Have you ever met one of your idols? Someone whose work changed the way you think and interact with the world? Did you wonder how the universe conspired to make the encounter happen?
I went to the University of California at Santa Cruz and majored in what is now called Feminist Studies.1 I have mentioned before in this newsletter my teacher, mentor and friend Akasha Hull (well worth checking out if you haven’t yet). But I was extraordinarily fortunate to be in the presence or in the general vicinity of so many amazing minds. I remember once going to hear June Jordan do a reading from and a talk about her book Technical Difficulties. Of course my friends and I would be there. We were fan-girling hard about people in the audience. “Is that Adrienne Rich over there?”
The point of that story is that I felt like I was on the edge watching so many brilliant and powerful women engage with the world. Just being the close was inspiring.
Gloria Anzaldúa was one of those women. She taught at UCSC before my time. I had heard she still lived in Santa Cruz and later learned she was doing graduate work. In my first year, second quarter, I took the class she created called Women of Color in the United States (the class title and subjects covered are for another very layered conversation). For that class we read Making Face, Making Soul Hacienda Caras: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Feminists of Color2 edited by Gloria Anzaldúa in 1990. It is a powerful collection of brilliant words and I am grateful for the work it took to pull it together.
The concepts in her book Borderlands La Frontera: The New Metiza gave me words and an analysis to see the world differently. She writes about the power of living in the in between. It is not weakness to not fit into one identity or another, but a source of strength.
“At some point, on our way to a new consciousness, we will have to leave the opposite bank, the split between the two mortal combatants somehow healed so that we are on both shores at once and, at once, see through serpent and eagle eyes. Or perhaps we will decide to disengage from the dominant culture, write it off altogether as a lost cause, and cross the border into a wholly new and separate territory. Or we might go another route. The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” (Borderlands La Frontera: The New Metiza p. 78-79)
I could go on and on about her work and what I am still learning from her even after she has left this world too soon. She has whole sections on writing and the act of writing in the book The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader edited by AnaLouise Keating (2009).
“The new mestiza is a liminal subject who lives in the borderlands between cultures, races, languages, and genders. In this state of in-betweeness the mestiza can mediate, translate, negotiate and navigate these different locations. As mestizas, we are negotiating these worlds every day, understanding that multiculturalism is a way of seeing and interpreting the world, a methodology of resistance.” (The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader p.209)
But why Gloria is on my mind right now is that her papers have been preserved at the Netty Lee Benson Library I mentioned last week. They have manuscripts, notes, posters, correspondence, photographs, calendars, address books, lectures and talks. I am so happy so much of her work has been saved and is available for researchers. The work of her sister and other scholars created a space for her work to be preserved.
Another reason that I am so thrilled about the Gloria Anzaldúa papers is that in my last year of college I had the opportunity to work as Gloria’s literary assistant as an independent study. I was so star struck. I worked out of her home typing in her hand written notes so she could review and edit them later. Part of the independent study involved conversations about writing and the work I was doing (no pressure there!?!?). She was wonderful to talk with and she made me tacos sometimes if I was hungry. I am grateful for her sharing her warmth and brilliance with me.
As I read the whole finding aid for her collection at the library, yes I scrolled through all 240 box descriptions because that’s me, I was so excited to see my name on one of the files (Box 165, File 6). Many of her literary assistants had their own file and I was one of them. I have emailed the reference folks at the library to see if I can get a scan of the file or at least find out what is in it. Most likely my independent study application and maybe my evaluation. I will keep you posted.
Again this is not perfect, but I think I am getting the hang of it.
The Feminist Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz is one of largest departments focused on gender and sexuality studies in the United States. Founded as Women's Studies in 1974, the department has produced some of the most notable scholars working in the field today, and is one of the oldest and most well-regarded departments in the world.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I hadn't heard of Gloria Anzaldua so am delighted you've written about her and your personal collection. What a thrill to see her acknowledged so deeply.
I love this so much. Gloria Anzaldua is one of my favorites. Her writing is so fierce and true.