Border Crossings and Beyond: The Life and Works of Sandra Cisneros

Best known as the author of The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros is recognized as one the most important contemporary U.S. writers. In this book, Rivera (English and Latino/a Literature, University of Puerto Rico) examines the ways in which issues of cultural and racial identity are reflected in Cisneros' writing and social activism. Chapters look at Cisneros' creative process when writing novels and analyze her poetry collections, highlighting the distinctions that she makes between the two forms of writing. Rivera concludes with a discussion of Cisneros' role as an activist involved in community affairs, particularly those related to the development of Latino/a lives. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Carmen Haydee Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Boston. She received her BA and MA in British and American Literature from the University of Puerto Rico in 1988 and 1991, respectively. She later returned to Boston and earned a PhD in Multiethnic Literatures of the U.S. from Northeastern University in 2001. She has taught courses in American Literature, Puerto Rican Writers in the US, and Contemporary US Latino/a Literature.