New Directions, 1989. Immigrants In Our Own Land . New Directions, 1991. Reflections a Poet of the Barrio . I have no use for the pampered poets of the academy, or the darlings of fashion.
Real poetry comes from and expresses the common energy of the people.
Those who divorce poetry from life rob it of its redemptive power. This is the first book I have read that every inanimate object was described as having movement, almost living. I felt anguished reading about the fire that totally destroyed his home and written works. Reading this style of material really gives the reader a perspective on life in general. I make a point personally not to watch the news before closing out the evening because of all the negativism, and the passage Jimmy Baca wrote on page 44 brought it to life.