Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison
Make a Poem Cry is an anthology of poems from one of California’s high-security prisons brought to us through the creative writing classes of Luis J. Rodríguez, sponsored by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Rodríguez, who is Tia Chucha Press’s founding editor, and formerly incarcerated writer Kenneth E. Hartman have selected work penned from 2016 to 2018. These are poems, essays, stories, and more mined from the depths of familial, racial, and economic violence. They are imaginings for how to address trouble and crime without punishment, dehumanization, and violence in return. Here’s restorative/transformative justice in action. Here’s redemption in the flesh. Here are voices and viewpoints needed for a just and equitable world for all.
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Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison
Make a Poem Cry is an anthology of poems from one of California’s high-security prisons brought to us through the creative writing classes of Luis J. Rodríguez, sponsored by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Rodríguez, who is Tia Chucha Press’s founding editor, and formerly incarcerated writer Kenneth E. Hartman have selected work penned from 2016 to 2018. These are poems, essays, stories, and more mined from the depths of familial, racial, and economic violence. They are imaginings for how to address trouble and crime without punishment, dehumanization, and violence in return. Here’s restorative/transformative justice in action. Here’s redemption in the flesh. Here are voices and viewpoints needed for a just and equitable world for all.
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Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison

Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison

by Luis J. Rodriguez (Editor)
Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison

Make a Poem Cry: Creative Writing from California's Lancaster Prison

by Luis J. Rodriguez (Editor)

Paperback

$19.95 
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Overview

Make a Poem Cry is an anthology of poems from one of California’s high-security prisons brought to us through the creative writing classes of Luis J. Rodríguez, sponsored by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Rodríguez, who is Tia Chucha Press’s founding editor, and formerly incarcerated writer Kenneth E. Hartman have selected work penned from 2016 to 2018. These are poems, essays, stories, and more mined from the depths of familial, racial, and economic violence. They are imaginings for how to address trouble and crime without punishment, dehumanization, and violence in return. Here’s restorative/transformative justice in action. Here’s redemption in the flesh. Here are voices and viewpoints needed for a just and equitable world for all.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781882688586
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Publication date: 04/15/2020
Pages: 80
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Luis J. Rodriguez has published fifteen books of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and nonfiction. He is best known for his 1993 memoir of gang life, Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. His awards include a Finalist for the 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award, a Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Writers’ Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Literary Award, a Paterson Poetry Prize, a Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and fellowships from the Sundance Institute, the Lannan Foundation, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Chicago, the California Arts Council, and the Illinois Arts Council, among others. His latest book is It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing.

Table of Contents

Preface: Why Words Matter Kenneth E. Hartman 9

Introduction: The Tip of the Iceberg Luis J. Rodriguez 13

Tamales: A Family Tradition Gilbert Bao 17

Irezumi D. Barry 23

When Destiny meets Fate D. Barry 24

Dangerous Ira Benjamin 25

Blinded Ira Benjamin 26

Social Commentary Ira Benjamin 27

My Six Strings Samual Nathaniel Brown 28

Yum: God-Given Samual Nathaniel Brown 31

I Found I Learned: God-Given Samual Nathaniel Brown 32

Sagacity: God-Given Samual Nathaniel Brown 33

No More Massacres Darryl Burnside 34

Trapped Inside a Pill Darryl Burnside 37

Antidote Matthew Conant 38

Community / Come Unity Matthew Conant 41

My Train of Life Matthew Conant 43

This One Night Jerimichael Cooley 46

Thoughts Edwin Cruz 47

Beyond the Mask Kory Darty 49

Fated to Be Destined to Shape Christian Diaz 51

Face & Heart Christian Diaz 53

Be Still Tuan "Mike" Doan 54

I Am a Man Tuan "Mike" Doan 60

The Ifs in Love Forrest Green 62

Color of Betrayal Forrest Green 63

Initiations Dontay Dushawn Hayes 64

Keep Walking Dontay Dushaum Hayes 67

Calm Spoon Jackson 68

Heal Spoon Jackson 69

Me Sean Kelly 71

Poem Cry Jimmy McMillan 72

The Fog Jimmy McMillan 73

Justice Jimmy McMillan 75

The Mexican Revolution Tony Moreno 77

Fate & Destiny Damon Mullin 78

When the streetlamps come on Daniel (Crazy Minded) Newman 79

Realization Daniel (Crazy Minded) Newman 80

The Greatest Love I Know Eric L. "Jalil" Nicholson 81

Sing of Truth Eric L. "Jalil" Nicholson 82

Red, White, and Black Fogs Daniel Lino Onopa 84

If I Was an Instrument Daniel Lino Onopa 87

In Tozquitl (The Voice) Daniel Lino Onopa 89

Sharing My Appreciation Jeremy Orozco 90

My Village Efrain "Bean" Ortiz 94

My Life in One Chapter Miguel Rendon 95

A Chirp at the Window Manuel Rodríguez 97

Apolitical Little Bro' Samuel "Bluflame 'Em" Sharad Shabazz, Jr. 99

Almost… Thomas Michael Simmons 100

A Yard Thomas Michael Simmons 102

Year of Existence Haneef "Genno" Talib 103

Fate V. Destiny Herbert Daniel Taylor 104

Red Fog, Black Fog, Gray Fog, White Fog Herbert Daniel Taylor 105

Death Jester Daniel Whitlow 106

Cathedral of Doubt Daniel Whitlow 108

An End with No Beginning Daniel Whitlow 110

About the Editors 111

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