'Eleven years old—I started in my first gang. Around twelve years old I started doing drugs,' says Luis J. 'I ended up being the one that fell through the cracks.' Rodriguez grew up. Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. Rodriguez in DJVU, FB3, TXT download e-book. Welcome to our site, dear reader! All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of it's content suppliers. Identity Identity is a core theme in Always Running. Luis’ earliest sense of identity is about what he is not, rather than what he is. Rodriguez Always Running. 34-page comprehensive study guide. This is just a preview. The entire section has 950 words. Click below to download the full study guide for Always Running. Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez There is no absolute peril except for him who abandons himself; there is no complete death except for him who acquires a taste for dying. ---Jacques Riviere I began high school a loco, with a heavy Pendleton shirt, sagging khaki pants, ironed to perfection, and shoes shined and heated like at boot camp. Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. Is a 1993 autobiographical book by Mexican-American author Luis J. In the story of the book.
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The award-winning and bestselling classic memoir about a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles, now featuring a new introduction by the author.
Winner of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, hailed as a New York Times notable book, and read by hundreds of thousands, Always Running is the searing true story of one man’s life in a Chicano..more
Winner of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, hailed as a New York Times notable book, and read by hundreds of thousands, Always Running is the searing true story of one man’s life in a Chicano..more
Published October 4th 2005 by Atria Books (first published 1993)
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Jacob A.It stands for 'The crazy life'
Unsettling 'better them than me' Memoirs & Biographies 325 books — 270 voters
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Oct 03, 2015Ana O rated it it was ok
Apparently this is the most stolen book in libraries and classrooms. A very smart choice indeed. I can't believe I paid for this.
Not my jam. Sorry. I'm not gangsta enough.
Not my jam. Sorry. I'm not gangsta enough.
I found out about this book during my time working at Garfield. There were a lot of books in the classroom libraries about gang life, books of poetry by Tupac Shakur, stuff the students prefered as it had to do with, 'you know, real life.' Which was, in a way, bullshit. I mean, a few of them, maybe could relate to that, and the ones that could were sorry of the fact and didn't flaunt it. One kid I remember, his older brother had been killed in a gang-related shooting. He wasn't a particularly go..more
Oct 15, 2007Courtney rated it really liked it Shelves: coming-of-age, young-adult, memoirs-and-journals, booktalk-this, non-fiction, multicultural-nonfiction
Luis Rodriguez speaks out of a virtually unheard experience: a young Chicano man who survived 'la vida loca' gang culture in South San Gabriel. Rodriguez' writing is raw and brutally honest, but with a lyricism that will stop readers in their tracks. He gives voice to an unheard cry, and illuminates the heartbreaking cycle of poverty and violence that perpetuates gang wars. He neither simplifies the problem, nor admits defeat. His passion for reconciliation and true empowerment of minority commu..more
Oct 16, 2013Marie rated it it was amazing
I found this to be a powerful and painful read. It's not easy reading about the gang experience. It's harder still when you know it could have been your story if circumstances had been different. I knew it was bad in LA, but I had no idea how hard it was just to survive.
I'm Mexican-American and 4 years older than the author. There was a time in my life that I wouldn't admit to being Mexican-American because of the attitudes towards us. Some of those attitudes are reported in this book and that m..more
I'm Mexican-American and 4 years older than the author. There was a time in my life that I wouldn't admit to being Mexican-American because of the attitudes towards us. Some of those attitudes are reported in this book and that m..more
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Feb 05, 2013Andrew rated it did not like it
The glaring contradictions in this memoir make it hard to side with the author. You can only take so many 'I was given no opportunities' paragraphs next to ones about voluntary drug use, sex, and violence until it's impossible to believe anything the author says.
ALWAYS RUNNING IS AN AMAZING BOOK
This book is about a young boy named Luis Rodrigues known as the author. It talks about Gang days back in the old days of Los Angeles. This book is based on his real life, some people dont realize how life is because they havent gone through or havent seen anything. Life in Colorado isnt the same as in the south or in other places. its very difficult to live in a time the way Luis did and other people as well. People dont understand that some people stay homeless..more
May 17, 2018Brienna rated it This book is about a young boy named Luis Rodrigues known as the author. It talks about Gang days back in the old days of Los Angeles. This book is based on his real life, some people dont realize how life is because they havent gone through or havent seen anything. Life in Colorado isnt the same as in the south or in other places. its very difficult to live in a time the way Luis did and other people as well. People dont understand that some people stay homeless..more
Luis Rodriguez Interview
it was ok · review of another edition Shelves: book-club, did-not-finish, california, i-own, i-own-kindle, non-fiction, biographical
Growing up in California, and attending schools that were often 50% or more hispanic, I was really interested in this book. I was hoping that it would expose to me the culture, and reasons, behind gangs. To some extent, the book achieved this.
