Poetry

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: 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...

Scope and Contents From the Sub-subseries:

Multiple drafts and notes for each chapter, arranged in order as they appear in the novel; complete novel drafts begin in box 63

Contents From the Sub-subseries:

Materials between Cisneros and agent Susan Bergholz relating to Caramelo includes correspondence and shared drafts and fragments.

Series Description From the Series:

This series consists of five binders of loose stories or poems that Cisneros used at readings or other appearances.

Series Description From the Series: Notebooks and Journals span 1979-2012 and often overlap with the items in series III: Diaries. They include notes, story ideas, lists, addresses, and a number of other jottings by Cisneros. Some notable entries include notes and quotes concerning what poetry is while she was working as a counselor at Loyola University in Chicago in 1981; drafts and notes for poems and for The House on Mango Street in 1982; a list of stories for Mango Street in 1983; and notes from 1987 which Cisneros titled”...

Series Description From the Series:

This series consists of five binders of loose stories or poems that Cisneros used at readings or other appearances.

Scope and Contents

Subjects include Terry Ybañez. (16 photographs)

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Professional Appointments represent a bulk of the series and documents numerous teaching positions Cisneros held from 1978-1993. Positions include those at Latino Youth Alternative High School, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Texas Lutheran University, California State University-Chico, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Irvine, University of Michigan, and University of New Mexico. Of note are various syllabi and readings Cisneros used for teaching. For example, at...

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...

Abstract

Material related to the writing projects of Robert Reitz and Gardner Smith.

Abstract From the Series: Archival materials from author Miles Wilson dating 1965-2016. Material includes correspondence pertaining to the acquisition of the J. Frank Dobie papers by William Wittliff and the inception of the Southwest Writers Collection at Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University) San Marcos, Texas, as well as annotated drafts of early poetry and short prose; submissions to various poetry and short story anthologies; rejection slips and editor correspondence. The bulk of the material...

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);...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: This subseries very clearly shows Vliet’s process of writing from preliminary research through final product. It includes extensive background research files including files by subject containing clippings from newspapers and magazines, library call slips, color and black and white photographs, and handwritten notes. Following these research files are drafts of chapters handwritten in pencil, annotated typescripts, clean typescripts, and (minimal) correspondence. Perhaps most meticulously...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: This subseries very clearly shows Vliet’s process of writing from preliminary research through final product. It includes extensive background research files including files by subject containing clippings from newspapers and magazines, library call slips, color and black and white photographs, and handwritten notes. Following these research files are drafts of chapters handwritten in pencil, annotated typescripts, clean typescripts, and (minimal) correspondence. Perhaps most meticulously...

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...

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...

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...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

The material relating to Cisneros’ mother spans 1964-2007 and was kept by her mother until her death in 2007. It includes correspondence with Sandra from 1977-2007; various documents and ephemera; and condolence letters that Cisneros received after her mother’s death. Oversized clippings and newspaper articles that her mother collected are located in box 8.

Abstract From the Series: Archival materials from author Miles Wilson dating 1965-2016. Material includes correspondence pertaining to the acquisition of the J. Frank Dobie papers by William Wittliff and the inception of the Southwest Writers Collection at Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University) San Marcos, Texas, as well as annotated drafts of early poetry and short prose; submissions to various poetry and short story anthologies; rejection slips and editor correspondence. The bulk of the material...