Cyber-Assignment: "Every Child is Born a Poet"
Today I changed things up a bit and we watched a film, directed by Jonathan Robinson, USA 2003,
Every Child is Born a Poet. The film is about Piri Thomas. He was a hero, a rebel, a rebel turned hero. Visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/everychildisbornapoet/film.html
The film website is: http://www.everychildisbornapoet.com/presskit.pdf
Here is a link to the film, if you missed it and want to watch it: http://www.hulu.com/watch/66692
In three paragraphs, reflect on this rebel, Piri Thomas. What were his challenges? How was identity key to his pain and to his salvation? When did he discover his secret weapon or passion? What was it? What tangible changes did he make once he changed his life?
Include a works cited page at the end of the short essay. Include references to the film in the three paragraph essay.
Complete the next two pages in the MLA package on plagiarism: 53-2 and 53-4 by tomorrow. Use Hacker to find corresponding pages. We will review the answers this week. Complete the final two pages: 53-3 and 53-6 by Thursday.
We are looking at rebels:
I have another film to show you about another poet, a rebel, a Pakistani woman who is still alive, Salam. This film is by Kim Longinotto. Visit http://www.wmm.com/salma/
Synopsis from the website Women Make Movies:
When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma's salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and, through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous Tamil poet: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village.
As with her other work (Pink Saris, Rough Aunties), master documentarian Kim Longinotto trains her camera on an iconoclastic woman. Salma's extraordinary story is one of courage and resilience, and Longinotto follows her on an eye-opening trip back to her village. Salma has hopes for a different life for the next generation of girls, but as she witnesses, familial ties run deep, and change happens very slowly.
During this period we would read a play, but I don't know if we will have time, but if we can fit it in (smile), I'd like tio perhaps read a play based on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun from another perspective, the White Citizens Council 40-50 years ago.
Every Child is Born a Poet. The film is about Piri Thomas. He was a hero, a rebel, a rebel turned hero. Visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/everychildisbornapoet/film.html
The film website is: http://www.everychildisbornapoet.com/presskit.pdf
Here is a link to the film, if you missed it and want to watch it: http://www.hulu.com/watch/66692
In three paragraphs, reflect on this rebel, Piri Thomas. What were his challenges? How was identity key to his pain and to his salvation? When did he discover his secret weapon or passion? What was it? What tangible changes did he make once he changed his life?
Include a works cited page at the end of the short essay. Include references to the film in the three paragraph essay.
Complete the next two pages in the MLA package on plagiarism: 53-2 and 53-4 by tomorrow. Use Hacker to find corresponding pages. We will review the answers this week. Complete the final two pages: 53-3 and 53-6 by Thursday.
We are looking at rebels:
I have another film to show you about another poet, a rebel, a Pakistani woman who is still alive, Salam. This film is by Kim Longinotto. Visit http://www.wmm.com/salma/
Synopsis from the website Women Make Movies:
When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma's salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and, through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous Tamil poet: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village.
As with her other work (Pink Saris, Rough Aunties), master documentarian Kim Longinotto trains her camera on an iconoclastic woman. Salma's extraordinary story is one of courage and resilience, and Longinotto follows her on an eye-opening trip back to her village. Salma has hopes for a different life for the next generation of girls, but as she witnesses, familial ties run deep, and change happens very slowly.
During this period we would read a play, but I don't know if we will have time, but if we can fit it in (smile), I'd like tio perhaps read a play based on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun from another perspective, the White Citizens Council 40-50 years ago.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 8:22 AM
25 Comments:
Angel Vargas
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
15 October, 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas
Piri Thomas, he was a very interesting person. Coming from Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, as well as African American. He grew up in New York in the ghettos and he learned most from women, because most men in his life just inspired anger and trouble. He says in the film, 'nobody is born a thief nobody comes from mama, a thief He understands that where you live, and how you live have a great impact on the outcome of one's life. He also however sort of says, that that factor should not completely dictate your life. Although it has a big impact on your life, you can overcome it.
He juggled life in the streets, at home, and in school and he would say that the street life would constantly be calling him, the pull from it was greater than the other two. In the film he says “the world of the home and school were full of rules and adults forgetting what it was like to be a kid, expecting kids to act like adults.” (Every Child is Born a Poet) Life went on and they eventually moved, due to WWII and his father getting a job by the military. He was discriminated against in his new neighborhood, him and his family were the only ones who weren't white. During that time a severe identity crisis grew inside him. He eventually toured the country and no matter where he went, it was the same everywhere he grew hate for anything white. When describing situations he’d say “people don’t have to kill you with hate, they can kill you with anything, they can envy you to death.” (Every Child is Born a Poet) Being young, he didn’t quite live a good life.
He landed in jail and he served 5 years out of the 15 years originally sentenced. He was later released in 1957 and turned his life around. In prison however he had plenty of time to think and to know himself, he started writing. There was where he discovered his passion, poetry and helping others. He returned to the ghetto and found the call of it very strong, he wanted to leave the ghetto, he wanted to take people out of the ghetto. He did everything he could to change, he even changed his name from Pete to Piri, he attended church and even got married. He established many things, among them was the Peer to Peer Drug Rehab program. When asked about the situation he’d say “Es como es, nada mas, nada menos.” (Every Child is Born a Poet).
