The stories of history are often defined by the storytellers. Hosted by the Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII), this week’s lecture series presentation offers a different view on an age-old tale.
Join us as Anna Nogar and Enrique Lamadrid of UNM’s department of Spanish and Portuguese, along with illustrator Amy Córdova, share the process behind creating “Sisters in Blue/Hermanas de azul: Sor María de Ãgreda Comes to New Mexico/ Sor María de Ãgreda viene a Nuevo México,” a bilingual children's book from UNM Press that weaves together New Mexican history, legend and place.
“Sisters in Blue” tells the story of two young women—one Spanish, one Puebloan—meeting across space and time. Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda, New Mexico's famous Lady in Blue, is said to have traveled to New Mexico in the seventeenth century. Here Anna M. Nogar and Enrique R. Lamadrid bring her to life, imagining an encounter between a Pueblo woman and Sor María during the nun's mystical spiritual journeys.
Tales of Sor María have traditionally presented her as an evangelist who helped bring Catholicism to the Pueblos. This book, which includes an essay providing historical context, shows a connection between Sor María and her friend Paf Sheuri. The two women find more similarities than differences in their shared experiences, and what they learn from each other has an impact for centuries to come.
The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the LAII Conference Room. This event is free and open to the public.