However, I was so put off by the book, that I stopped halfway through. The author offers lots of short narratives of events that happened in his life, but they are not strung together into a cohesive story. I felt it jarring to try to place the event in the..more
However, I was so put off by the book, that I stopped halfway through. The author offers lots of short narratives of events that happened in his life, but they are not strung together into a cohesive story. I felt it jarring to try to place the event in the..more
Apr 28, 2014kristen rated it it was ok
Being in education, I'm always curious about banned books and books with lots of buzz. Here in California, Always Running is kept behind the checkout desk at my local library because it is one of the most stolen books, so I wanted to check it out. Interesting enough but not 'steal-worthy'. I can see how his story would appeal to teens, although I don't think they should read it (thus the ban and theft issue I guess). Everyone needs a place to fit in and belong.
I think it was a really good book. It never got out of the story it was very concentrated on Luis( The main Character).
Mar 11, 2016Jonathan LaPoma rated it really liked it
Always Running is an engaging and intelligent look into the socio-political factors that have led to the proliferation of street gangs in the last century in areas where large percentages of citizens have few opportunities but plentiful obstacles, told through the firsthand experiences of former gang member and now activist, Luis Rodriguez, as he grows up as an oppressed minority in the over-policed, but under-protected, gang-haven of East LA. Though his story is fairly common—his parents moved..more
Mar 16, 2017David Alexander rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
It was a good book that portrayed the streets of LA. I really related to what the author talked about even though he recollected events that are years past my time. Growing up in LA county my entire life, and being half Mexican, is what made me really relate to the authors memoir.
Apr 11, 2009Caitlin rated it really liked it
This book is on the ALA's list of 100 most frequently banned books of 1990 through 2000.
This is a memoir of gang life & of growing up poor and Chicano in East LA in the '60's & 70's. It's also about learning who you are and finding ways out - through writing, through painting, & through social activism.
Rodriguez is primarily a poet and writer of short stories & it shows in this collection of snap shots of moments from his past. For those wanting a standard tale with a classical t..more
This is a memoir of gang life & of growing up poor and Chicano in East LA in the '60's & 70's. It's also about learning who you are and finding ways out - through writing, through painting, & through social activism.
Rodriguez is primarily a poet and writer of short stories & it shows in this collection of snap shots of moments from his past. For those wanting a standard tale with a classical t..more
What’s crazy about this book is that so much of this was eerily similar to events that happened much more recently: What happened in Baltimore and Ferguson, to name just two. Unfortunately, stories of police brutality disproportionately being inflicted on people with brown and black skin hasn’t changed much since what Luis Rodriguez experienced in his youth.
One thing I didn’t like about this book was that he jumped around time-wise for reasons that weren’t clear to me. He’d talk about stuff tha..more
One thing I didn’t like about this book was that he jumped around time-wise for reasons that weren’t clear to me. He’d talk about stuff tha..more
For those who have no hope, those who society makes you think it was a choice to be where and who you are, those who think that the situation you are in is your only one this is for you.
A hard story of Luis's life as he is grows up having no one in society as support but your friends leading into the creation of gangs. His struggles to rise up while being who he is when society doesn't want who he is simply because of the color of his skin.
Finding solace in art but being frightened time and time..more
A hard story of Luis's life as he is grows up having no one in society as support but your friends leading into the creation of gangs. His struggles to rise up while being who he is when society doesn't want who he is simply because of the color of his skin.
Finding solace in art but being frightened time and time..more
Luis Rodriguez is one of the few who survived 'la vida loca' in South San Gabriel, and in this book, he tells of his experiences in the streets of LA and how he managed to leave that gang life behind and start anew as a writer. Growing up, he quickly fell into a life filled with drugs and violence, and he struggled to stay alive. However, with the help of his friends and teachers, he found a way out. He started writing and painting murals, and stood up for the rights of other immigrants just lik..more
Honestly, I was incredibly turned-off by this book. Luis, Louis, Louie, Chin, whatever your name is, had a very interesting and moving life, but could have recalled it in a much better way that would have fascinated readers more. I preferred the narratives, the small stories of his life and wished they were strung together more cohesively. I guess a really account of someone’s life is so much more tumultuous than how historical fiction can read. It took me way to long to finish this and I only d..more
I'm really truly enjoying this book because the speaker reminds me of Chicanos that popped in and out of my life. The speaker helps me understand the way a chicano who struggles, migrates, and survives 'La Vida Loca'. But this is not the way it always has to be, always running. I'm looking forward to keep updated with this book.
