Tag Archives: Mexico

Book Review for Sor Juana by Ilan Stavans

Ilan Stavans’s book Sor Juana: Or, The Persistence of Pop is a loving meditation on iconic  seventeenth century Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, in particular her image and its omnipresence in modern Latinx pop culture. As a pop icon, Stavans says, Sor Juana shows up on everything from t-shirts to tattoos; tribute is paid to her in hip hop lyrics and operas, and her image even graces official government documents like stamps and the $200 peso note.  “Along with Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and Evita Perón, she is ubiquitous,” Stavans says, and “firmly grounded in the pantheon of Mexican icons.”

Continue reading Book Review for Sor Juana by Ilan Stavans