Journeys of a Mystic Soul in Poetry and Prose

Most of the writings of the Spanish nun Cecilia del Nacimiento (1570-1646) were unknown for several centuries in any language. Her prose works testify to Mother Cecilia’s theological expertise, and her poetry—some of which was thought to have been written by San Juan de la Cruz—includes masterpieces from Spain’s Golden Age. As a Discalced Carmelite devoted to St. Teresa, she analyzed and experienced spiritual ecstasy, which she expertly communicated in her verse. This volume contains a biographical introduction, English translations of the prose works, the poetry in both Spanish and English on facing pages, and indices of key words and titles of the poetic works.

"This edition, which offers a bilingual selection of poetry and selected prose by the nun-author Cecilia del Nacimiento (1570–1646), translated into English increases contemporary scholars’ access to, and therefore understanding of, the Spanish early modern religious and intellectual milieu. A significant, rarely-studied mystic and poet, and member of the Discalced Carmelite Order in the years after St. Teresa of Avila’s death, Cecilia del Nacimiento exemplifies the range of possibilities used by women writers who worked within the conventions of hegemonic discourses, while creating a unique literary voice."

-Stacey Schlau, Professor, Department of Languages and Culture and the Women’s Studies Program, West Chester University, Pennsylvania

KEVIN DONNELLY received his Ph.D. in Spanish (Colonial Spanish American Studies) from New York University in 2006. From 2006 to 2011 he was Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He currently resides in New York City where he continues to teach and work on international education and curriculum policy. He is also involved in translation projects ranging from fictional literary translations to historical texts and the promotion of new Latin American cinematic projects.

SANDRA SIDER received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1978), and was Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at The Hispanic Society of America 1985–94. She has translated the sonnets of Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz and the poetry of Sappho, and is the author of The Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe (Facts on File, 2005). She currently teaches art history online for the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

REVIEWS
The Catholic Historical Review 99.2 (2013): 361–363. Reviewed by Bruno Damiani.
Early Modern Women 8 (2013): 404–407. Reviewed by Evelyn Toft.
Renaissance & Reformation 36.3 (2013): 161–163. Reviewed by Alison Weber.
The Sixteenth Century Journal 45.1 (2014): 192–194. Reviewed by Francis Tobienne, Jr.