By Maritza Gordillo
Dr. Norma E. Cantú is a postmodernist writer and an English and Latina/Latino Studies professor at UMKC. Her areas of specialization are: border studies, Chicano/a literature, cultural studies, folklore, and feminist studies. I recently went to a book reading she had on September 5, 2013 at the Central Library on one of her award winning books, Canícula, as well as other works of hers. The pieces she read were inspired by her own life experiences and with lots of humor like in one of her recent projects, Hair.
After hearing her childhood experiences, I have come to realize that we all have our own story that we should be writing. As women, we go through a lot of experiences from childhood to adulthood changing physically, emotionally, economically, etc… that make us who we are. We need to embrace them and share them with others. Dr. Cantú continues to inspire me through her work as an empowering Chicana, feminist, and poet. I feel honored to have her as my professor, to have her as a friend, and to have her as a mentor.