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Huy Vo
English 1A, Professor Wanda Sabir
October 15 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet
Every Child Is Born a Poet follows the life of Piri Thoma, an Afro-Cuban-Puerto, from his beginnings on the streets of El Barrio/Spanish Harlem to his place as one of the leading figures. Piri Thomas touches upon immigrant life, racial conflict, and urban poverty. His language popped with street slang and flowed with a rhythm that embodied the cultures he inhabited. The film captures Thomas’s creativity with a mix of documentary footage, spoken-word poetry performances, and colorful dramatizations.
It talks about his parents’ immigrant experience, home life during the Great Depression, his membership in barrio youth gangs, his struggle to accept his mixed-racial identity, his heroin addiction, his robbery of a Greenwich Village nightclub, his six years spent in prison, and his road to being a writer. The film also touches on his forty-five years as a teacher and rebellious nature. It includes film footage and old still photographs. His expressive work confronts poverty, racism, violence and isolation.
The film touches me on a more personal level. The part of his coming-of-age phase related to me because everyone is a trouble soul at one point in his or her life. Everyone must go through the phase of extreme trouble. It is an unavoidable, universal stage of life. Through this phase, one finds his or her identity such as like and dislike, political point of view, and acceptance of oneself before one begin to see the fruition in their life. It is so universal. Also, the film is very inspiring to me because it reminded of my days when I was growing up and how far I have progress in my own personal life. His works has influence so many people and touches whomever talked to him.
Samantha Gober
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
15 October 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet
At a young age, Piri Thomas is challenged to overcome obstacles such as gangs and drugs growing up in the ghetto. He believes poverty and the slums are the typical way of life. His reflections on life change when he watches a movie with rich people in it. He understands that his way of life is not the norm and he is actually deprived of many things, although his mother and father work hard for his well-being.
Thomas first acts out when he steals a quarter from his father to go to the movies. When his father realizes what Thomas has done, he punishes him in order to teach him a lesson not to steal. The boy only grows accustom to rebelling once he reaches an age old enough to join a gang. His move to Babylon Long Island later only makes matters worse for Thomas because he is surrounded by white people. With him being a mix of Peurto Rican and black, he does not fit in. This builds anger inside the adolescent and drives him to hate white people. It eventually leads to him dropping out of school at 17 and getting hooked on drugs.
After being sent to jail, Thomas finally realizes he doesn’t know himself. He starts to write his feelings down in a form of poetry to relieve anger that has been built up for years and understand his identity. Learning made him aware of his fear of being left out and the peer pressure he gave in to. This allows him to take full responsibility for his actions and grow into a man.
Eventually being let out of prison after serving 7 years, Thomas doesn’t have much to look forward to besides the same ghetto he grew up in. He decides that he has to get away and start a new life to stay out of trouble. He first changes his name from Pete to Piri to get a fresh start. Then he decides to become a youth counselor in El Barrio. This encourages Thomas to write his first book that becomes a big hit for those who had similar life experiences. It allows readers to understand themselves better as Thomas does in jail. Helping the youth becomes the writer’s number one goal as he persuades his students to write their feelings down in the form of poetry just as he does. The message Thomas wants to get across is, “No one is lost. No one is beyond repair. No one is doomed to make the same mistakes of their past” (Every Child is Born a Poet). Creativity can save you just as it saved Thomas no matter where you grow up.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Ariana Yu
Professor Sabir
English 1A, 8:00-8:50AM
15 October 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet Response
Piri Thomas faces many challenges while growing up. He and his family lived in New York in deep poverty. He used to think poverty was the norm, until he watched movies that showed rich people and their way of life. After discovering that there is a better way of life, Piri steals a quarter from his father. His action later earns him a lecture from his father. Piri explains his feelings in the film, “I only wanted to experience what it was like to have twenty-five cents”.
In addition to poverty, Piri also struggles with his racial identity. Piri’s father and Piri have dark skin, while his mother and his brother have light skin. In one of the scenes, Piri argues with his brother about their race. His brother strongly claims that he is White, while Piri is uncertain. During their argument, Piri ends up punching his brother in the face, showing his struggle with his mixed identity. Piri develops a great hate for anything white, and becomes scared of the world.
Piri get addicted to drugs and eventually gets himself in prison when he wounded a police officer. However, it was during prison where he discovers his secret weapon and passion—writing. He starts jotting down his feelings and writing short stories. In addition to this, he does self-analyzation and learns things about himself that he didn’t know before. After serving seven years in prison, Piri gets released in 1956. He then dedicates his life in helping others. For example, he enlightens others that it is important for people to be able to express themselves in writing. Also, he pilots a drug-prevention effort and leads a nonviolence movement.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Michael Cunningham
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
15 October 2013
Every Child Is Born a Poet
In three paragraphs, reflect on this rebel, Piri Thomas. What were his challenges? How was identity key to his pain and to his salvation? When did he discover his secret weapon or passion? What was it? What tangible changes did he make once he changed his life?
