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Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.
Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. | Luis J Rodriguez
10 posts | 10 read | 7 to read
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 gang--and his heroic struggle to free himself from its grip. By age twelve, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of East Los Angeles gang warfare. Lured by a seemingly invincible gang culture, he witnessed countless shootings, beatings, and arrests and then watched with increasing fear as gang life claimed friends and family members. Before long, Rodriguez saw a way out of the barrio through education and the power of words and successfully broke free from years of violence and desperation. Achieving success as an award-winning poet, he was sure the streets would haunt him no more--until his young son joined a gang. Rodriguez fought for his child by telling his own story in Always Running, a vivid memoir that explores the motivations of gang life and cautions against the death and destruction that inevitably claim its participants. At times heartbreakingly sad and brutal, Always Running is ultimately an uplifting true story, filled with hope, insight, and a hard-earned lesson for the next generation.
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Reynosa8701
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Omg I‘m half way through this book and I can‘t believe the crazy life he has before he is 16 years old!

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JoyBlue
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Panpan

I took special note of 1 sentence in the Prologue and most of the Epilogue. Everything in between, I could have done without—they are graphic. [We could have greater discussion on the point of this.]

The parts I mention expose inequity and lack of social justice. The rest was a brutal account of the author's life, which is, after all, what one expects in a memoir. I'm not into memoirs, typically, and it wasn't why I was interested in this book.

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Kappadeemom
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Ran with my dorkie today, so I can read guilt-free tonight. We just chillin‘ at the park 😎

Books88 I like your pants! Super cute. 7y
Kappadeemom @AJBowers thanks! TJ Maxx 👍 7y
35 likes2 comments
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Kappadeemom
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Spent my lunch hour getting in my run so that I can read guilt free after work :)

Kaye Dedicated. Keep it up. 👍🏻 7y
dylanisreading 👏🤘 7y
27 likes2 comments
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umbrellagirl
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Thanksgiving Weekend:
Th: Turkey Trot 5K with friends, food, food coma
F: volunteer at 5K run, quick run on my own
Sat: ran again, did 10K, hockey game with little guy
Sun: another hockey game with friends, errands, run with little guy at the track, now bed

I don‘t usually run this much but I‘m doing a challenge to run at least 1M every day through the end of the year.

#friyayintro #hockey #running #runningandhockey

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Wow!! That‘s awesome!! 👏🏻👍🏻 7y
Mimi28 Awesome!! 7y
LA_Mead Wow! That's pretty amazing! Maybe I'll have to jump on that bandwagon too. 7y
See All 13 Comments
ElishaLovesBooks That‘s awesome! Keep on running!🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ 7y
TricksyTails That's awesome! 👏😁 7y
Kaye Good job on the running goal 👍 7y
umbrellagirl @LA_Mead go for it! 7y
ElishaLovesBooks @umbrellagirl I run too and am trying to build in more- I lost some of my motivation! So thanks for posting-it‘s inspiring!😊 7y
umbrellagirl Thanks @ElishaLovesBooks! This morning it was tough to get out of bed but I was glad I did. I know I should get out more. I need a gimmick, like the accountability in the challenge group. 7y
DocBrown I‘m less than 10 miles from my annual goal and there‘s still a month left. You can do it! Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals! 7y
89 likes13 comments
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RedbagReadbooks
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Perfect way to wind down from a busy day 🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻

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heikemarie
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I miss you all!! I am having a rough school year. I hope all is well and will try to check in more often! In the meantime here's a pic of where I went camping this weekend (and actually got a little reading done!!)

DebbieGrillo What grade/subject are you teaching? 7y
monkeygirlsmama Sorry things have been difficult. ((Huggles)) Hope they improve vastly and you can find more time for the things you love- like books and Litsy! 7y
heikemarie @DebbieGrillo I teach 7th and 8th special ed reading! @monkeygirlsmama thank you!! I will try and make it happen!! 7y
MemoirsForMe Sending hugs and hoping things get better for you at school. Teachers ROCK! 🤗🙌🏻 7y
Debiw781 Hugs! Hope things go better. I was just thinking about you today after getting emails about our upcoming mandatory appreciation teacher pep rally 🙄. 7y
35 likes5 comments
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mrp27
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#fallintobooks #autumnreads #recommendedtoyou

This #raw and gritty memoir about a former East LA gang member that finds his way out of gangs through poetry and activism was recommended to me. I read it years ago and I currently have Rodriguez's follow up book on my tbr.

24 likes1 stack add