Pepita Jimnez , Doa Luz , Las ilusions del doctor Faustino , El comendador Mendoza , and Pasarse de listo . Johanna Warren is a musician, artist, and writer. She is the singer/songwriter and guitarist for the band Sticklips, who released their debut album in 2009. Johanna will graduate from Bard College this year with a double major in Spanish and Studio Arts. More About the Author Juan Valera y Alcal-Galiano was born in 1824 in Cabra, in Crdoba province. He earned a law degree from the University of Granada, followed by nearly fifty years as a career diplomat worldwide. When he resettled in Madrid, he became an editor at El Contemporneo, followed by government positions including Minister to Frankfurt, Assistant Secretary of State, and Director of Public Instruction. After assignments in Lisbon, Washington, DC, Brussels, and Vienna, Valera was elected to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. His published works, still considered among Spain's finest literature, include "Pepita Jimnez", "Doa Luz", "Algo de Todo" (A Bit of Everything), "Las ilusions del doctor Faustino", "El comendador Mendoza", and "Pasarse de listo". After reading two novels by Spanish writer Juan Valera, Pepita Jimenez (1874) and Dona Luz (1879) this collection of 6 essays shows the general applicability of the author's wonderful writing style and fascinating intellect. The presentation order by the editor and the excellent translations by Johanna Warren of the chapters make the work as enjoyable as a novel, my preferred reading. In the first chapter, Spring, Valera points