In the movie Every Child Is Born a Poet, Piri Thomas had many challenges that he had to overcome. The challenges all began when he was 14 on the streets of Harlem because it is real easy to become gang affiliated and see the gang as a family. Piri Thomas was one of those kids who got caught up in the streets of gangbanging. Thomas’s biggest problem was in 1950 when he was 17 and sentenced to 7-15 years in jail for committing armed robbery. While in jail he realized that that was not the place for him to be. His identity of being a gang banger, and growing up on the mean streets of Harlem helped him realize that he wanted to help kids not commit the same mistakes he made.
While Piri Thomas was in jail he realized that there was nothing wrong with writing down his feelings. So in his spare time in jail he spent his time writing poetry about his feelings. He would write about the hardships and hard times that he went through on the streets of Harlem. He writes poems about how he was shot and how he grew up on 103rd street, and the people who read his poems can really put themselves in his shoes because they are living the same life. Even without doing the things he writes about you can empathize with what he is stating because it is real stories about himself.
He realized that his secret weapon was his writing his poetry, and with this secret weapon he vowed to help at risk teens do better with their second chances. Now he goes to Juvenile detention centers and talks to the teens, and when he tells them his stories they see what could happen if they keep going down the path their going. They ask him questions such as how did he act when he was selling drugs like was he spending his money on nice cars and fine jewelry. He replied to them it is hard to make money when you’re using your own supply. Then he told them that his mother once told him that people don’t have to kill you with hatred, they can also kill you with envy because they want what you have. I think that resonates with the teens the most because they know about envy seeing all the drug dealers with big cars and big chains, and most of these kids after hearing what he has to say change for the better.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathon Robinson.
Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Denise Burgara
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11am
15 October 2013
Reflection on Film
Inspiring Story
Struggling to find the balance between three worlds, home, school, and the streets, Piri Thomas, born in New York from Immigrant Puerto Rican/Cuban parents, grew up in the ghetto and was engaged in bad activities in the streets. He was also struggling to find his identity, in his own words it was "a long painful surgery" to find it, he was unsure what to identify himself as because his family had set their minds to believe something that was not true. Thomas went to school all the way till he has 17 and left school for the streets. We were able to learn about his incredible shift from a rebel to a hero in the film directed by Jonathan Robinson, Every Child is Born a Poet. When Thomas was sentenced to jail, due to drug activities in the streets, he then was able to open his eyes and really think behind and to the future. He had asked himself, "What have I done to get where I'm at", and even asked whats for my future.
Thomas wanted something better, he reflected while his stay in jail. He thought, I don't want to become "ice cold", he did not want "love to dye". He began to write down his "feelings" that would later become short stories and poetry. He wanted to better himself now that he had found what he loved to do, he wrote a letter to the jury that basically had said all the hours he had been learning in jail and all this experience he had in writing and explained how he was not the same young boy, he had transformed himself into someone different, he was a man. having said that, he was released at age 27 and returned to the ghettos but wanted to take on a different road, his friends were turned into drunkies and some were in prison, from all the trouble they got into.
Piri Thomas wanted to "help others climb out", that's why he began to go to church and found many opportunities to help others. He became a youth counselor and helped many kids that were on the wrong side of the road to straighten up. This helped him write his first book, Down These Mean Streets, that created such a big impact on many people specifically on youth, In the film a young woman explained how she was introduced to this book and after reading it, she felt he doubts were answered and was able to find herself, she too became a counselor. Piri Thomas' message is no matter where you grow up and no matter how lost you are, you can be found through writing. As he said, "life is about feelings" and instead of going up to somebody and tell them how you feel, "write it on paper", that way some one how cares, does come across it.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathon Robinson.Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Melon Yemane
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50am
15 October 2013
"Every Child is Born a Poet" Response (essay)
Author and Poet; Piri Thomas' mother came a little before Piri was born in 1928. Piri's mother was of Puerto Rican descend and his father Cuban descend. His siblings and he grew up in one of the roughest parts of New York, Harlem. One of the many challenges he faced growing up was proving he was a man. In order to do so he had to prove to others that he was not a coward/scared/punk/ or a "chicken"; he could not show mercy or others might think of him as weak. As he got older in his teen years Piri's family moved to Rhode Island and faced racial issues with his racial Identity. He recalls people not knowing what his background was and stating they "didn't know what to call me a spick or a nigger." He noticed that his father (who was significantly darker than his mother) I.D'd himself as white and so did his brother, this infuriated him; because they were in a way brainwashed to think black is ugly and white is beauty and the better way of living/life. He fought his brother of this disagreement and soon left soon permanently at the age of 17 the family only to return to a life of crime and punishment.
Piri spent two years in prison, until he realized he could do better. He didn't need to live the life he was living. It was actually in prison when he first began writing poetry. He became an educated man. He wrote a strong letter to seek parole; in part of the letter he describes of him being afraid, "being afraid of being left out". This was when he was lost and didn't know truly didn't know anything about himself. He was released at the age of 27.
Once out of prison he dedicated his life to helping others get off the streets as well by helping them get an education. He often visited Juvenile facilities and spread the word of poetry. Near the end of the video he talks about how he was a loner because he couldn't trust people, and says "every child is born a poet, every poet is a child".
