Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1942–2004) was a visionary writer whose work was recognized with many honors, including the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, a Lambda literary award, the National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Award, and the Bode-Pearson Prize for Outstanding Contributions to American Studies. Her book
AnaLouise Keating, Professor of Women’s Studies at Texas Woman’s University, is the author of
Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1942–2004) was a visionary writer whose work was recognized with many honors, including the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, a Lambda literary award, the National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Award, and the Bode-Pearson Prize for Outstanding Contributions to American Studies. Her book
AnaLouise Keating, Professor of Women’s Studies at Texas Woman’s University, is the author of
Putting Coyolxauhqui Together: A Creative Process
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Published:September 2015
This chapter presents the most detailed, extensive discussion of Anzaldúa’s theory and practice of writing, which she calls “the Coyolxauhqui process.” Anzaldúa narrates her entire creative process, the call for papers, idea generation, pre-drafting, writing blocks, multiple revisions, and essay submission. She presents writing as a fully embodied activity that includes a complex emotional dimension, with periods of extreme depression, dissatisfaction, and despair, coupled with self-doubt and feelings of complete inadequacy. This chapter also includes further development of Anzaldúa’s theories of the Coyolxauhqui imperative, nepantla, el cenote, and the imaginal. Particularly important is Anzaldúa’s expansion of nepantla to include additional epistemological dimensions; nepantla also functions as form of consciousness, an actant of sorts. the psychological dimensions of writing, and Anzaldúa’s own writing practice, including the angst of creativity. This chapter demonstrates the deeply embodied, extremely intentional
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