Sandra Cisneros’ new book, Woman Without Shame, comes out today, though I encountered this poem in a recent issue of Orion magazine. For years I got to witness students responding with full hearts and heads to Cisneros’ much-loved The House on Mango Street as it was taught in Free Minds. In her work the plain-spoken sits beside the poetic, the faux leopard beside the true wisdom. And in this poem, thank you beside thank you.
“When in doubt,
Err on the side of generosity.”