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathon Robinson.Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Patrick Yu
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50
15 October 2013
"Every Child is Born a Poet"
Piri Thomas was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. Thomas grew up in the ghettos of New York, where most children were expected to eventually join gangs. He would later become a member of one. Thomas suffered a lot of racial discrimination while he attended school because had African characteristics, such as dark skin and curly hair. Even as he traveled the around the world as a teenage, he continued to be discriminated. No matter where he traveled, he was always considered "inferior" by people who saw him as black.
When Thomas was in his teens, he was already in a gang, and no longer in school. He was involved with drugs, gang warfare, and crime. He would later be arrested and sentenced to prison. He initially did not enjoy his time in prison, but as time went on, he discovered a lot about himself. The time he spent in prison was the first time he ever took time to reflect on himself. Before prison, the only things he knew about himself were that he "ate when [he] was hungry, and slept when [he] was sleepy." He continued his education while serving his sentence and did very well. He later wrote a letter of parole, where he talked about his accomplishments that he has done while serving time, and how he wanted to contribute to society as a man. He would be released after serving seven years.
Once he was released from imprisonment, he decided to change biological name to “Piri”, a nickname that his mother would call him by. He began to attend church on a regularly, found a lover, and eventually found a career in counseling the youth. His first of four autobiographies would be published years later. His books inspire many youths, especially those who are in the same situation as Thomas was once in. His story proves that every human being is born with an identity.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Kimberly Young
Professor Sabir
English 1A, 8:00-8:50am
15 October 2013
In “Every Child is Born a Poet,” it follows Piri Thomas as he overcomes challenges against discrimination during his early years. His family lived in poverty in New York and he was accustomed to thinking that everyone lived in poverty. It was not until Thomas saw in movies about rich people and their lives and realized that that poverty was not a norm. Thomas then tried to rebel the norm that he once believed--when he stole a quarter from his parents. He father discovered that Thomas had stolen the quarter and punished him. From that incident, Thomas grew accustomed to rebelling and learned the important lesson of never to steal.
In addition to overcoming obstacle, Thomas also struggled to see his true self. His struggle against discrimination was shown though the fight with his brother. Thomas and his brother got into a fight arguing with who was white, black, and mixed. Thomas' brother insisted that Thomas was negro and would forever stay a negro, but Thomas disagreed. Eventually, Thomas' brother ended up punching him, and he started to bleed from his nose. In result of the pain Thomas suffered he was able to start finding parts of himself. This struggle displays the salvation that Thomas had to go through before he was able to find his true identity.
Later, Thomas moved to Babylon Long Island where he got addicted to drugs and eventually was locked in jail. During his time in prison, Thomas discovered his secret weapon-writing. From his discovery, Thomas began to write short stories, journeys and reflect on his own feelings. Through his reflections, Thomas was able to see his own self and who he really was. He started to accept the fact that he was a negro. After his discovery, Thomas was motivated to dedicate himself to helping others find themselves through nonviolence movements. Thomas was also able to change his whole life around. He changed small things such and his name, which made a huge difference in his transformation.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Milin Khunkhun
Professor Sabir
English 1A (10-10:50)
15 October 2013
Response to Every Child is Born a Poet
Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas
Piri Thomas faces many challenges while growing up in the streets of New York. His family came to America from Puerto Rico to have a better life with more opportunities. When growing up, Thomas faced challenges based on his appearance because he was a Puerto Rican boy who looked like an African American. Thomas and his family actually had Latin and African blood but only him and his father had the skin of an African. Piri Thomas began to question his identity because of this confusion. At a young age, Thomas became part of a gang and one day was put in jail for using drugs.
Prison was where Piri Thomas began searching for his identity and discovered it. As Piri Thomas said “but even in prison one can learn to rise above the gray roof and rise to the stars” (Every Child is Born a Poet). Piri Thomas began the fight fear by starting to write short stories about his feelings, when he realized that he did not know himself. So, he turned to education to find his identity and begin a new life that would be dedicated to make something of him by helping others like him to get out of the terror in the streets.
When released from prison, Piri Thomas began making changes to become this better person he strived to be. When given the opportunity to become a youth council, he taught young children to stay away from the life of becoming part of a gang and risk their life and others around them. He told the children to be scared of everything because if they are scared then they do not mess with the gangs and do not get into trouble. Piri Thomas then wrote his first book “Down These Mean Streets” that seemed to be the first book that accurately reflected the life in the ghettos of not only him and others. This book would then be the inspiration for young children in the ghetto to follow a path to become a successful person they strive to be.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Anita Madden
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50
15 October 2013
Piri Thomas
Today in class we watched a film called, " Every Child a poet" by Piri Thomas. He was a Puerto Rican motivational speaker for troubled teens. He was born in New York in 1928 but his parents moved to the U.S a few years earlier determined to live a better life. Piri came from a background of violence and he used poetry as an outlet.
