Untold sisters [electronic resource] : Hispanic nuns in their own works / edited by Electa Arenal and Stacey Schlau ; translations by Amanda Powell.

Cover image for Untold sisters [electronic resource] : Hispanic nuns in their own works / edited by Electa Arenal and Stacey Schlau ; translations by Amanda Powell.

ISBN:

9780826351180

Title:

Untold sisters [electronic resource] : Hispanic nuns in their own works / edited by Electa Arenal and Stacey Schlau ; translations by Amanda Powell.

Author:

Arenal, Electa, editor.

Edition:

Revised edition.

Publication Information:

Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2010.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 460 pages) : illustrations, maps, portraits

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Nuns -- Spain.

Nuns -- Latin America.

Monastic and religious life of women.

Added Author:

Arenal, Electa,

Schlau, Stacey, 1948-

Powell, Amanda,

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2010

Publication Information:

Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2010.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
271.90008968 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

When it appeared in 1989, "Untold Sisters" was the first general introduction to Hispanic convent culture published in the United States. Since then, much has been learned about the links among women of differing cultures, orders, and convents, their networks and support systems, their conflicts and rivalries.

Most nun-authors lived in convents and were subject to multiple mechanisms of control. They found ways to negotiate, however, the repressive machinery of ecclesiastic and state institutions. "Untold Sisters" underscores how role models such at St. Teresa of Avila aided nun-authors in intertwining their personal beliefs with dogma, regardless of their social situations. At the same time that they wanted proximity to God, they sought to authorize speech, both oral and written.

Historical changes and geographical distance alter the meanings of written words. The language used by the nuns was common to the writers' regions, generations, and even their particular religious orders. Without this knowledge, it is easy to mistake words or modes of expression--quite common or particular in meaning to an entire community, city, or epoch--as unusual or original.

As in the first edition, the authors first study and then anthologize some representative nuns' writings, which are presented in modernized Spanish and English. Revealed here are the contradictions of female monastic life: repression and liberation, obedience and rebellion, conformity and individuality.

Reviews (2)

Choice Review

In 1989, editors Arenal and Schlau first presented this valuable collection of the writings and literature of 13 Catholic nuns who lived in Spain and Latin America between the late 16th and 18th centuries. The first edition was important because it focused attention on several Hispanic female writers much less recognized than the well-known Saint Teresa and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. Each chapter concentrated on a single individual or small group and included a historical and thematic introduction to the author. Substantial excerpts from the poetry, theater, and diaries of each writer were included, and each excerpt was printed in Spanish with an English translation. The collection provided a look into the psychology, history, and literary activities of convents, along with interesting glimpses into the daily lives of women who dedicated themselves to the Church. This revised edition includes most of the same essays and texts, though different excerpts are used for a couple of the writers. The extensive updated bibliography is a visual indicator of the increased interest in this field since the earlier edition appeared. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty. M. L. Grover Brigham Young University

Library Journal Review

This book makes available--in some cases for the first time--a wealth of previously ``hidden'' literature written by Hispanic nuns of the 16th through 18th centuries. By permitting the bilingual texts to speak for themselves, the editors let us glimpse the women who lived as families in the convents. The book offers a variety of forms and themes, allowing individual voices to emerge: a poet praises her Carmelite sandals while another writes, ``Many complain that Death comes in swift ways, but for this poor old woman it comes in a wagon drawn by lumbering oxen.'' The editors provide valuable background, extensive notes, and bibliography and have included work by nuns from Spanish America. All these nuns wrote despite male suspicion and official censorship; their lives testify to ``the unending human capacity for survival and creativity.''-- Kathleen Norris, Lemmon P.L., N.D . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Reviews (2)

Choice Review

Library Journal Review