Jimmy Santiago Baca’s newest collection of essays picks up where his earlier acclaimed book, Working in the Dark, left off. Laughing in the Light is the writer’s first attempt to revisit his past, launching into the past twenty years with a renewed heart and wizened spirit as he shares his experiences, what he has learned along the way, and how his views have changed. Baca delves deeper into contemporary issues as he explores themes ranging from arts, culture, education, and justice reform.

Jimmy Santiago Baca is an award-winning poet, writer, and educator. He is the author of eighteen books, including A Place to Stand, Healing Earthquakes, and A Glass of Water. His latest titles are When I Walk Through that Door, I Am and An Immigrant Mother’s Quest. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors such as the American Book Award for Martin & Meditations on the South Valley and The International Prize for his memoir, A Place to Stand. This memoir was made into a documentary film that aired nationally on PBS in 2018. His book Healing Earthquakes was an honoree of Phi Beta Kappa Society and won a Pushcart Prize. Baca is the writer and executive producer of Blood In/Blood Out, a Hollywood Pictures feature that has a cult-status following of millions globally. Baca has been recognized for his community and educational outreach with a Humanitarian Award from the City of Albuquerque and the Cornelius P. Turner Award, honoring GED graduates who have made “outstanding contributions” in areas such as education, justice, and social welfare. The University of New Mexico awarded him an honorary PhD for his work teaching thousands of adults and kids to read and write. While Baca continues to write, he facilitates writing workshops, and visits prisons, Youth Offender Facilities, and alternative schools for At-Risk Youth. He also oversees his non-profit Cedar Tree, Inc., which assists communities through its bookmobile that delivers free books to reservation, barrio, and inner-city schools, and sends interns to aid teachers in rural communities lacking resources.