LITR 5731: Seminar in American Minority Literature
University of Houston-Clear Lake, fall 2001
Poetry Presentation Index

Poem: "V" by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Discussion Leader: Linda Harvey

Recorder: Jamie Grayson

October 30, 2001

Jimmy Santiago Baca is known as the poet of the barrio. He calls himself a "poet of the people," and reaches out to provide writing workshops to inner city children and adults who otherwise may never have opportunity for such exposure. Born in New Mexico in 1972, Baca did not begin his life as a talented writer, or even as one who shows signs of greatness. His troubled childhood culminated in actions that landed Baca in a maximum security prison when he was twenty-one years old. Illiterate and trapped, Baca turned to literature. After nearly six years in jail, Jimmy Santiago Baca "emerged from prison with a passion for reading and writing poetry."

In 1984, Baca earned a BA in English from the University of New Mexico. To date, in his short and promising career, Baca has written many books of poetry including Martin and Meditations on the South Valley, the book which contains the poem "V." Baca has earned numerous literary awards and continues to work on book and film projects. In his own words:

"I am a witness, not a victim…My role as a witness is to give voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, of which I am one."

            For more information on Jimmy Santiago Baca and his works, refer to Baca’s homepage: http://www.swcp.com/~baca/

Reading Focus:

Listen to the message in the story – what is Baca trying to tell us with this poem?

Objectives:

1b. "Voiceless and choiceless:

5a. To discover the power of poetry and fiction to help "others" hear the minority voice and vicariously share the minority experience.

Discussion Question:

Focusing on the fragmented style of Baca’s poem, what effect does it give the poem and Baca’s message?

Class Discussion:

Andrea – Pointed out that there was no consistency in the subject of the poem's life.

Presenter – What kind of message is in the poem? What is the purpose?

Student – It's about reality, about interacting with different fragments. For example, the author writes about a hot meal or a street scene.

Dr. White – There are many repulsive images that would naturally make one recoil, yet the writer doesn't do so.

Presenter – There are poetic, yet horrible images which come from a semi-autobiographical book he wrote while in jail. Before he developed things like style and form.

David – What area is he writing about?

Presenter – The barrios. Could be in Albuquerque in the inner city.

Two questions on lines from the poem: 1.) What could be meant by "each day backfills with brown dirt of my dreams"? He's making a philosophical point about what the world considers brown dirt. His language is considered dirty (don't speak Spanish) and his skin is considered dirty (he can't be white). 2.) What is meant by "de-tribalized Apache"? His way of finding peace for past wrongs may be through learning about his heritage.

Andrea – He could be searching for self, trapped in this community and he can't get out without becoming bloody..."entangled in the rusty barbwire of a society I do not understand, Mejicano blood in me spattering like runoff water..."

Presenter – What images do you see?

David – In his vision of Christ in a black robe and on a charger. In the Bible Jesus is in a white robe and riding an ass.

Dr. White – He uses nature spirits too – river and fire.

Presenter – Harsh reality and softness intermingle in the authors untrained style. Another point to focus on: Why is the poem title "V"- the Roman numeral five?

Michelle – It could be a reference to the first two words of the poem, "Years pass" as in "Five years pass."

Presenter – He also spent five years in jail.

David – I knew of Spanish speakers being expelled in West Texas for speaking Spanish in school. That could be a reason for the author's illiteracy.

Presenter – I know a 40 year old woman that went to school in Corpus Christi that was hit on the knuckles with a ruler if she was caught speaking Spanish in class.

David – On the news last night in Brazosport ISD a Hispanic boy was expelled for growing his hair long for religious reasons, as promised by his mother. A priest will not corroborate this religious promise with a letter.

Andrea – When the author says, "the voice blew open" this could be a reference to when he found his own voice.

Presenter – The author has said in an interview that it is his role to give a voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless. He wants to present a realistic image of Mexican Americans and he's giving others a voice through him.

Dr. White – His message is comparable to Walt Whitman.

Philonis – My favorite line is when he says, "Each day my hands hurt for something to have." It's so moving, especially since he lives in the streets and has nothing. It's a very powerful line.

Dr. White – The poem could be repulsive in many cases but he has a lot of love to express - a lot of emotion.

Presenter – His line on wanting something to have may relate to his jail time when everything was taken away from him.

Conclusion:

Going back to the objective of voiceless and choiceless, words from an interview with Baca best concludes the discussion:

"There was a tremendous connection between what was written in that book and their lives as people. It directly affected their lives in such a way where it brought a wider breadth of understanding to their lives…Because of it’s topics, the structure of the poem, the power of the images, and in the barrios across America, it was accepted with a type of hand clapping joy that somebody was finally recognizing who the hell we are…It was with a sense of pleasure that, yeah, we have a voice and people are talking for us now."

Through Baca’s poetry, we are able to vicariously experience his world and gain a better understanding of his people.