Switch to the mobile version of this page.

San Antonio Current

        
Tweet

Email

Print
Share

Friday, September 16, 2016

Sandra Cisneros to Receive National Medal of Arts

Posted By Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez on Fri, Sep 16, 2016 at 9:35 AM

click to enlarge

Photo courtesy of Alan Goldfarb

It's not very often that a chicana author, especially one who lived and worked in San Antonio, receives recognition from the president. But next Thursday, Sandra Cisneros will be able to add that to her growing list of accomplishments.

For her contributions to American literature in the 20th and 21st centuries, and her exploration of issues surrounding race and class that are so deeply prevalent in the United States, Cisneros will receive a 2015 National Medal of Arts, presented by, you guessed it, President Barack Obama.

The chicana author, who's catalog includes The House on Mango Street, Caramelo and Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, is recognized as a prominent literary figure whose work has identified and exhibited life from the perspective of the "other" in America today. Widely recognized as her most famous work, The House on Mango Street, a coming-of-age story centered around the experiences of a Mexican-American girl in Chicago, shined a light on isolation in a multi-cultural context and provided a story that so many Americans can identify with.

Of Cisneros, the National Endowment of the Arts said:

Through her novels, short stories, and poetry, she explores issues of race, class, and gender through the lives of ordinary people straddling multiple cultures. As an educator, she has deepened our understanding of American identity.

Cisneros is one of 12 recipients who will be awarded with the National Medal of the Arts, including San Antonio musician Santiago Jiménez, Jr.

The House on Mango Street is currently being performed at The Classic Theater through Sept. 25. Cisneros, who we recently had the chance to talk with, gave the José Rubén De León-directed stage version of Mango Street two thumbs up.

San Antonio Current works for you, and your support is essential.

Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of San Antonio and beyond.

Unlike many newspapers, ours is free – and we'd like to keep it that way, because we believe, now more than ever, everyone deserves access to accurate, independent coverage of their community.

Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep San Antonio's true free press free.