The first book of its kind, Goddess of the Americas is a prismatic exploration of the mother goddess, the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico, protector of the downtrodden - a perfect fusion of Aztec, indigenous, Catholic, and folkloric world traditions, who made her first miraculous appearance on American soil in 1531. Through a variety of forms - original essays, historical writings, fiction, drama, and poetry - the illustrious contributors to this volume examine the impact this potent deity has had on the history of Mexico, its people, politics, religion, art, and literature, and her influence beyond that country, in Latin America, North America, and Europe. The goddess of the Americas is the Virgin of Guadalupe, a transcendent spiritual figure revered as a manifestation of the cosmic female force, a "divine protectress, and a font of "unconditional, ever-present maternal love," according to Castillo, whose brilliant introduction sets the tone for this profoundly moving and original collection of writings about the goddess. Castillo, author of Loverboys , invited a group of passionate writers to share their thoughts about the Virgin of Guadalupe, an intimate topic that inspired powerful, poignant, and revelatory essays, dramatic narratives, and poems. Both Castillo and Sandra Cisneros share intensely private girlhood memories in which the goddess shaped their understanding of womanhood. Richard Rodriguez ponders the Virgin's uniting of Spanish and Indian faiths, and Ruben Martinez, in "The Undocumented Virgin," links sightings of the Virgin to the Zapitista uprising and anti-immigration sentiment in California. Luis Rodriguez reflects on the spiritual quests of gang members, some of whom have the Virgin of Guadalupe tattooed on their backs, and Rosario Ferrereports on the Virgin in Puerto Rico. Other contributors to this mind-expanding and soulful anthology include Octavio Paz, Elena Poniatowska, Pat Mora, and Denise Chavez. Donna Seaman Ana Castillo is the author of the novels The Mixquiahuala Letters, Sapogonia, So Far From God , and a collection of poetry, My Father was a Toltec and Selected Poems . She has received an American Book Award, a Carl Sandburg Award, a Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in fiction and poetry. Castillo lives in Chicago with her son, Marcel. Used Book in Good Condition