Sandra Cisneros, who is well known for her novels, short stories and poems, was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1954.

Cisneros wrote her first poem at the age of ten and had her publishing debut in 1980 with Bad Boys. But it wasn’t until she wrote The House on Mango Street (1984) that she jumped to fame. So far, The House on Mango Street has sold more than two million copies.

Her academic background includes a B.A. in English from Loyola University in Chicago and a M.F.A. in Creating Writing from the University of Iowa.

Sandra was born in a Mexican-American family and is the only surviving daughter in a family of seven children. The places she has lived are recurrent locations in her writing. They include Chicago, Mexico City and San Antonio.

Sandra’s work is considered among the most prominent in Chicano literature. She established the Macondo and the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundations (the latter named in honor of her father’s memory) to support upcoming talented writers.

To read more about Sandra Cisneros, visit her official website.