"Baca writes with unconcealed passion . . . and manifests both an intense lyricism and that transformative vision which perceives the mythical and archetypal significance of life events."
- Denise Levertov

"Raw and ambitious, [Baca's work is] notable for addressing important issues...and depicting marginalized communities and individuals who struggle to retain meaning and purpose in a harsh, unjust world."
- San Francisco Chronicle

"I don't know if I would have lived had I not found poetry."
- Jimmy Santiago Baca