Why I’m Obsessed with the "Worst Nun in History"

Join me, Dr Julia Martins, as I tell the incredible story of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the 17th-century scholar who called herself the "worst nun in history." Born in colonial Mexico (New Spain), Sor Juana was a self-taught prodigy who learned Latin at the age of three and devoured every book she could find.

In this video, I explore why this brilliant woman chose the convent not for religious mysticism, but for the freedom to build her own private library and study in peace. We will look at her life as a poet, playwright, and philosopher, and how she became a celebrity in the Spanish Empire.

However, her intellect eventually made her a target. I explain the famous controversy where she argued with a bishop (who hid behind a female pseudonym) and defended a woman’s right to education. We will also read parts of her famous "Carta Atenagórica" and her biting satirical poem "Hombres Necios" (Foolish Men), where she roasts the double standards of the men of her time.

Was she the first feminist of the Americas? Did she really write poetry in Nahuatl? And why was she eventually forced to sell her beloved books? Let’s find out.

If you enjoy this deep dive into Mexican history and women's history, please consider subscribing or supporting the channel on Patreon for exclusive content.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:21 - Part 1
"The Worst Nun in History"
04:04 - Part 2
Polemics, Satire, and "Feminism"
07:55 - Part 3
A Multicultural Writer?
09:23 - Final Thoughts

Link to the poem reading:
https://languagemuseum.org/exhibits/t...

References:
Juana Inés de la Cruz, Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz (1691).
_____, The answer : including a selection of poems (1994).
Christopher R. Egan, "Lyric intelligibility in Sor Juana’s Nahuatl tocotines", Romance Notes 58 (2018).
Octavio Paz, Sor Juana, Or, The Traps of Faith (1988).
Camilla Townsend, "Sor Juana's Nahuatl", Cornucopia, Le Verger - bouquet VIII (2015).

Intro Music:
Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Artist: http://incompetech.com/