Chapter 6

Jimmy Baca begins with "I had made up my mind to blend in, attract no attention, do my time, and get out alive." I believe this was like a beginning of an internal change that  Jimmy will experience throughout his sentence in the Florence prison. He had no friends, he describes what life is like in prison. He observes that the prison is divided by races.

Turning point

Chapter 4:
In this chapter occurs the turning point of his life, where he found himself in jail nore often. He was caught selling drugs with some of his friends which was why he ended up in jail the first time. At this point Jimmy and Lonnie's relationship became into something more serious. After getting out of jail the last time, he decided to move back to Albuquerque asking Lonnie to move with him. While drinking with one of his friends, some FBI agents and NARCS  and Jimmy eventually turned himself in. When being accused from New Mexico, Jimmy was sent to Yuma County jail for a crime he felt he was innocent and every one turned their back on him. Even his sister had turned her back on him and it came to a point where he didn't care if he lived or died.

Chapter 7 summary

Chapter 7:
Chapter seven in A Place to Stand is about reflection of Baca's past life leading up to his time spent in prison. Lying on his cot, he rethinkrethink what events occurred in his childhood that caused so much confusion in his life. He has problems with trusting people. Everyone that he had ever put his trust in left him for what seemed like tge "white" lifestyle. His mother left him when he was young for a white man denying her traditions and family to become like white women. His sister, Martina, was married to a white man witg kids and had no time for Jimmy. The only positive male role model in his life was his grandfather who had died years ago.

Connector

Some connections I made between this reading  and my own observations to the wider world  is that there's people out there now that are and went through the same thing Jimmy Baca went though. This reminds me of times of now how so many yound kids in our community fall into bad steps because of family problems. I know its hard to stay up and not let issues get at us but we also have to try keep on with our lives. Going to prison because of drugs issues like selling them can be one of the hardest things to do. There's a lot of kids also in real life that get abandoned in an orphanage because they're don't care for them and just do what they want to do. This also affects kids because it makes them feel worthless and  give up on their education life and end up like they're parents when parents are the ones who are suppose to push their kids give them advice not leave them. I've seen a similar problem with a cousin that her dad wasn't faithful to his wife so they ended up separating from each other and him going with another woman which caused a huge change into his kids he has. My cousins currently are now doing bad with their life because of the separation of their parents.

Travel tracer chapters 1-3

Where action begins:
In A Place to Stand Jimmy begins by a prologue where he describes his dad being in a prison for alcohol problems. It begings by having a conversation with his mom and dad discussion over him being drunk all the time. The son wouldn't understand why his father would go through this, he was basically on his side and didn't agree with his mom.

Where key events happen:
   Jimmy Baca briefly goes into details about his childhood, he comes from a disfuctional family where his mom is an adulterer. His father's drinking problem led his mother in infidelity with a white American, Richard. Where Richard made her disown her culture.  When this happen Jimmy left with his grandparents and all of a sudden he dies. Jimmy gives up on his belief that his parents would return and this is where his abondoment issues start. He feels lonely for his mother's abandonment which snatches his childhood away. He now runs away from the orphanage but his aunt, Charlotte, gets a custody for him. He is transitioned to school when he figures that Miyeyo had been  raped and that helped explain his violent actions.

Where today's events end:
   Jimmy seeks for another new life, he tries to find himself through travels and adventures, he moves to California and works as a plumer. Marcos and he began to sell weed after Jimmy lost his job.

Setting Chp. 11-13

Throughout the final chapters of the book, chapter 11-13, the setting is rather simple as it is only his jail cell, constant routines of his normal day of going to the cafeteria and yard. However as the book ends his final setting takes place in the window seat of a bus that is taking him back to the city.

