Humble creator of an iconic novel.

• Author: Martinez, Elizabeth Coonrod
• Position: LITERATURE - Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street - Biography

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Little did she realize when she crafted a series of brief, poetic narratives about growing up in an inner city barrio that her accounts would forever mark the inception of women's participation in Chicano literature. At the time, the narratives were not accepted as part of her master's thesis, as the objective was poetry, so she put them aside. A few years later, Sandra Cisneros offered them up when an acquaintance sought material for publication. And a few more years later, that collection of narratives turned into her widely acclaimed first novel, The House on Mango Street, which has now sold over five million copies. It is now being re-issued in celebration of its 25th anniversary, with a special foreword by the author.

Cisneros did not require an entourage, a prestigious academic appointment, or a Pulitzer to become the iconic writer of Chicano literature. In fact, she continues to live humbly in a town far from the glamour and city lights connected with most big-name writers. But big she is. "If only I could have the Sandra-luck," is the refrain of many young writers. Sandra's appearance at venues in any city guarantees packed audiences and star-struck fans, and academic articles about her work easily quadruple those on other Chicano writers. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages including the unusual Thai, Croatian, Iranian, and Turkish.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is often thought of as the book that launched intrinsically Latin American literature onto the world stage. In a similar way, The House on Mango Street marked the emergence of literature written by Chicanos, that segment of people of Mexican heritage who grow up in the United States and primarily function in English. As Garcia Marquez's characters were born out of Colombian history, so the characters of Cisneros' first novel emerged from her own Chicago barrio.

The House on Mango Street continues to inspire interest and sales. The novel is often selected by public and community libraries as an annual "read;" it is found on college and high school reading lists; and it is even used by leaders of groups like the Girl Scouts to encourage female role models. Its ability to provide multiple levels of understanding surely contributes to its sales. The novel is recognized for its symbolic interpretations and for instilling ethnic awareness in young readers. Readers know she won't shy away from such difficult issues...