American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1987) Winner
Ana Castillo
アナ・カスティーヨ
Ana Castillo
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1953-06-15 （Chicago, Illinois, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- Chicago, Illinois, U.S. → New Mexico, U.S. → Bremen, Germany → California, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, short story writer, essayist, editor, playwright, translator, independent scholar
- Active Years
- 1977-
- Affiliations
- DePaul University (held the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Endowed Chair)
- Nominations
- Nominated for 'Greatest Chicagoans of the Century' (Sun Times), 1999
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones College Prep High School | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Northeastern Illinois University | — | Art (minor in secondary education) | BS | — | United States |
| University of Chicago | — | Latin American Studies | MA | — | United States |
| University of Bremen | — | American Studies | PhD | — | Germany |
Jones College Prep High School
Country:
United States
High school; graduation year unknown
Northeastern Illinois University
Art (minor in secondary education)
Degree:
BS
Country:
United States
BS in Art with a minor in secondary education
University of Chicago
Latin American Studies
Degree:
MA
Year of Graduation:
1979
Country:
United States
MA in Latin American Studies (1979)
University of Bremen
American Studies
Degree:
PhD
Year of Graduation:
1991
Country:
Germany
Submitted essays later collected as Massacre of the Dreamers in lieu of a traditional dissertation
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | American Book Award | The Mixquiahuala Letters | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Sor Juana Achievement Award | — | — | Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (Chicago) | 受賞 |
| — | Carl Sandburg Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| — | Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| — | Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (fiction and poetry) | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 受賞 |
American Book Award
1987
Work:
The Mixquiahuala Letters
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Sor Juana Achievement Award
1998
Organization:
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (Chicago)
Result:
受賞
Carl Sandburg Award
Result:
受賞
Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award
Result:
受賞
Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (fiction and poetry)
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
-
Edition 0 (2017) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Mixquiahuala Letters
1986 Novel (experimental)An experimental novel that deploys layered narratives addressing border issues and identity.
identitybordernarrative experimentation
Sapogonia: An anti-romance in 3/8 meter
1990 Novel (anti-romance)An experimental work exploring mestizaje and identity; named a New York Times Notable Book.
mestizajecultural identity
So Far from God
1993 Novel (with elements of magical realism)Set in New Mexico, a multi-voiced novel intertwining spirituality, womanhood, and ethnic experience. A 1993 NYT Notable Book.
spiritualitywomanhoodborderlands realities
Loverboys
1996 Story collectionA collection of short stories focusing on women's experiences and relationships.
women's experiencesintimacycommunity
The Guardians
2007 Novel (social fiction)A novel about violence and the realities of migration in the borderlands, addressing family, loss, violence, and community solidarity.
border violenceimmigrant hardshipviolence against women
Give It to Me
2014 NovelA more recent novel; details vary by source and should be consulted directly.
familycultural memory
Bibliography
- Otro Canto (1977)
- The Invitation (1979)
- Women Are Not Roses (1984)
- My Father Was a Toltec (1988)
- The Mixquiahuala Letters (1986)
- Sapogonia (1990)
- So Far from God (1993)
- Loverboys (1996)
- Massacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma (1994)
- The Guardians (2007)
- Give It to Me (2014)
Translations by Author
- Esta puente, mi espalda: Voces de mujeres tercermundistas en los Estados Unidos (co-translation, 1988)
Translations of Works
- Many works have been translated into Spanish and other languages (see individual works for details)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- experimental styleelements of magical realismpostmodern techniques
- Recurring Motifs
- border and migrationChicana/Latina identityreligiosity/spiritualitywomanhood and feminism
Legacy
Ana Castillo is regarded as a leading voice in Chicana literature, known for her experimental style and interventions in Chicana feminism (Xicanisma). She is widely cited in literary, feminist, and ethnic studies.
Archives
- California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Quotes
-
“Xicanisma is an ever present consciousness of our interdependence specifically rooted in our culture and history. Although Xicanisma is a way to understand ourselves in the world, it may also help others who are not necessarily of Mexican background and/or women. It is yielding; never resistant to change, one based on wholeness not dualisms.”
Source: Interview/essay (source details not specified)
Trivia
- Held the first Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Endowed Chair at DePaul University.
- Papers and archives are held at the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives, UC Santa Barbara.
- Nominated for 'Greatest Chicagoans of the Century' (1999).