A Woman of Genius: The Intellectual Autobiography of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (English and Spanish Edition)
A Woman of Genius: The Intellectual Autobiography of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (English and Spanish Edition)
Overview
The life of Juana de Asbaje, a 17th-century Mexican nun who took the name Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, is an astonishing testament to the powers of the human will under the most adverse circumstances. Born illegitimately into a humble family, in a society which frowned on even the most trivial incursions by women into the intellectual sphere, she became one of the most accomplished poets and scholars of the late Spanish Baroque, easily able to match the leading figures of her day in theology, mathematics, Biblical exegesis, music and a host of other subjects. She was entirely self-taught. Eventually, her prowess came to the attention of the Bishop of Puebla, don Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz y Sahgun; using the pseudonym Sor Filotea, the Bishop wrote the young nun a cautionary letter in which he explained, as charitably as he could, that it was simply not right for a woman to be engaged in serious intellectual pursuits. The text contained in the volume under review, said to be the first complete English translation, is Sor Juana s long and erudite reply to this challenge: The Response to Sor Filotea, one of the enduring masterpieces of colonial Spanish literature. -- Wm. Ferguson, Worcester Telegram ---------------------- Margaret Sayers Peden s translation, the first in English, loses none of the author s thinly veiled ire, nor the sharpness of her arguments. Peden s faithful interpretation of key words, upon which many of Sor Juana s protests pivot, maintains the document s lucidity and strength. Written within the confines of religion, inside an isolated world shielded by the Inquisition from the intellectual revolution taking place outside the Spanish realm, La Respuesta nevertheless addresses timeless universal themes. -- Mercedes Lynn de Uriarte, Los Angeles Times --Worcester (MA) Telegram & LA TIMESBecause of her writings on the subject of intellectual freedom for women, Sor Juana Ines angered some clergymen and fellow nuns who upbraided her for her boldness. She answered her critics with a work titled La Repuesta a Sor Filotea, punctuating her observations with references to the Bible and classical literature. That ended her career as a protester and she withdrew to silence in the convent. She died four years later, in 1695, during a plague. Margaret Sayers Peden, professor of Spanish-American literature at the University of Missouri, translated the awesome declaration and wrote an introduction to A Woman of Genius that gives an assessment of the nuns writings. -- UPI -------------------------- Juana Ines was a most unusual woman especially for her time and place, 17th-century Mexico. When she was three, she began to read voraciously from her grandfather s library. At eight, she moved to Mexico City to live with one of her sisters, where she soon became known for her knowledge and creativity. When she was 18, she joined the order of Saint Jerome, taking the name of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. During the next 20 years she wrote poems, plays and prose works, some sacred, some profane. As she became famous for her writings, she came under increasing criticism from the clergy, particularly from the Bishop of Puebla. Her response was a long prose work titled Reply to Sister Filotea (the Bishop had signed his pamphet with the pseudonym, Sister Filotea). The Bishop had recommended that Sor Juana keep to divine eneavors because women should be content to study for the love of learning. Her reply, a sharply worded attack on the limitations placed upon women s education, was learned and cogent and too poignant to be left unanswered by the Church. Thus Sor Juana whom Alfonso Reyes, Mexico s stellar literary figure, praised for her divine lyricism was forced to abandon her writings. She sold her books and other possessions and gave the proceeds to the convent. She became an obedient, and silent, nun. Four years later, on April 17, 1694, she died of the plague while nursing her fellow sisters. -- Joseph Schraibman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch --UPI & St. Louis Post-DispatchSor Juana was a harbinger of the Enlightenment, living at a time when theology was universally acclaimed The Queen of Sciences. Her sisters, uncomprehending, envied, resented, and in the end persecuted her. What a pity it is that so rich a mind should debase itself in the petty matters of this world, the bishop wrote, prompting her fiercely eloquent reply. Misunderstood and beleaguered, the inner turmoil of her troubled soul shines through the majestic prose written at the peak of her baroque but highly rational powers. Except for a few unimportant scribblings as she termed them, Sor Juana wrote nothing more. As an act of penance she gave away her beloved books, her scientific instruments and her music. The fight against such insurmountable odds as being a woman, a religious and a scientific intellect imprisoned in the 17th century, defeated even her soaring spirit. She died at 43. Shortly before her death, she had pened the prophetic lines, I am dying (who will believe it) at the hands of the thing I love the most, and what is killing me is the love I have for it. The book should introduce many new readers to the wonderful world of this 17th century woman who was perhaps destined to be discovered by a more sympathetic and understanding era our own. -- Diana Serra Cary, San Diego Union --San Diego UnionDescription
