Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.
Author: Luis J. Rodriguez
Publisher: Open Road
Pub Date: June 12, 2012
ISBN: 9781453259085
I grew up in Los Angeles with one foot firmly planted in the quiet neighborhood in Los Feliz where my grandparents lived and the other, itching to run, in a poor neighborhood in South L.A. where gangs were a part of my every day life.
My sisters and I went to school with vatos from Elm St., 18th Street, Florencia Trece and the Avenues (those were the big gangs on my side of town). It was normal for me to see knife fights or hear about so and so getting arrested. We knew the cholos and cholas in these gangs, but didn’t dare join them. We were more scared of our mother or of disappointing our grandparents than any peer pressure.
Years ago when my young sons were growing up and getting into trouble on occasion, I chanced upon Luis Rodriguez’ ALWAYS RUNNING and brought it home. It made me hurt inside for all those young men I knew in that time I’d effectively almost wiped from my memory. How I wish they had had this book to refer to, to save them. Most of the guys I grew up with are either dead or in prison. I let myself remember the good times with these boys and girls that loved life, loved having fun, loved music and chose the only way that was open to them (or so they thought) the vida loca.
I read ALWAYS RUNNING to my teenaged boys and they loved it. It was “down” they said. It was real. It was truth. Here was a vato like the guys they knew in school, laying out his truth for everyone to see. They respected it. So did I. It was and is a powerful book.
ALWAYS RUNNING tells the story of Luis’ life growing up amongst the gangs in L.A. I was outside looking in and he was inside looking out. We were on different sides of gang life in L.A. in the same time period. He is my contemporary and someone I know and deeply respect. Reading his book again is just as powerful as when I read it the first time. ALWAYS RUNNING is timeless. Luis’ story is one of strength, pathos and triumph.
He writes with eloquence and truth about his life. What drove him, what saved him, what made and shaped him. He makes you feel it and doesn’t shy away from the hardest of truths. Natives of L.A. or not, you will love this book Why? Because honesty is a beautiful and powerful thing. It sings and so does Luis’ spare yet elegant writing.
I believe this book saves lives. All it takes is one boy or girl reading it, seeing that there IS a life outside of the gangs if they’re only brave enough to take that step, to make a difference. I know it has made a tremendous difference in my own sons lives. Luis Rodriguez wrote it to save a life and he did much more than that. He’s saved many lives with his words, changed lives and set people on a new path. ALWAYS RUNNING is a story of hope.
The new, digitized ebook version of ALWAYS RUNNING from Open Road is wonderful. I would never give up my old, almost falling apart paperback copy, but it’s great to have this book in ebook format for my Kindle and I believe it will get a new generation of people reading and loving his work. The illustrated biography that is included is a fantastic glimpse into the author’s life and one that reminds me of people I knew in mine.
From the publisher:
Luis J. Rodríguez’s stunning memoir-a brave, unflinching account of life in a Los Angeles street gang
Luis J. Rodríguez joined his first gang at age eleven. As a teenager, he witnessed the rise of some of the most notorious cliques and sets in Southern California and knew only a life of violence-one that revolved around drugs, gang wars, and police brutality. But unlike most of those around him, Rodríguez found a way out when art, writing, and political activism rescued him from the brink of self-destruction.
Always Running spares no detail in its vivid, brutally honest portrayal of street life and violence, and it stands as a powerful and unforgettable testimonial of gang life, by one of the most acclaimed Chicano writers of his generation.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Luis J. Rodríguez including rare images from the author’s personal collection.
About the author:
Luis J. Rodríguez (b. 1954) is a poet, journalist, memoirist, children’s book writer, short story writer, and novelist whose documentation of urban and Mexican immigrant life has made him one of the most prominent modern Chicano literary voices. He is perhaps best known for his memoir Always Running (1993), a powerful account of his time spent in Los Angeles–area gangs in the 1960s and ’70s.
Suggested hashtags: #luisjrodriguez #latinolit #amoxcallireviews #memoir #nonfiction #books #reviews #chicano #xicano
Disclosure: A free copy of this book was furnished by the publisher for review via NetGalley, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.
