On Oct. 8, author Sandra Cisneros — best known for her young adult novella, “The House on Mango Street” — returned to UC Riverside for her first in-person appearance since 2012. Cisneros was also a featured author in the 2022 Writers Week festival. The event was open to the public, and copies of her books were available for purchase outside of the University Theatre, where the event took place. 

Throughout the night, Cisneros read excerpts from several of her pieces: an unreleased novel called “Infinito,” a speech about what inspired “The House on Mango Street,” and what was intended to be a commencement speech. 

Following the reading, Cisneros was joined by Alex Espinoza, Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing, who interviewed the author — including questions submitted by the audience. The two discussed the impact Cisneros had on the Latin-American community, among several other topics. The discussion resonated with much of the audience.

“‘The House on Mango Street’  was the first time where I realized that the traumas and experiences that we carry, especially as Latinos, we can transfer that into art,” third-year Theatre, Film, and Digital Production major Jackie Ajucum said. “And we can find success in it, even if that's not our intentional purpose. What I really liked about what she said during her panel today was that everything that she creates within her art–it's all made of love. Not with the intention of making awards or having some sort of global recognition.”

Current students and alumni made up much of the audience, many of whom admire the work Cisneros does.

“ Oftentimes, either students are not represented or are silenced,” Daniel López Salas, ‘16 and ‘23 said. “And so having voices like Sandra Cisneros really represents the voices and the calls for diversity on our campus in a way that I think can often be misconstrued or hidden.”

Following the talkback, Cisneros offered autographs and photos at a table outside the theatre.

FEATURED PHOTO. Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing interviews author Sandra Cisneros live on stage. Photo by Dennis Cha.