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
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- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
The life of Juana de Asbaje, a 17th-century Mexican nun who took the name Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, is an astonishing testament to the powers of the human will under the most adverse circumstances. Born illegitimately into a humble family, in a society which frowned on even the most trivial incursions by women into the intellectual sphere, she became one of the most accomplished poets and scholars of the late Spanish Baroque, easily able to match the leading figures of her day in theology, mathematics, Biblical exegesis, music and a host of other subjects. She was entirely self-taught. Eventually, her prowess came to the attention of the Bishop of Puebla, don Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz y Sahgun; using the pseudonym Sor Filotea, the Bishop wrote the young nun a cautionary letter in which he explained, as charitably as he could, that it was simply not right for a woman to be engaged in serious intellectual pursuits. The text contained in the volume under review, said to be the first complete English translation, is Sor Juana s long and erudite reply to this challenge: The Response to Sor Filotea, one of the enduring masterpieces of colonial Spanish literature. -- Wm. Ferguson, Worcester Telegram ---------------------- Margaret Sayers Peden s translation, the first in English, loses none of the author s thinly veiled ire, nor the sharpness of her arguments. Peden s faithful interpretation of key words, upon which many of Sor Juana s protests pivot, maintains the document s lucidity and strength. Written within the confines of religion, inside an isolated world shielded by the Inquisition from the intellectual revolution taking place outside the Spanish realm, La Respuesta nevertheless addresses timeless universal themes. -- Mercedes Lynn de Uriarte, Los Angeles Times --Worcester (MA) Telegram & LA TIMESBecause of her writings on the subject of intellectual freedom for women, Sor Juana Ines angered some clergymen and fellow nuns who upbraided her for her boldness. She answered her critics with a work titled La Repuesta a Sor Filotea, punctuating her observations with references to the Bible and classical literature. That ended her career as a protester and she withdrew to silence in the convent. She died four years later, in 1695, during a plague. Margaret Sayers Peden, professor of Spanish-American literature at the University of Missouri, translated the awesome declaration and wrote an introduction to A Woman of Genius that gives an assessment of the nuns writings. -- UPI -------------------------- Juana Ines was a most unusual woman especially for her time and place, 17th-century Mexico. When she was three, she began to read voraciously from her grandfather s library. At eight, she moved to Mexico City to live with one of her sisters, where she soon became known for her knowledge and creativity. When she was 18, she joined the order of Saint Jerome, taking the name of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. During the next 20 years she wrote poems, plays and prose works, some sacred, some profane. As she became famous for her writings, she came under increasing criticism from the clergy, particularly from the Bishop of Puebla. Her response was a long prose work titled Reply to Sister Filotea (the Bishop had signed his pamphet with the pseudonym, Sister Filotea). The Bishop had recommended that Sor Juana keep to divine eneavors because women should be content to study for the love of learning. Her reply, a sharply worded attack on the limitations placed upon women s education, was learned and cogent and too poignant to be left unanswered by the Church. Thus Sor Juana whom Alfonso Reyes, Mexico s stellar literary figure, praised for her divine lyricism was forced to abandon her writings. She sold her books and other possessions and gave the proceeds to the convent. She became an obedient, and silent, nun. Four years later, on April 17, 1694, she died of the plague while nursing her fellow sisters. -- Joseph Schraibman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch --UPI & St. Louis Post-DispatchSor Juana was a harbinger of the Enlightenment, living at a time when theology was universally acclaimed The Queen of Sciences. Her sisters, uncomprehending, envied, resented, and in the end persecuted her. What a pity it is that so rich a mind should debase itself in the petty matters of this world, the bishop wrote, prompting her fiercely eloquent reply. Misunderstood and beleaguered, the inner turmoil of her troubled soul shines through the majestic prose written at the peak of her baroque but highly rational powers. Except for a few unimportant scribblings as she termed them, Sor Juana wrote nothing more. As an act of penance she gave away her beloved books, her scientific instruments and her music. The fight against such insurmountable odds as being a woman, a religious and a scientific intellect imprisoned in the 17th century, defeated even her soaring spirit. She died at 43. Shortly before her death, she had pened the prophetic lines, I am dying (who will believe it) at the hands of the thing I love the most, and what is killing me is the love I have for it. The book should introduce many new readers to the wonderful world of this 17th century woman who was perhaps destined to be discovered by a more sympathetic and understanding era our own. -- Diana Serra Cary, San Diego Union --San Diego UnionDescription
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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