By Teresa Puente  –

It has been 25 years since Sandra Cisneros’ now famous book, The House on Mango Street, was first published.

Cisneros came back to her hometown of Chicago Tuesday to read and speak at the Harold Washington Library Center, where the large crowd spilled into overflow rooms.

Cisneros read an excerpt from a new introduction to her classic book and also gave the audience a preview of a short story from a forthcoming collection.

She also shared with the audience details about growing up in Chicago from visits to the public library to finding her writer’s voice.

She attended a Catholic high school in Chicago, St. Josephinum, and said there she found herself as a writer and performer.

“It was a place that raised my self-esteem. It was a school where I was discovered as a performer,” she said.

Cisneros recalled day dreaming in English class and how Sister Giovanni called on her. To the nun’s surprise Cisneros knew where they were and she recited a poem.

“Where did you learn to read like that?” the nun asked.

“Doesn’t everybody?” Cisneros responded.

She worked with another teacher on poetry and took a speech class and typing, which have helped her to this day.

“I didn’t think I’d ever make any money from my writing. I type very fast according to my cousin Licha,” Cisneros said to audience laughter.

Cisneros recalled as a young girl going to the Humboldt Park branch of the library.
The library played an important role in the life of her family of nine living in a two-bedroom apartment.

“It was a place you had to be quiet, even my six brothers had to be quiet,” she said. “It was a place that was meant to be still and you could hear things inside your heart.”

She recalled looking through a card catalog. She noticed how some of the cards were dog-eared and dirty from so many people looking at them. She thought this must be a good book because so many people had touched the card.

“I wish one day to have my name in the card catalog and I hope the card is dirty,” she thought back then.

Cisneros became a writer even though her father was strongly against it. He wanted her to be a weather woman or marry and have a family.

“Like any father he didn’t want me to be poor,” Cisneros recalled.

He saw her struggle early on but later he saw her success. He visited her at the home she bought in San Antonio, once periwinkle purple and now painted a Mexican pink. He saw she had she had people working for her and realized that she was able to make a living as a writer.

“Sorry mi’ja,” he told her.

They reconciled before he passed away.

Cisneros told the audience it’s important to follow one’s heart and your passion.

“Listen to your intuition even if you’re afraid and have fear,” she said. “Your heart will always take you to your path, your camino.”