<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear listeros,<DIV>My apologies for any cross-postings. I wanted to let you know of the release of the novel Hunger's Brides this week in the U.S. and U.K. in hardcover, and in paperback in Canada.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Based on the life of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz in 17th-century Mexico, the book's early chapters give special emphasis to the influences of the prehispanic world and Nahua culture during her childhood years in Nepantla and Amecameca. I am far from the first to note such influences in her work, of course, but I think it's fair to say that the breadth of interest Hunger's Brides takes in these issues represents a departure from the established portrait of Sor Juana in her time and place.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It fascinated me to consider elements of her story, particularly her withdrawal from the world and mortification at the hands of her persecutors, in the context of the great mythic narratives of the Valley of Mexico -- Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Topiltzin, to name a few. I drew also upon many of the images we have of feminine figures in Aztec mythology and was particularly intrigued by Susan Gillespie's then unpublished doctoral work on the Aztec "women of desiny". As well, the book takes up various legends and mythically-resonant historical events: the uprisings led by Martin Ocelotl and Andres Mixcoatl offer one example. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I had also wanted present a somewhat complex moral view of the Aztec world -- to acknowledge both the darkness and the cultural glories, but also the humanity of daily life. The riddles and proverbs translated by Thelma Sullivan in the superb _A Scattering of Jades_ allowed me to offer readers glimpses into some of the whimsy and metaphorical richness of popular speech, as another window on the Nahua world.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>For anyone interested, an excerpt showing Sullivan's work put to the service of this end can be found here:</DIV><DIV><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/novel_abecedario.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/novel_abecedario.html</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I'll stop here. It's a pleasure to be able to offer you my thanks and to acknowledge the collegial spirit so often in evidence on this list.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best wishes,</DIV><DIV>Paul Anderson</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">A few links, for you, or for any of your students who might be interested. </DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">****************************************************************</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">a sampling of excerpts pertaining to the Conquest</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/mezo_conquest.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/mezo_conquest.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">interactive discussion guides for reading groups, broken into three roles: reader, moderator, author</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/BookClubsCentral.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/BookClubsCentral.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">slide-shows of images taken from Sor Juana's former convent in Mexico City and her newly restored childhood home near Amecameca</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/gallery.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/gallery.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">a multimedia introduction to the novel (click on "A baroque century ends")</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/player_320.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/player_320.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">a digital-video interview with Las voces de Sor Juana, a group of young music students of the CNA discussing Sor Juana and her significance for them today</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/player_audio_vsj.html">http://www.hungersbrides.com/player_audio_vsj.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 17px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">At the moment our Spanish language page is in disarray -- apologies to the hispanohablantes -- but there is a page for the german edition at: <A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com/storeroom_deutsch.html"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0031E7">http://www.hungersbrides.com/storeroom_deutsch.html</FONT></A></DIV><BR><BR><DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Times" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times">*********************************************************</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Times" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times">Paul Anderson, <I>Hunger's Brides.</I></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Times" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times"><A href="http://www.hungersbrides.com">http://www.hungersbrides.com</A></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Times" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times">Based on the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in 17th-century Mexico.</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face="Times" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times">Published by: Random House (Canada), Carroll & Graf (US), Rubikon (Serbia), Constable & Robinson (UK), Pendo Verlag (Germany).</FONT></DIV> <BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>