Jul 01, 2018Toni Palazzolo rated it it was amazing
The characterization and motives of the protagonist were well explained. There were times I felt the writing was more colloquial and details were more unnecessary than I wanted, but then Rodriguez’s writing would become florid and poetic. Because the characters are sometimes more important than the plot-telling in my eyes, it deserves 5 stars. I will be reading the sequel!
I read Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez. I liked the book because i can relate to it in some ways. Its just another perspective from a kid that lives in Los Angeles. Another reason i enjoyed this book is because it shows the difficult things people have to go through. Shows how Latinos live in the ghetto.
Jul 13, 2016Jessica rated it really liked it
This year, Luis J. Rodríguez is Los Angeles' poet laureate. He has been visiting many of our local LAPL branches to speak and teach, and this week he will be visiting the library that I am spending the summer at! So of course, I had to read his most famous work, Always Running, so as not to be ill-informed. what if nobody at his talk had actually read the book (unlikely as it is taught in many schools)? Year ago, when I was in grad school, I took a YA lit class and read My Bloody Life: The Maki..more
Imagine growing up during the 60's/70's in the gang days of L.A, constantly getting harassed by police, rival gangs and living with the temptations of drugs and money. This is how the author/poet Luis Rodriguez grew up, and in order to convince his son, Ramiro, not to get involved with this life, he wrote 'Always Running'-A collection of memories from his life that can inspire any person of any culture. Rodriguez’s use of imagery and sensory detail perfectly depict the temptations of “La vida lo..more
Who said that Gangsters didn’t have a intellectual side to them?.. Well Luis Rodriquez proves that anyone can write. Rodriguez exposes his gangster “Vida loca”,in his Memoir Always Running.
In this memoir he tells a multiple series of stories from when he was born to the time his family ended up migrating in Los Angeles California. He speaks openly about his family struggle in poverty. He explains the meaning of gang nicknames. He exposes, gang life in a way not yet seen.
Luis explains how liv..more
In this memoir he tells a multiple series of stories from when he was born to the time his family ended up migrating in Los Angeles California. He speaks openly about his family struggle in poverty. He explains the meaning of gang nicknames. He exposes, gang life in a way not yet seen.
Luis explains how liv..more
Dec 13, 2011Steffanie Castaneda rated it it was amazing
To some people, getting involved in a gang is necessary to feel safe & a part of a family. A great example is Luis J. Rodriguez, a man who joined a gang since violence & racism forced him to become a member for his life’s sake.
In the memoir Always Running, Luis J. Rodriguez reveals his gang life & all the struggles being part of a gang he faced in East L.A. He started as a member of the “Animal Tribe” & later became a “Lomas Loco” as a shield from his “Vida Loca.” Always Running..more
In the memoir Always Running, Luis J. Rodriguez reveals his gang life & all the struggles being part of a gang he faced in East L.A. He started as a member of the “Animal Tribe” & later became a “Lomas Loco” as a shield from his “Vida Loca.” Always Running..more
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I appreciated ('enjoyed' doesn't seem like an appropriate word) the realism of the story. Rodriguez pulls no punches in the accounting of the details of his life, presenting some of the darker scenes with the same honesty and straightforward writing that he gives to any scene in the book. He is generous toward the positive influences in his life, such as his mentors in the latter half of the book.
I had two issues with it, however. The writing..more
I had two issues with it, however. The writing..more
The book always running is about a man, by the name of Luis J. Rodriguez and the struggles he had in his gang days of L.A. After his move from Mexico to America he faces many choices that sometimes may even lead to his death, or the death of other people. In America he also starts to deal with racism. He faces many struggles having to do with cops and the things they were doing wrong to him just because he was Mexican. As he grows however, and starts to get more involved in school, he revolves..more
I chose ALWAYS RUNNING because it grasped my attention when i first saw the cover . I watch the television show GANGLAND every Thursday night and i noticed the tattoos the man had on the cover was related to the same ones that I saw on TV . I could tell the book involved gangs , drugs , and a lot of violence . I knew i could be interested into the book because it is the society that I live in.
a family from mexico comes to america looking for a better life aka the american dream. they hear stori..more
a family from mexico comes to america looking for a better life aka the american dream. they hear stori..more
I think that Always Running, by Luis J. Rodriguez, is a great and honest story about gang life in LA. I really enjoyed this book because of how engaging it is, and how raw and honest its contents are. Throughout the book, Rodriguez uses powerful and brutally honest descriptions of experiences from his real life to engage the audience and keep the story extremely interesting. Although I did enjoy this book, there were a few things about it that I did not like. For one, the author introduces tons..more
Oct 20, 2016Onette Morales (Zabinski) rated it really liked it
'Gangs are not alien powers. They begin as unstructured groupings, our children, who desire the same as any young person. Respect. A sense of belonging. Protection. The same thing that the YMCA, Little League or the Boys Scots want.'