As Piri became a teen he joined a gang for protection and it also made him look tough. He considered himself to live in three worlds, which were school, home and the streets. Eventually his family moved to Long Island, which was a majority population. It was a culture shock for him because he was darker than most and was being compared a lot. In his household his family didn’t embrace and acknowledge their African American side because they were ashamed. Piri struggled with his identity and it upsetted him that his family was ashamed of who they were. When he turned seventeen he left home and joined the marines.
After leaving the marines he got caught up in the street life and ended up serving a seven out of fifteen year prison sentence for robbery. Prison made him realize he didn’t know himself and while he was in there he felt him self-growing up. After being released form prison he noticed most of his friends were on drugs or either in prison. This inspired him to want to do better and help others along the way. Ultimately he Piri was able to rise above many obstacles and he then got married started a family and got a job as a youth counselor.
Chris Lee
Professor Sabir
English 1A
11-11:50
Every Child is born a Poet Reflection:
In the movie “Every Child is born a Poet” by Piri Thomas portrays his life story to us from his years as a teenager and where he is today. Piri Thomas was from a Puerto Rican family born with dark skin and curly hair, where he was looked down upon like any other ethnicity besides light skinned people or white people. Growing up as a teenagers enduring all the hate and racism caused Piri to become angry and violent resulting him to change in ways he would regret.
Piri Thomas was home one day where he became enraged with himself and his family where he was the only dark skinned person in the family and leading him to lash out on his brother. Realizing what he had did, Piri Thomas left home at the age of 17 to begin his journey to find out what he really wanted in life, where he was too late to recognize his own actions and problems that would lead up to his imprisonment.
The instant Piri Thomas was convicted, he knew what he had done wrong. Given his two years sentence gave him the opportunity to mature and take responsibility for his actions, where he reflected upon his life and decided on how to change his life through writing. Writing was the freedom he had in prison, writing or poetry was his way of communicating to others, where he became a youth guidance counselor for trouble youth who lost their way in life and helps them by telling them his life story and how he changed to become who he is today.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Lawrence Cheung
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10:00-10:50AM
15 Oct 13
"Every Child Is Born a Poet" Response
In this film, the life of rebel Piri Thomas was portrayed. In his early life, he had many challenges. He lived in a harsh neighborhood. He had no real inspirations. As stated in his video, he said, "When I was hungry, I ate. When I was thirsty, I drank..." and so on. This was a problem in itself, because he was only responding to his own simple biological needs. He made no effort to reach his inner self, because he had no inspiration.
After a while, he was sentenced to jail for 15 years. In here, he finally found himself. He found himself going through puberty in jail, becoming a man. While doing so, he found that he loved to express his feelings through writing. And more specifically: poetry. He then sought this as his passion. This changed him. He sent letters to the judge, saying how he has changed. He became more modest and honest.
After all of this, as an adult, he was offered a job to be a youth counceler. Through this, he was able to spread his knowledge and experience to the new young people. He stated how there are bad neighborhoods, and inspirations for those children are needed. They are all born poets, and they all need ways to express their feelings and individuality.
Daniel Mao
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 8:00
15 October 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet
In the film Every Child is Born a Poet, Piri Thomas illustrates poetically the challenges he has endured in his life and how he overcame them. One of his first biggest challenges was the color of his skin. It alienated him in a society that was still deeply racist and from his own family. As a Puerto Rican, his family had some diversity in their skin color. He was the darkest of his family and he had curly hair. This conflict with society and family caused him to have an identity crisis. He didn’t know where he fit in, so he ended up with the wrong crowd and it landed him in jail.
Piri Thomas was full of anger and resentment when he was in prison. But once the anger and resentment passed, he began to reflect. Piri Thomas began to look at himself and who he was because he came to the realization that he did not know. He turned to creative writing to help him reflect. Piri Thomas declared that he could feel himself grow up while he was in prison. He felt new clarity of himself and of life. The life he had lived and the life he would now choose to live from then on.
After he was released from prison, Piri Thomas worked to pass on this message to the youth. The message of how his own struggles and realizations through writing saved him. Of how where you come from does not matter, it is where you choose to go. The passion of his poetry and writing is where Piri Thomas found his strength. He used this strength to make many changes in his life. He worked a legitimate job, attended church regularly, got married, had children and worked tirelessly through his writing to spread his passion.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Hoi Chak
Progessor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
15 October 2013
Every Child Is Born a Poet
Growing up, Piri Thomas faced many difficult challenges such as gangs and drugs. His family moved to the United States in hopes of a better life however during the time of the Great Depression and living in the ghetto, it made it hard from him to succeed. During his childhood, he did not realize that there was a world outside of the ghetto. He believed that everyone lived the same way he did, in the ghetto. It was not until he saw movies with high class whites did he realize that was living on the poor side of town. He noticed the high class whites had much more than he did and that he lacked many essential things. Thomas understands that outside the ghetto there was a better way of life. His first rebellious act was when he stole a quarter from his father to go to the movies. He gets caught by and his father lectures him that stealing is not good. However, he does not learn instead, years later, he decides to join a gang.
