Luis J. Rodríguez and the LA Times Book Club

Los Angeles Times's Steve Saldivar reports on Saturday's LA Times Book Club conversation with poet Luis J. Rodríguez. "In a wide-ranging conversation, Rodriguez spoke Saturday with the Los Angeles Times Book Club about his new story collection, 'From Our Land to Our Land,' and his career using creative writing to explore identity and push for change." Part of that change has taken place in California's prisons. More about that:

Author and former Los Angeles poet laureate Luis J. Rodriguez says he’s been visiting California’s prisons for more than 40 years since leaving his own gang youth behind and losing 25 friends to drugs and street violence.

Lately, though, Rodriguez sees a difference when he goes behind bars to teach writing workshops. Once resistant, many prison administrators and correctional officers now welcome his presence — and encourage other education programs too.

“I have seen a lot of change. There were riots. There were lockdowns,” Rodriguez recalled of his prison visits in the ‘80s. Now, “there’s artists. There’s musicians.”

“The violence has gone down. The drug use has gone down. It even makes their (prison staff) lives easier.”

Head to the LA Times for the rest of the story.