to publication date: The House on Mango Street (1984); My Wicked Wicked Ways (1987); Woman Hollering Creek (1991); Loose Woman (1994); Caramelo (2002); A House of My Own (2015). Storybook materials follow: Hairs/Pelitos (1994); Bravo Bruno (2011); Have You Seen Marie? (2012);...

Series Description From the Series: Reader Correspondence, 1990-2013, is arranged chronologically. Each year is separated into letters from individuals and letters from classes. The individual letters are typical fan letters and document the effect her writing has had on her readers. The class letters are often packets sent by teachers containing letters from students who have read her works in class, and sometimes thank-you letters from students whose class Cisneros visited. When known, the school name is included in the...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: Early poems span 1971-1986 and are arranged alphabetically. Many were originally housed in two black binders. The first binder contents are in folders 1-51 and were from Cisneros’ time at The University of Iowa. The second binder is in folder 53 and contains early poems, many later published in My Wicked Wicked Ways. Additional early poems not originally housed in one of the two binders are listed alphabetically and include high school poems. Also included are titles with numerous...

Series Description From the Series: Reader Correspondence, 1990-2013, is arranged chronologically. Each year is separated into letters from individuals and letters from classes. The individual letters are typical fan letters and document the effect her writing has had on her readers. The class letters are often packets sent by teachers containing letters from students who have read her works in class, and sometimes thank-you letters from students whose class Cisneros visited. When known, the school name is included in the...

Series Description From the Series: Reader Correspondence, 1990-2013, is arranged chronologically. Each year is separated into letters from individuals and letters from classes. The individual letters are typical fan letters and document the effect her writing has had on her readers. The class letters are often packets sent by teachers containing letters from students who have read her works in class, and sometimes thank-you letters from students whose class Cisneros visited. When known, the school name is included in the...

Series Description From the Series: Reader Correspondence, 1990-2013, is arranged chronologically. Each year is separated into letters from individuals and letters from classes. The individual letters are typical fan letters and document the effect her writing has had on her readers. The class letters are often packets sent by teachers containing letters from students who have read her works in class, and sometimes thank-you letters from students whose class Cisneros visited. When known, the school name is included in the...

Series Description From the Series:

Arranged chronologically, Publications span 1970-2003 and include magazines and journals that contain contributions by Cisneros. The earliest items are literary magazines Now and Cadence, from Josephinum Academy and Loyola University, respectively. For each publication, the date and title of the Cisneros contribution is included in the container list. Oversized publications are in box 85.

Series Description From the Series: Reader Correspondence, 1990-2013, is arranged chronologically. Each year is separated into letters from individuals and letters from classes. The individual letters are typical fan letters and document the effect her writing has had on her readers. The class letters are often packets sent by teachers containing letters from students who have read her works in class, and sometimes thank-you letters from students whose class Cisneros visited. When known, the school name is included in the...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: The largest subseries in Monographs is material relating to the writing and publication of Caramelo. Research, notes, chapter drafts, and book drafts document Cisneros’ writing process. Research files and notes provide evidence of the depth of research that went into the book, loosely based on her own family history. Included among the topics are immigration, Mexico, San Antonio, music, and war. Notes includes story development “road maps,” outlines, and files that Cisneros created on topics...

Series Description From the Series:

These writings about Cisneros are arranged chronologically from 1981-2012 and include academic articles, interviews, and writer’s biographies. Undated writings about Cisneros are housed in box 89 and are arranged alphabetically by author. Newspaper articles and publicity writings about Cisneros can be found in Series XIX: Publicity.

Scope and Contents

Subjects include Gertrude Baker, Joan Frederick, Eduardo García (39 photographs)

Scope and Contents

Subjects include Joan Frederick, Eduardo García (23 photographs)

Sub-Series Description

The bulk of the material in Education spans her elementary school years through graduate school (1961-1979) and includes diplomas, report cards, yearbooks, and materials from Loyola University and the University of Iowa. Material relating to honorary degrees, State University of New York, Purchase (1993) and DePaul University (2014), can also be found in this subseries

Series Description From the Series: The extensive correspondence files span 1980-2013 and are arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Every correspondent is included in the container list, and when known, organizational affiliations are listed in parenthesis. Individuals with a significant quantity of letters include: Jeffrey Abrahams; Norma Alarcón; Dorothy Allison; Julia Alvarez; Beatrix Badikian; Gertrude Baker; Ruth Behar; Ronnie Burke; Norma Cantu; Ana Castillo; Denise Chávez; Carlos Cumpián; Ted Dvoracek; Gayle...

Scope and Contents

(25 photographs)

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: Woman Hollering Creek may have had the working title “The Sky Has Little Eyes,” as there are four folders so labeled in this series. That material was kept together in box 51, folders 2-8, with drafts of all of the stories arranged alphabetically beginning in box 51, folder 9. Nearly every story contains multiple drafts, some with translations, such as “Eleven,” “Eyes of Zapata,” “La Fabulosa, A Texas Operetta,” “Never Marry a Mexican,” “Tepeyac,” and “Woman Hollering Creek.” Additional...

Scope and Contents

Notes for translator are housed in box 47 folder 15 with House on Mango Street translations.

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: Woman Hollering Creek may have had the working title “The Sky Has Little Eyes,” as there are four folders so labeled in this series. That material was kept together in box 51, folders 2-8, with drafts of all of the stories arranged alphabetically beginning in box 51, folder 9. Nearly every story contains multiple drafts, some with translations, such as “Eleven,” “Eyes of Zapata,” “La Fabulosa, A Texas Operetta,” “Never Marry a Mexican,” “Tepeyac,” and “Woman Hollering Creek.” Additional...