Vocab. For Ch. 12-13

- Imbued : to inspire/influence thoroughly (pg. 238, paragraph 2). I wanted the group to discuss why he used the grass to compare with his survival in prison.
- Revelation : an act of revealing/disclosing (pg. 238, paragraph 3). I wanted the group to discuss how this act affected Baca.
- Brooded : thinking deeply about something that makes one unhappy/depressed (pg. 241, paragraph 1). I wanted the group to discuss why Baca felt this way after trying to drink his coffee.
- Paltry : worthless, ridiculously small (pg. 243, paragraph 3). The group should discuss why we think Baca feels this way about his life.
- Trepidation : nervous/fearful feeling of uncertain agitation (pg. 247, paragraph 1). The group should discuss why Baca feels so fearful if he's about to be free.
- Vulnerable : open to attack/damage (pg. 257, paragraph 5). Throughout the last couple of chapters, Baca repeats that he feels vulnerable. I would like the group to discuss why he feels that way if he's a grown man.

Ch. 10-11 Summary

In these two chapters, Baca writes more poetry and is down to his last months in prison. He is now 25 years old and writes poetry instead of resorting to violence to solve his problems. He met a prisoner named Chelo and started to hang out with him. Chelo taught him more about the Mexican culture and heritage. Baca used some of the information Chelo gave him and used it in his poems. At one point during chapter 11, there was a prison riot after a guard was killed. It only lasted a day because the National Guard got the prison back under control. While Baca and the other prisoners were lined up against a wall, his friend, Ray Ray, was shot and killed for not following the guard's orders. Baca dealt with his death by writing a poem about Ray Ray and sending it to his family. At the end of the chapter, Baca found out that his father had passed away and he wasn't allowed to attend his funeral. Baca was extremely upset and what upset him even more was that he couldn't bring himself to cry for his father. He felt numb and even stated that spending so much time in prison had killed a part of him. He later received a letter from his sister explaining why he couldn't attend the funeral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3hwVlRKHA

Chapter 7 is where Baca is in put into isolation after cutting open another prisoner's stomach. I think this chapter is important because as it is, Baca reminisces about his past constantly. Being in his cell, that's all he can really do especially since he's in there for a while. Thinking about his past during this time makes him realize that he truly wants to do better. He has very vivid dreams about his past and his fantasies of how he wanted his life to be. Thinking about all this has a major impact on him. Therefore, this chapter is very important.

Chapter 4-6 Questions

1.) Why did Baca change his mind about visiting his father?

2.) Explain what happened at Rick and Carey's trailer.

3.) Why do you think Baca connected the guy walking around the pond to his mother and his family?

4.) What event does Baca remember as he stands before the judge and how is it ironic?

5.) After talking to Carey, who was after Baca and why?

6.) As the guards walk him down the stairwell, Baca realizes a couple of things. What were they and what do you think they mean?

Short Book Documentary

Hey, guys. I found a short video based on the book. It's a preview of his film "A Place to Stand." Which is basically a documentary on him and how he became a poet/author. Here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aplacetostand/a-place-to-stand

Blog #1: March 5, 2013
1.) What was Baca's first memory of prison?  Why does he start the book with this memory?
Baca's first memory of prison was going when he was five years old and seeing his dad. He was with his mother and his dad was in prison because he was always drunk and getting caught. He went with his mother and he remembers her mother say to his father, " Leave us alone." He was quiet but deep inside he wanted to stay with his father. He starts the book with this memory in order to let the readers know his emotions and       also for the readers to have background information about when he was little to better understand the transformation throughout the book.
2.) How does Baca's attitude change throughout the book? Why?
Baca's attitude changes throughout the book because he feels like he does not belong and he slowly starts not caring about himself. Knowing how he still had hope of one day returning to his normal life with his once happy family, he starts loosing hopes because there was never a sign of things getting better. He detaches himself because of what he went through.
3.) Describe the"process of criminalization" (lifestyle, environment, chosen/not chosen). How does he "take on the role of" criminal?
4.)What was Baca's purpose in telling the whole story of his transformation in the prologue?
Baca's purpose in telling the whole story of his transformation in the prologue is because he wants the reader to know what he had to go through in order to better understand later in the book his attitude.