Jimmy Santiago Baca is a poet and the author of A Place to Stand, which is a memoir of Baca’s early life. Baca is a member of a dysfunctional family, and both parents abandon him and his siblings when the children are quite young. As a result, Baca feels that he is different from others who have had a more stable upbringing. He feels uncomfortable in society and lives on its fringes until he is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

Baca is sent to prison, where he must learn to defend himself from predatory inmates who have nothing to lose. While in prison, Baca occupies much of his time with daydreams of a better time, a time before his family is torn apart. When Baca, who is nearly illiterate, begins to write letters to a pen-pal, their correspondence creates a desire for literacy in Baca. Baca begins a campaign to hone his reading and writing skills, and soon he is writing letters as a service to other prisoners. Baca also begins to write poetry, some of which he shares with his cellmates. As a result of this avocation, Baca begins to feel more at ease with himself.