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William Carlos Williams

Esmeralda Santiago

Gary Soto

Conclusions

Notes

Bibliography

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Credits

AC213 Web Site

Blanco, Adriana. "Esmeralda Santiago: Finding Her Voice (Interview)." Americas (English Edition) (2006), http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_02
86-34242329_ITM (accessed November 3, 2008).

In this interview, Esmerelda Santiago explains her move from Puerto Rico to the United States and the her change in perceptions. She expresses her views as to how being Puerto Rican influences her writing, and how being both American and Puerto Rican affects who she is and how she writes.

Filreis, Al. "Gary Soto, 'How Things Work' and bio." (University of Pennsylvania, 2007). July 18th, 2007. http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/soto-how-things-work.html (accessed Nov 30th, 2008).

This site provides an overview of Gary Soto’s life and work. Since it is comes from the writing department of the University of Pennsylvania, it contains many primary sources. The website provides a good overview of Gary Soto’s life, community activism, and literature. It discusses the context and background of his writing, from his poetry to his short stories.

"Gary Soto Biography." Scholastic Books: Author Studies Homepage. http://www2.scholastic.com/teachers/ authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorhome.jhtml? authorID=89&collateralID=5285&displayName= Biography (accessed on August 10, 2004)

This website provides a full complete biography of Gary Soto. This comprehensive biography goes into his birth, life in Fresno, his struggles growing up, and his discovery of literature. The site comes from scholastic, one of the premier publisher’s of children’s books, and has full biographies of many other authors. Since the site is from a book publisher, the biography focuses on Soto’s literary history rather than his social activism or lifestyle.

Library of Congress, "Gary Soto Webcast." Sept 10th, 2001.www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php? rec=3447 (accessed Nov 30th, 2008).

This is webcast of Gary Soto describing his work and experiences. He discusses how his experiences have helped tie into his work, and additionally, how people of all backgrounds are able to relate to his work. This is a good primary source as it comes straight from the author, and allows us to take a direct look into Soto’s thoughts on his own life and literature.

Makhijani, Pooja and others, eds. Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America. Emeryville: Seal Press, 2004.

This book is a collection of essays that reflect on women’s experiences regarding race. Themes include double lives, fear, envy, lineage, and family. These essays are written through the first- person perspectives as well as through the lens of childhood.  The authors are women of color, white women, and those caught between two worlds.

Mariani, Paul J. William Carlos Williams: A New World Naked. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1990.

This biography of William Carlos Williams covers his entire life, including his New York/New Jersey upbringing, his time spent in college with other poets, and his experience as a physician. These influences, along with others, are crucial for the inspiration for his writing.

Santiago, Esmeralda. Almost a Woman. New York: Perseus Books, 1998.

This book is the sequel to the story of Santiago’s childhood (When I Was Puerto Rican) and covers her life as an adolescent and young woman living in Brooklyn, New York, with her mother and ten siblings during the 1960s. Santiago recalls trips to the welfare office, her experiences in high school and several romantic involvements. Through this text the reader experiences Santiago’s process of assimilation.

Santiago, Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican. New York: Vintage Books, 1993.

This book is a compilation of Santiago’s memories as a child in Puerto Rico. She documents her parents’ unstable relationship, her relationship with her seven siblings and coming-of-age adventures. She also talks about the hardships that came with suddenly moving off the island to New York City and some of her experiences living in tenements and unsafe neighborhoods. She speaks of her struggles to learn a new language, help support her family and assimilate into American culture.

Stavans, Ilan and others, eds. Latina Writers. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2008.

This book analyzes major works by Latina writers. Different aspects of Latina writing are discussed such as major themes in the works of Latina writers, Chicana feminist criticism, the language of food in Latina literature, Latina narratives of exile and return, queer issues. It also includes interviews with various Latina writers.

Soto, Gary. 2001. http://www.garysoto.com/faq.html (accessed Nov 30th, 2008).

This interview with Gary Soto covers many of the basic aspects of his life. Since it is found on his website, it contains only primary information and can therefore provide us with a good look into his perspective on his own life. Gary answers questions about his work, literature, and social work, and then comments on his inspiration to write. He further discusses how aspiring young writers should go about their writing and expanding their literary knowledge.

Soto,Gary. Baseball in April. New York: Hardcourt Publications, 1990.

This collection of short stories focuses on the trials and tribulations of young children growing up in an industrial area. Gary Soto draws upon his own experiences growing up to write about these Latino children, but incorporates themes that all young children can relate to such as love, friendship, and growing up. In this book, many reflections of Soto’s urban experiences can be found.

Torres, Hector. 1994. Gary Soto: Overview. In Reference Guide to American Literature, edited by Jim Kamp. Farmington Hills: St. James Press.

This summary of the life and work of Gary Soto gives clues about his upbringing and how crucial it was to serve as inspiration for his writing. Torres describes the different experiances in different enviroments that Soto has had and how his writing is affected by it

The William Carlos Williams Reader. Edited by M. L. Rosenthal. New York: New Directions Publishing, 1966.

This anthology of Williams's poetry (accompanied by an introductory essay) showcases samples of his poetry, as well as providing background information on his life and how he as a doctor and a poet in the city was able to relay experiences with people to his poetry.