Our last poem this year is a powerful reminder that we don't need to go further than our own land to study world literature and culture. In fact, when it comes to Jimmy Santiago Baca, even magical realism hits close to home. According to the September 2008 National Council of Teachers of English magazine, "Chicano poet Jimmy Santiago Baca was born with rattlesnake poison in his blood. In January, 1952, just before his mother gave birth, she was bitten by a rattler. The healer who tended to her wound and then brought Baca into the world said that because of the venom Baca would be able to see in the dark and that he would change many times throughout his life, just as a snake sloughs its skin. And change many times he did."
After you memorize this poem we'll discuss how reading Baca changes us. Due May 31.
Immigrants in Our Own Land
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