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Piri Thomas is a Cuban-American writer and storyteller. He is best known for his 1967 memoir, Down These Mean Streets, which chronicles his childhood in New York City’s Spanish Harlem and his descent into delinquency and crime. The book is considered an important work of Chicano literature.nThomas was born in 1928 in El Barrio, also known as Spanish Harlem, in New York City. His parents were Puerto Rican immigrants. He grew up in a tenement on 116th Street between First and Second Avenues. His father was a factory worker and his mother was a homemaker. As a child, Thomas was exposed to violence and poverty. He witnessed his first murder when he was seven years old.nThomas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began running with a street gang. He was arrested several times for petty crimes. In 1945, he was sent to reform school after stabbing a man during a fight.nAfter his release from reform school, Thomas joined the U.S. Army and served in Korea. When he returned to the United States, he settled in San Francisco, where he worked as a longshoreman. He also began writing poetry.nIn the early 1960s, Thomas returned to New York City and enrolled in college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Hunter College. He also studied at the City College of New York and the New School for Social Research.nIn 1967, Thomas’s memoir, Down These Mean Streets, was published. The book was an instant success and helped to launch Thomas’s writing career. He has since published several other books, including a novel, The Pimienta Pancakes, and a collection of short stories, Seven Long Times.nThomas continues to write and lecture about his life and work. He currently lives in San Francisco.
Piri Thomas is an important author because he tells the story of his life and how he overcame many obstacles. He is an inspiration to many people and his story is one that should be shared.
