Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Often, what people know about authors is a combination of what literary critics and readers say, along with what they say about themselves. Who is Gary Soto? According to critics, what are some of the characteristics of Soto’s writing? What are some common themes? What does Soto say about his own work?

Teaching Suggestion: Soto's writing style is not explicit. He expresses his themes through the details he presents as wells as the details he leaves out, leaving readers to access his writing and his ideas on their own terms. Providing literary context for the author’s work, along with the writer’s own ideas on what he hopes to accomplish, will provide readers with a foundational understanding of Soto’s work and legacy. Use these or other resources plus discussion to prime readers to look for specific writing techniques and themes in Living Up the Street.

• Soto’s Poetry Foundation biography includes literary insights as well as his accomplishments. It also includes some of the author’s insights about his work.
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