In the spring, I finished a more-or-less final draft of a book about the famous nun, author, and scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. The book is a short non-fiction book intended for middle grade readers. (Side note: If you are here for the Disney art history, don't panic! You might enjoy this too, even if on the surface it has nothing to do with Disney or Disney history.)
For one reason or another, I had to set it aside until recently, when I've picked it back up to figure out how it relates to some other books I've wanted to write about women and art in Latin America. (More on that in good time).
Who is Sor Juana?
So who is Sor Juana? She was a nun who lived in New Spain, a viceroyalty of the Spanish Crown. She lived in what is today Mexico during the 17th century. And she was a prodigy who took the veil to become a nun so she could focus on her writing. She wrote poetry, essays, music, and more. She also defended the right of women to education, and by some measures we can consider her to be the first feminist of the Americas.
I remember when I first learned about her (in college!) and I was awed by her genius. And saddened that I'd not heard of her sooner. She is an inspiration and her story is one that I hope young learners everywhere will read and learn.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in art history
You might be wondering: Well, what does this have to do with art history? A lot! Sor Juana's portraits are one way that we learn about what people thought about her—in a way, how she was perceived. The most famous portrait of her is by the incredible painter Miguel Cabrera. It's a HUGE painting, and seeing it in person made me appreciate it even more. This visual record helps us to also learn more about women in colonial Mexico.
The topic of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in art lets us look at so many ideas! It's suc a fun way to introduce new learners and especially young learners to art history.
When is this book coming out?
I think with a little bit of magic, Sor Juana is on track for a 2025 publication. That said, I want to make sure I have the few other books in this series all outlined so I have a clearer sense of how they fit together; so far I have another book drafted, another one underway, and two more in the initial stages of an outline—more on who they are about soon enough! Unless I hit a hiccup there, I will remain on track.
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If you'd like to watch a short video about Sor Juana, check out this video I made over at ARTSQ!