Besides his rebellious act towards unfair social treatment, he also struggles with racial identity. Thomas is surrounded with white people and starts to feel like an outcast because of his skin color. He explains he is a mix of Peurto Rican and black but is only called 'Negro'. His anger builds up and one day, he takes it out on his brother. This shows his hatred towards white people. He found it unfair that whites always had better things and more money than he did. After joining a gang, Thomas also dropped out of school and was hooked on drugs.
Thomas spends seven years in prison and during this time, he discovers his interest in writing. He begins to write about his feelings and short stories. In addition, he begins to find his new identity and realizes the things he did were wrong. After being released from prison, he dedicates the rest of his life helping others. Thomas focuses on helping troubled youths and teaches the power of writing. He persuades them to use poetry to express their anger and feelings.
Work Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Hun Kim
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
15 October 15, 2013
“Every Child is born a Poet” Response
In the film “Every Child is born a Poet,” Piri Thomas’ life is depicted, from him being a child to being an adult. Throughout his life, Thomas encounters many struggles, such as gangs, drug addiction, and jail. During his time in jail, Thomas emerges as a writer, stating: “even in prison one can learn to rise above the gray roof and rise to the stars” (Every Child is Born a Poet). Like Malcolm X, Piri Thomas educates himself, and thus liberates himself from an oppression of gang violence and drugs.
After being released from jail, Piri Thomas decides to do positive work for the community by working in a youth council. Here, Piri educates young children both educationally and morally, and teaching them to be unaffiliated with gangs and drugs. Piri also tries to emphasize this change in life by changing his name from Juan to Piri, and writing letters to a judge to tell him how much Piri transformed his own life.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Alma Ramirez
Prof. Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50AM
October 15, 2013
Cyber Assignment: “Every Child is born a Poet”
Piri Thomas was a very famous poet who wrote about the struggles of living in the ghetto, based on his very own life experiences. The movie “Every Child is born a Poet” shows the story on the life of Piri Thomas as well as the work he has done. As a child, he faced the problems of living in a low-income community. Another struggle for his was being dark-skinned. He felt as if the color of his skinned affected his life deeply. Piri Thomas also faced the problem of being attracted to gangs at a young age. He was a very troubled teenager, and this soon landed him in prison.
While at prison, Piri Thomas began to learn more about himself. He came to realize that as he was growing up, he did not know himself that well. So he began writing poetry, and this helped expressed himself deeply. He felt as if he was now becoming a man. As soon as he got out of jail, he was determined to change his life by leaving drugs and crime behind.
Piri Thomas is a rebel in society due to him being able to not fall into the norms of young men of the ghetto. He did in fact go to jail once, but he turned his life around and found himself in the process. Not only did he help himself stay on track, but he starting going around school as well as jails teaching young man that they too can do the same. He likes to show these kids that there are other way, such as poetry, that can help them express themselves. I had never heard about this poet, but it is definitely inspiring to hear his poems as well as his story because it comes to show one person can make a change in a society.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
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Rebeca Gonzalez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
October 15, 2013
Response to Every Child is Born a Poet
Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas
Piri Thomas was born in New York City in 1928. His mother Dolores, who was from Puerto Rican descend and his father Juan, who was from Cuba, raised him in the ghetto. His parents had just moved there a couple years before Piri was born. His dad was determined to give Piri and his brothers a better life but unfortunately at that time he couldn’t. His mother was a religious woman who just wanted to protect her children from this new world they had moved into. Poverty was a norm for them and violence was what Piri knew because because he grew up in it. Piri described how he lived in three worlds, the world of home, the world of school and the world of the streets. He said that the world of home and the streets was made up of rules, but the world of the streets “belonged to the kid alone”.
After moving to a better home, Piri faced prejudice and discrimination. He knew he had some type of “black” descend in himself, especially because he was dark skinned and his hair was dark and curly. He began to question his identity. He moved from his parents home and began traveling but he came to find out that regardless of where he went or any language anyone talked, “if you are black then you are black”. He then went back home with his family, but not so later went into grief to the fact that his mother had died. At the age of 17 he dropped out of school and stayed out in the streets. He then was introduced in the world full of drugs. That led him to no good but being behind bars.
While Piri was in prison he began to think of what he really wanted in his life and the things he could do to change. He figured out that the only reason why he went off to the streets and doing drugs was because he wanted to be a man not a “punk, chicken, or a coward” but in reality those actions or choices were the choices of a “punk”. He promised god he would climb out of the world he was in and in 1957 he was out of prison. He “breathed the same air, the same air he did as a kid, everything was the same, only he could make the difference”. And so he did. He started attending church and eventually got married ad had children. He began writing books and became a counselor for the youth. Being in prison he learned that life consists of our feelings and thoughts and his only way out of this violent world was his poetry.
Works Cited:
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Briana Del Cid
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
16 October 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet Response
In the flim “Every Child is Born a Poet”, Piri Thomas grew up in the streets of Harlem which only brought him grief. His family live in the ghettos of New York while he was young that’s what he thought the world was like. That was until Thomas started to watch movies that depicted the rich people way of life and gangsters making bank and breaking rules. He divided his world into three parts when he became gangster age, his family, school and the streets. In the streets there were no rules and he could be a rebel all he wanted, the streets were his world. Thomas mixes family and the streets when he steals a quarter from his father. He gets caught and beaten for it which was his first lesson in reality, that even a simple quarter has consequences.
