Transformational Writing

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Transformational Writing

"In the piece, Coming into language, Jimmy Santiago Baca reflects his time spent in prison, where he battled illiteracy and experimented with personal writing. Orphaned at the age of two, Baca spent most of his life in the barrio and on the streets. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade and became a felon at the age of seventeen. Completely illiterate, Baca discovered his heritage in a picture book of Chicano history. A Chicano, Baca identified with the pictures in the book. This discovery motivated Baca to become literate and capable of freely expressing his thoughts. Jimmy Santiago Baca released his first collection of poetry, Immigrants in our own land, and later wrote Working in the dark: Reflections of a poet of the barrio. Baca’s writing is an inspiration for everyone, especially Chicanos, to find identity and aspire for personal expression. Baca portrays writing as a strong tool for personal _expression. Coming into language advertises personal writing as a provider of freedom and a supporter of stability in life.

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