Luis J. Rodriguez is one of the leading Chicano writers in the country, with fourteen published books including memoir, fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, and poetry. His children's books—America is Her Name and It Doesn't Have to be This Way: A Barrio Story—have won a Patterson Young Adult Book Award, two "Skipping Stones" Honor Award, and a Parent's Choice Book Award.

A short story collection, The Republic of East LA, and a novel, Music of the Mill, came out in 2001 and 2005, both from Rayo Books/Harper Collins. A a poetry collection, My Nature is Hunger: New & Selected Poems, appeared in 2005 from Curbstone Press/Rattle Edition. Limited-edition hand-made art books and broadsides of Luis' poems have also been made by C & C Press of Pajaro, CA for sale to collectors, universities, libraries, and other institutions, including Seven, Two Women/Dos Mujeres, and Making Medicine. Luis' poetry has won a Poetry Center Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Literary Award, a Paterson Poetry Book Prize, among others.

Watch the videos of Luis Rodriquez's presentation for Tengo La Voz at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma: 

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5