His family moved to Rhode Island when his father got a military job. His time there confused Thomas of his identity when he noticed that his father and he were dark skinned. Because he was Puerto Rican people told him he was white but no amount of lies could change the fact that his skin was dark and his hair was curly. Thomas rebels against the way people categorizes his culture and tries to show his brother something that he didn’t fully understand himself. Thomas argues with his brother and soon goes to blows since he can’t get his brother to understand. He leaves his family to travel so that maybe he could discover his identity on his own however he only gained a deep hated towards whites.
Thomas is back in Harlem and gets sucked into the darkness. He joins a gang and does drugs until eventually he is jailed for assaulting a police officers. During his time in jail, Thomas takes the time to finish his education and discovers a passion for writing. He found that writing is a way of expressing and had a freedom that the streets couldn’t give him. Prison is where Thomas finds his identity. He is finally released from prison at the age of 27 in 1956. After the time spent in jail, Thomas is ready to make a difference and avoid the pull of dark Harlem so he joins a church and gets married. Later he is offered a Youth Council job where he finds a talent in working with children. He is also able to open up a drug rehabilitation center and write a bestselling book.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Saleena Carpenter
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50am
15 October 2013
Response to Every Child is Born a Poet
The documentary Every Child is Born a Poet by Jonathan Robinson follows the journey of Piri Thomas,an Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican,from being in the streets to bring a very important figure in his community and society. He shares his experience with living in poverty,believing it was a normal thing, and dealing with conflicts pertaining to race. The film gives insight on his reasons for wanting something better in life and how he was able to make that happen. Piri grew up in Harlem, New York he was constantly being pulled into the streets. Always trying to people himself to show that he want weak. He joined a gang, sold drugs and admired marijuana even if he didn't want to. He and his father had darker skin tones than his brother and mother but having his brother and father deny the African American in them, identifying themselves as whites, made it challenging to accept his identity.
Thomas builds up this hate for white people causing him to act out. He dropped out of school at the age of 17 and at one puppet became addicted to heroin. Piri his to jail for robbery, he was sentenced 15 years, he only served 6 and was released at the age of 27. While in prison he was able to think and get to know himself resulting in his "acceptance of his allness". He started writing his feelings down about the obstacles he faced being in the Harlem streets. This lead him to discover his passionate weapon of poetry that would motivate him to help kids in the ghetto and what he went through.
After Piri's releases he returned to the ghetto streets of Harlem but with a new attitude, choosing to walk in a different path. He wanted to help kids make it out the ghetto to live a better life. He started attending church and got married. Piri had multiple jobs but then became a youth counselor encouraging kids to do the right thing. He also had the accomplishment of developing a violence prevention program and was later encouraged to write books. His first book "Down These Mean Streets" was popular amongst readers with the same life experiences as Piri Thomas. He used his struggles to do positive, generous, and other exceptional things for kids and his community.
Works Cited:
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf. Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Tiffany Gregory
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50am
16 October 2013
Response to Every Child is Born a Poet
This film was introduced with spectacular poetry from Piri Thomas who is a mix ethnicity of Cuban and Puerto Rican. His parents had only come to the states few years before he was born and they both had plans for their children that included family and prosperity. His parents wanted the best but when the ghetto in the states they were living in had them soon realize for any sincere humanity in this world it’ll cost money. He lived in a poor neighborhood as a small boy and learned at an early age to except his living conditions. Although these times served to be horrendous he also thought they were normal until he saw what rich people did and how they lived on TV.
He also saw gangsters whom he perceived were good because they were able to feed their families on TV. Seeing this made him think it was ok since it was glamorized. Challenges he faced were all lead by oppression and depression. Being poor, mixed, and confused in the ghetto almost always leads to death or jail. Knowing he wanted to live, he wanted to be somebody, he wanted to love other people he vowed to never die. Not just physically but mentally as well. He had a difficult time trying to adjust to his neighborhood, his school and the street life that he just can’t seem to stay away from. Identity was key to his pain because he had to know who he was to know that since he had faith, that pain would subside in time.
His passion was poetry and he discovered it after being sent to jail while there he began to really understand where he’d done himself wrong so writing his feelings down seemed to flow easily to him. This helped him heal from all the pain and anger he felt over all those hard times growing up, in jail he realized how he could change his life around and live like he said he wants too , as a man loving himself and having faith.
Once he got out of jail he never planned to go back and with this new found identity he changes his name to make sure he is moving on in all the right ways. He knew he had to try in some way to help and encourage young men so they didn’t end up dead or in jail. He became a counselor for the youth. Becoming a writer is something he never truly thought he could be; the passion was limited because of his circumstances in the ghetto. However, once acquiring new confidence he was determined to help others out their follow their dreams and become a writer. Letting your feelings out on paper as he says is the best way to express yourself. The message that’s trying to be displayed is, “everybody is different and every person weather their seen as good or bad was once an innocent child who just wanted to know about the world. Accepting yourself is the only way you can grow in life.” (Every Child is Born a Poet).
