Ricardo Cortez Cruz - 1964
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San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California
I. Biography
Ricardo Cortez Cruz was born in Decatur, Illinois on August 10th 1964. His father Theodore Cruz worked in climate control, and mother Maxine, worked for a hospital. Ricardo Cruz attended Richland Community College, where he received his Associates of Arts degree (AA), in 1985. He then continued his education at Illinois State College, and received his Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in 1989. In 1991 he received his Masters degree (MA). He was awarded the 1987-1988 Brome Creative writing award, from Illinois State College. Cruz is currently working towards getting his doctorate degree.
After college Cruz went to write for the Herald Review in Decatur Illinois. He was a sportswriter, an intern, and a clerk for Herald Review , from 1982-1988. After working at the Herald Review for six years, Cruz went to Pantagraph, located in Bloomington Illinois, where he was also a sportswriter and a clerk, from 1988 to 1989. Following writing for the Pantagraph, Cruz began his career in 1992 as an English instructor at Heartland Community College in Bloomington.
II. Literary Works
Straight Outta Compton: "A Dive into Living Large, a Work Where Characters Trip, Talk out the Side of Their Neck, and Cuss like It Was Nothing." This novel is about growing up in Compton. It focuses on Clive and Rooster's relationship and how they grow up, and grow apart in Compton. It starts out where Clive and Rooster are best friends, until Rooster becomes obsessed with women and Clive's father dies of a drug overdose. After those incidents Clive and Rooster fall into rival gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, and then start to hate each other. Clive has other problems to worry about, he is afraid that he has gotten a girl pregnant. Now Clive wants to get out of the corrupt Compton life.
Five days of Bleeding: is a novel that takes place in Harlem. It's main character is a homeless woman, named Zu-Zu Girl, who the violent antagonist "Chops" torments. Zu-Zu sings to keep an up-beat attitude on life. Zu-Zu also has a relationship with the narrator. The novel is set to blues and jazz music, while depicting the social chaos around the characters.
III. Compton, California and Ricardo Cruz
Ricardo Cruz mentions many places in, and surrounding, Compton. The following are a few of the locations mentioned.
Alameda Street: On this street there are many apartment buildings. In one of those buildings a brutal murder takes place.
El Serino: In the El Serino area of Los Angeles, a movie company is completing a film on gang life.
San Pedro: An area in L.A., called San Pedro two boys are shot trying to crash a house party. The area where the crime occurred is on Second Street. This is where the projects are currently located.
La Puente: On the east side of Los Angeles County police discover heavy rock cocaine dealing.
IV. Literary Works
Straight Outta Compton (1992)
Five Days of Bleeding (1995)
V. Sources
Cruz, Ricardo Cortez. Straight Outta Compton. Boulder, Colorado: Fiction Collective Two, Incorporated, 1992.
Fiction Collective Two.
Kurkus Associates, LP. 1992
http://www.amazon.com
Library Journal - Straight Outta Compton
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Publisher's Weekly - Straight Outta Compton
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Fiction Collective Two, Incorporated - Five Days of Bleeding
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Biographical Information for Ricardo Cruz
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This essay was submitted by a student of Grant Farley, a teacher at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California.