Jimmy Santiago Baca, The Line

This week on New Mexico in Focus, Jimmy Santiago Baca sits down with NMiF Correspondent Megan Kamerick to talk about his journey as a writer. One of New Mexico’s most celebrated writers, Baca has published volumes of poetry, essays, stories and novels. But he was mostly illiterate when, imprisoned at the age of 20, he taught himself to read and write. Baca talks about how reading saved his life and his work to inspire inmates and at-risk youth find their own unique voices.

NMiF host Gene Grant and the Line opinion panelists take on a variety of timely topics, including election updates, how a pay raise controversy cost two Santa Fe city officials their jobs, and Governor Martinez’s push to move ahead with a student retention plan despite legislative pushback.

Host: Gene Grant

Correspondent: Megan Kamerick

Studio Guest:
Jimmy Santiago Baca, Author and Poet

Line Panelists:
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR
Andy Lyman, reporter for NM Political Report
Sophie Martin, attorney
Christine Sierra, UNM political science professor emeritus