Hugo Saavedra
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50
15 October, 2013
Every Child is Born a Poet
Piri Thomas was a Puerto Rican whose parents had immigrated to the United States only years before he was born. His pain was the pain of many Afro-Latino males with noticeably darker skin: his blackness was rejected not only by the dominant white culture, but also by his own family and friends who idealized whiteness and sought to emulate it, weaving a mythology which emphasized their Spanish and indigenous heritage while at the same time disowning their African heritage. Feeling abandoned and betrayed by his own family, and isolated by the violent sea of whiteness surrounding him wherever he went, Thomas fell into a downward spiral of anger and depression, which resulted in compulsive drug use and violent crimes, which landed him in prison.
While in prison, Thomas came to write down his feelings and finally develop a kind of gnosis, or self-knowing. In knowing himself, and in knowing his feelings, he came to a fuller appreciation of his blackness and came to realize that no one is inherently criminal. In coming to this realization, and in seeing his crimes in context (while still expressing remorse for them), he developed compassion for himself and a desire to learn and educate himself to improve his position.
Once released from prison, Thomas consolidated this gnosis by adopting the name Piri, a nickname given to him by his mother. His self-education in prison and his experience as a person of color who was at once black and Latino positioned him to serve as a mentor for many whose experiences overlapped with his own, particularly youth, prisoners, and gang members. He authored a number of books, ultimately going on to be an integral advocate of social justice in his community.
Works Cited
Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas. Dir. Jonathan Robinson. Perf.
Piri Thomas. Collective Eye, 2003. Online Media.
Susan Gyemant
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11/11:50
16 October 2013
Piri Thomas
Poetic Device
The tale of a Harlem kid’s demise by poisonous sewer water has a mythological tone, but this is no myth, it was a real childhood event embedded in the memory bank of a talented poet. Admittedly, this was just one of a string of tragic realities that shaped the mind of the late Piri Thomas – writer and youth activist – as revealed in the film, Every Child is Born a Poet, produced by Jonathon Robinson. Thomas was born in urban New York City to Puerto Rican and Cuban migrants seeking stability in the more prosperous United States. Conversely, consequences of living in the ghettos of Harlem, and being a descendant of Afro-Puerto Rican peoples threatened a downward spiral for Piri Thomas, yet he found liberation through education and writing which gave him a new purpose in life – promoting delinquent youth rehabilitation by way of his life lessons and love for poetry.
Growing up, Thomas struggled with societies mixed signals and inherited skin tones that left him in limbo. His darker skin mirrored the indigenous people of Puerto Rico, unlike his siblings who instead resembled the lighter features of the rich port’s historical imperial powers. Producer, Jonathon Robinson, includes a revealing reenactment in this short film where dialogue and a concluding brawl between Thomas and his lighter-skinned brother that proves the extent of his disconcertion. It only turned to fist and blood after Thomas’ younger brother insisted he did not want to be associated as Black even if Thomas – of the same blood line – considered himself Black. If my father is than I must be, and if I must be than you must be too, Thomas yelled. Thomas’s adrenaline infused fist, broke his brothers blood vessels which dripped in red, only furthering the point, if your blood is red, and my blood is red than we are the same (Robinson).
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Susan Gyemant
Poetic Device
Documented in this film we see Piri Thomas’s transition from Hard Knocks alumni to published writer, rendering his future as youth counselor, which ultimately led him to start a youth drug-rehab program. At a juvenile detention center he declares to a group of adolescents that he too understands that in the streets, “…the pull is too hard and the street is too long” (Robinson). Like the audience in from of him, Thomas found solace in gang-life, and early exposure to Hollywood’s glorification of the gangster only endorsed his misguidance even more. However, as he explains to the youth group, the successful gangster is a misconception, there is no such thing. As your empire rises, so does the envy of surrounding hungry cholos, inevitably the bigger you are the harder you fall (Robinson).
Not surprising, his criminal affiliations landed him in prison where he rose from angry inmate to inspired writer. With endless time on his hands he found the energy and inspiration to find himself, take apart the root of his anger. Writing, and self-initiated education was his liberator which prepared him for the next phase in his life. As he told the parole board, “I want my people to be proud of me,” this was is promise that his second chance at freedom would not be in vain (Robinson).
Following his release from prison, a string of odds-and-ends jobs and marriage, Thomas changed his government name to his childhood nickname “Piri,” as we know him today. I think producer Jonathon Robinson, captures the connection of both this sort of rebirth (re-naming), and the opening scene of the young boys’ death (sewer water death), with the title Every Child is Born a Poet – emphasis on child. Thomas goes back in time to reincarnate as the child he was before the streets turned him into a criminal. At the young boys’ funeral, he promised his child-self that he would “live forever,” in other words lead an honorable life and not a wasteful life (Robinson). Indeed Thomas kept his promise, and furthermore recruited other youth to find a new path as well. Proving what I believe the film’s title is referring to; that every child deserves an opportunity to prosper in this world.
Works Cited
Robinson, Jonathon M., dir. Every Child is Born a Poet. Narr. Piri Thomas. 2003. PBS. Web. 16
Oct. 2013.
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