World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Alma Luz Villanueva

アルマ・ルス・ビジャヌエバ

Aruma Rusu Bijanueva

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1944-10-04 （Lompoc, California, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, Spanish
Residence History
Mission District, San Francisco, California, U.S. → San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Career

Occupations
poet, novelist, short story writer, creative writing instructor, university lecturer
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
Antioch University Los Angeles, University of California, Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, Naropa Institute, Mesa College (San Diego Mesa College), University of California, San Diego, Stanford University, Pacific University

Awards

American Book Award
1989
Work: The Ultraviolet Sky
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
PEN Oakland Fiction Award
1994
Work: Naked Ladies
Organization: PEN Oakland
Result: 受賞
Latino Literature Prize (New York)
1994
Work: Planet (poetry)
Category: 詩
Organization: Unknown (Latino literature organization, New York)
Result: 受賞
The Best American Poetry
1996
Work: Poem "Crazy Courage"
Category: 詩（選出）
Organization: Scribner / editorial committee
Result: 収録／選出
Chicano/Latino Literary Prize
1976
Organization: Unknown (Chicano/Latino Literary Prize organizers)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Ultraviolet Sky

1988 novel

A novel weaving immigration, family and spirituality; explores cultural memory and personal healing.

cultural memoryhealingspirituality

Naked Ladies

1994 novel

Explores female embodiment, desire, and cultural expectations. Winner of the PEN Oakland Fiction Award.

femininitydesireidentity

Weeping Woman: La Llorona and Other Stories

1994 short story collection

A short story collection drawing on folklore and popular beliefs; centers on women's experiences and Chicano/Mexican motifs like La Llorona.

folklorewomen's experiencescultural tradition

Planet with Mother, May I?

1993 poetry

A poetry collection themed around motherhood, the cosmos, and self-exploration, featuring imagery rooted in Latino culture.

motherhoodcosmosself-exploration

Desire

1998 novel

A narrative intertwining desire, relationships, and cultural backgrounds; mixes passion with everyday life.

desirerelationshipscultural background

Song of the Golden Scorpion

2013 poetry

A recent poetry collection celebrating nature, myth, and feminine power; characterized by symbolic and spiritual language.

naturemythfeminine power

Soft Chaos

2009 poetry

A bilingual poetry collection addressing chaos and reconciliation and the reconstruction of personal memory.

chaosreconciliationmemory

Bibliography

  • Blood Root (1977)
  • Life Span (1985)
  • The Ultraviolet Sky (1988)
  • Planet with Mother, May I? (1993)
  • Weeping Woman: La Llorona and Other Stories (1994)
  • Naked Ladies (1994)
  • Desire (1998)
  • Vida (2002)
  • Luna's California Poppies (2002)
  • Soft Chaos (2009)
  • Song of the Golden Scorpion (2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
elements of magical realismpoetic and symbolic languagebilingual sensibility (English and Spanish)
Recurring Motifs
motherhood and feminine powerfolklore and myth (e.g., La Llorona)healing and spirituality

Legacy

Regarded as an important voice in Chicana/Latina literature. Contributed to Anglo-Latino letters by incorporating folkloric motifs and spiritual themes across poetry and fiction.

Trivia

  • Her grandfather in Hermosillo, Mexico, edited a newspaper and was a published poet.
  • Her maternal grandmother was a Yaqui curandera (healer), and her mother was also a healer.
  • Raised in San Francisco's Mission District; later moved to and lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.