This was a tough book to listen to. Not because I didn't like content or because the vocabulary was strange.. no-- if anything, the language itself felt a lot like home. But it was the rawness of the story that was hard to stomach. The beatings, the discrimination,..more
This was a tough book to listen to. Not because I didn't like content or because the vocabulary was strange.. no-- if anything, the language itself felt a lot like home. But it was the rawness of the story that was hard to stomach. The beatings, the discrimination,..more
Always running is a book written by Luis J. Rodriguez telling his story of a young veteran gang of East L.A. who survived all the danger surrounding him. He experience incredible gang culture, he witnessed shootings, beatings, and arrests. He watched fear as drugs, murder, suicide, and acts of street crimes of friends and family members. Luis Rodriguez is the main character of this book who comes from poor family. He thought that getting involved with gangs was one of the ways he can protect him..more
Aug 28, 2014DaelonM added it Shelves: 2014-summer-reading, gcisd-25-book-challenge
Always Running is a spectacular title that not only grabbed my attention, but also truly encompasses the nature of the book itself. Luis J. Rodriguez tells his story off being raised in the hood of L.A. His struggles become your own as you can’t help, but to draw parallels to your own life. Sure I have never been in a gang, done drugs, and get in trouble with the law, but I am a teenager who has to deal with the struggles of life, mine are just less extreme. Though it is an autobiography, it doe..more
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Luis J. Rodríguez (b. 1954) is a poet, journalist, memoirist, and author of children’s books, short stories, and novels. His documentation of urban and Mexican immigrant life has made him one of the most prominent Chicano literary voices in the United States. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rodríguez grew up in Los Angeles, where in his teen years he joined a gang, lived on t..more
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“cry, child, for those without tears have a grief which never ends.” — 30 likes
“The more you know, the more you owe.” — 9 likes
More quotes…Publisher Description
The award-winning memoir of life in an LA street gang from the acclaimed Chicano author and former Los Angeles Poet Laureate: “Fierce, and fearless” (The New York Times).
Luis J. Rodríguez joined his first gang at age eleven. As a teenager, he witnessed the rise of some of the most notorious cliques in Southern California. He grew up knowing 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 gave him a new path—and an escape from 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.
Luis J. Rodríguez joined his first gang at age eleven. As a teenager, he witnessed the rise of some of the most notorious cliques in Southern California. He grew up knowing 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 gave him a new path—and an escape from 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.
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As the preface of this admirable but ultimately disappointing memoir states, Rodriguez, an award-winning poet and publisher of the small press Tia Chucha, decided to document his youth as an East Los Angeles gang member in an effort to steer his teenaged son, Ramiro, away from the gang that he recently joined. A member of various Latino gangs based in and around the South San Gabriel Valley during the late 1960s, Rogriguez participated in random acts of violence, and was imprisoned on several occasions for the crimes he committed. Unfortunately, he offers frustratingly little detail behind the facts of his life and activity in the gangs. Rodriquez presents colorful characters and highly charged events, such as shootings, Mexican funerals, rapes and arrests, but his writing style renders much of that rich material forgettable.
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Bringing back memories..
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, in the South Central area; so I can picture the streets and feel the vibe as I read this book. It's such a great read; I recommended this book to my siblings, friends, and friends from other countries, so that they can picture the true life in varrio of Los Angeles and not the 'Hollywood' life that the media has painted on this city.
I didn't want to buy this book on my iPhone's iBook app, I actually wanted the book itself, but I couldn't hold back on wanting to read it, again.
I didn't want to buy this book on my iPhone's iBook app, I actually wanted the book itself, but I couldn't hold back on wanting to read it, again.
Great book
I had to read this book for a school report. But in all honesty this book was acceptable. Lenovo g770 drivers iso download windows 7. I actually enjoyed the book. At first I thought it was just a school book but by the 2nd chapter I was hooked and it actually made me think about how the streets are no joke
Thank u!
Read this when I was about 15 multiple times! Love this book! Really helped me see the darkness in the gang life and pushed me to be the opposite. Because of this book I chose my career and with an open mind and heart I work to help youth such as those described in this book make better choices. Thank you Mr. Rodriguez for sharing your struggles with us!