A sixteenth-century Mexican nun, Sor Juana Ines 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, loteria cards, key chains, recipe books, coffee mugs, Dia de los Muertos costumes. Ironically, Juana Ines de Asbaje—alias Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz—died 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.
