Sor Juana

A sixteenth-century Mexican nun, Sor Juana Ins 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, lotera cards, key chains, recipe books, coffee mugs, Da de los Muertos costumes. Ironically, Juana Ins de Asbajealias Sor Juana Ins de la Cruzdied 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.