Jimmy Santiago Baca, born January 2, 1952, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, is an American poet, memoirist, and screenwriter. Abandoned at age two, he spent years in an orphanage before running away at 13. At 21, he was incarcerated for drug possession, serving five years in prison, including three in isolation. During this time, Baca taught himself to read and write, beginning to compose poetry.