ENG 213 Jimmy Santiago Baca

Jimmy Santiago Baca

Jimmy Santiago Baca was born of Chichano and Apache descent in Sante Fe, New Mexico, on January 2, 1952. He was abandoned by his parents at the age of two, and lived with his grandmother for several years before being placed in an orphanage. He ended up living on the streets and at the age of twenty-one he was convicted on charges of drug possesion and incarcerated. He served six and a half years in prison, during which he taught himself to read and write. A fellow inmate convinced him to submit some of his poems to Mother Jones, magazine, edited by Denise Levertov. Levertov printed Baca's poems and began corresponding with him, eventually finding a publisher for his first book, Immigrants in Our Own Land.

In 2004 Jimmy Santiago Baca started a non-profit organization called Cedar Tree Inc. which is dedicated to transforming lives through writing and literature.