and stories about traditions passed down from
generation to generation. Writers such as Pat
Mora, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Ana Castillo, and
Denise Chaa ́vez drew the attention of mainstream
American publishers. Throughout the 1980s and
1990s, high schools and colleges expanded their
curriculum, making it more multicultural, and in
so doing making an effort to recognize cultures
other than those of western European countries,
which had previously dominated textbooks. Chi-
cana literature went from being solely of interest to
descendants of Mexico to being of interest to any-
one who understood the richness of combined
cultures.
Critical Overview.
Pat Mora may be better known in the early 2000s
for her children’s books than for her poetry, but, if
so, that is only because of her exceptional success
in that field. Her first publications were in poetry,
which she began submitting after having a few
children’s books rejected. She had already won
poetry awards fromNew America, a literary mag-
azine published by the University of New Mexico,
and the National Association of Chicano Studies
before her first book was published. Her first
poetry collection,Chants(1984), was followed by
Communion in 1985, which brought Mora a
national audience. In 1996, Patrick D. Murphy
discussed these two books in detail inMelus, find-
ing Mora’s work a driving force in the move
toward multiculturalism. ‘‘She encourages a cul-
tural conservation through the cultivation of the
rich roots of her Chicana heritage,’’ he wrote. ‘‘She
also reminds us that other voices are speaking out
for the necessary preservation of cultural diversity.
To all of these heretofore marginalized and sup-
pressed voices we must also attend.’’
Mora’s 1993 bookBorderswon the Southwest
Book Award. Mora was also awarded a National
Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1994 and a
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Book Award in- Over the years, her poetry output was con-
siderably less than her other work, including doz-
ens of children’s books, a memoir, and a collection
of essays. Though most of her awards have been
regional, her work has been praised by her fellow
poets, who consider her an important voice.
Criticism.
David Kelly
Kelly is a writer who teaches creative writing and
literature at Oakton Community College in Illinois.
In this essay, he considers whether the tornado isPalm trees in a storm(Image copyright photo kiev, 2009. Used under license from Shutterstock.com)
Uncoiling