Bernice B. Ortiz Zamora (born January 20, 1938) is an American

Chicana Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...

poet, "one of the preeminent poets to emerge from the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s". She received a B.A. in English and French from

Southern Colorado State College Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Colorado State University System and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). History 1933 to 1959 The idea for starting ...

(now

Colorado State University Pueblo Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Colorado State University, Colorado State University System and a Hispanic-serving institution, Hispanic-Serving Institut ...

) and an M.A. in English from Colorado State University in Fort Collins in 1972. In 1972, she enrolled in the English doctoral program at Marquette University and transferred to

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

the following year, where she ultimately received her Ph.D. in 1976. Besides being an accomplished poet, Zamora also taught classes in ethnic studies, Chicano studies, and literature at

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private university, private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university' ...

, Stanford University,

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

, and

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...

. She has served as a guest editor and co-editor for various publications, including the Chicano literary journal with José Armas, with Armas, and with Michael Reed.

Influences

Zamora's work was influenced by Chicano cultural traditions, spirituality, sexism, cultural suppression, unfair labor practices, identity issues, and love. Moreover, the regions of Southern Colorado are also heavily featured throughout her work, as well as the American Southwest. She uses the American Southwest in her work to explore questions and themes of colonization.

Work

Zamora's first collection of poetry, ''Restless Serpents'', was jointly published in 1979 with

José Antonio Burciaga José Antonio "Tony" Burciaga (August 23, 1940 – October 7, 1996) was an American Chicano artist, poet, and writer who explored issues of Chicano identity and American society. Early career In 1960 Burciaga joined the United States Air Forc ...

. The first edition included a limited printing of only 2,000 copies, over time has become an important in the Chicano literary canon. ''Restless Serpents'' is written in both English and Spanish. Critics have praised her poetry for their "lyrical beauty, evocative power, and complexity of thought and feeling." The themes she employs in her poetry include sexism, ethnic and racial oppression.

Bibliography

*''Restless Serpents'' (1979) *''Releasing Serpents'' (1994) *''Bellow'' (1997) *''Recalling Richard'' (1997) *"Contraries" (1998) *"Glint" (1998) *"Silence at Bay," in ''Máscaras'' (1997)

References

External links

Bernice Zamora
at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

* Juanita Luna Lawhn
Bernice Zamora - Instructors' Guide
*Encyclopedia of the Great Plain
Zamora, Bernice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zamora, Bernice 1938 births Living people American women poets American poets of Mexican descent Colorado State University Pueblo alumni Stanford University alumni Santa Clara University faculty American women academics 21st-century American women

Influences

Work

Bibliography

References

Further reading

External links