A Place to Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca

CITATION: Santiago-Baca, J. (2002). A place to stand. New York: Grove Press.
IDENTIFYING #: 0679446265

CLASSIFICATION: NONFICTION

GENRE: BIOGRAPHY
RECOMMENDED AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: ADULT

CALL #: 921 BACA

RATING:5

Annotation: Mexican-American poet, Jimmy Santiago Baca, recounts his childhood abandonment by his mother, his youth in and out of "the system", his drug dealing years, the bust that lead to that fatal shooting of a federal agent and how he survived prison and made the decision to turn his life around.

Summary: Jimmy Santiago Baca had a mother who left him and pretended to be white, and a father who couldn't cope with 2 sons and his wife's abandonment. Jimmy spent his youth either running away, or doing time in juvenile hall. By the time he was in his early twenties though, Jimmy had found friendship, love, and a fairly successful career dealing drugs. A friend's betrayal brought it all down though, when Jimmy got busted, and a federal agent was shot. As a result, Jimmy spent several years in prison. Jimmy was barely literate, but learned to write in prison. While incarcerated, he did what he had to do to survive, and developed a gift that would eventually free him from the prison of his own mind.

Notes: This is the autobiographical account of Jimmy Santiago Baca, a Mexican-American poet. Baca narrates the story of his life from childhood through his time in prison, and tells how the experience made him change his life. Many teens (and adults) will relate to the story of growing up through tough times, and be inspired by Baca’s ultimate decision to define his own life rather than allowing circumstances to dictate it for him.