GALLERY

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relevant to this book

Click HERE!

AWARDS

Latino Book and Family Festival, Books Into Film Awards NALIP -- Second Place, Drama Category, October 9, 2010

Hollywood Book Festival -- Honorable Mention, 2010

REVIEWS

"Homeboy's Soul deserves to take its place among the best literature available today on the complex and fascinating subject of what draws a promising young life to such self-destruction."

DANNY DE LA PAZ
Actor (Boulevard Nights)

"This book should be required reading for students, parents, school administrators, police officers, and community leaders."

RICHARD REYES
PanchoClaus and Gang Prevention Activist

"It gives ammunition to parents waging a painful war for the souls of children caught in the deadly culture of street gangs."

JOEL VALENZUELA
Former Teacher

"You won't want to put this book down!"

ELIZABETH RHONE
First Lady, Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ

"This book is very difficult to put down once you start to read it. I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the gang life."

LAZZ
- posted on Amazon.com

"I really enjoyed this book. I've heard so many stories about gang-life and while it's fascinating, it also poses a real threat, especially for young people who will do whatever it takes to fit in. I thought the writing was great."

BRIDGETT3420
- posted on Amazon.com

MEDIA INTERVIEWS

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relevant to this book

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

To request the author for a speaking engagement including conferences, seminars, podcasts, radio or TV interviews, please contact: Fred Stawitz via email at fred@storymakersinc.com.

BOOK DETAILS

ISBN: 9780988807914
PUBLISHER: Storymakers, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: August 12, 2018
PAGE COUNT: 326
FORMAT: softcover, ebook

          

          

          

          

Homeboy's Soul: Pride, Terror & Street Justice in America

Don Armijo was born in a poor, Chicano barrio in Pomona, California, where college and a good job were as distant a concept as traveling to the moon. With no thought to the future, he was jumped into Calle Doce, one of the toughest gangs in East Los Angeles County, while still a teenager.

Immediately faced with having to perform a movida to prove himself or face the wrath of the entire gang, he showed his homeboys that he was a natural when it came to venturing into rival gang territory with deadly intent. Don quickly mastered the art of disguising any sense of fear or weakness, a death sentence for gang members, and earned himself a reputation for his willingness to pull the trigger for Calle Doce.

With no future, but the gang, Don found himself caught between the abuses of the police and hatred of rival barrios. It was a life or death struggle where illegal drugs were the substance of commerce. Friends could be shot down in front of him and any moment could be his last but Don thrived on the love and respect from his homeboys and accepted the realization that he cruised the mean streets of the barrio with a target ever present on his back.

Immersed in the internal politics of the illegal enterprises that surrounded him, he instinctively recognized who had the power and who wanted it. He learned when to step up and when to step back. Still throughout all the turmoil, he remained a true vato loco loyal to the barrio and ready to defend it at a moment’s notice.

The day the veteranos tapped him as the next shotcaller for Calle Doce came as a shock since he had always thought of himself as a soldier, not a general. As fate would have it, his life of death and destruction caught up with him on that day and he was busted by the police.

Behind bars and serving hard time for murder, he found that the warning of his father that his homeboys would abandon him rang true. Now he was alone in his prison cell. The love and respect of his homeboys that had sustained his loyalty had evaporated the moment the handcuffs snapped closed around his wrists.

It took time for Don to realize that the future had always held options if he had only been open to see them and motivated enough to pursue them. Luckily, prison gave him the time to come to that realization before a bullet from a rival gang caught him unaware as he journeyed through the mysterious world of the most pervasive and misunderstood lifestyle in America … gangbanging!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement
Introduction
Preface
1 - Riots
2 - Homeboys
3 - Intimidation
4 - Calle Doce
5 - Movida
6 - Sharkie Park
7 - Vatos Locos
8 - Sangre
9 - Rucas
10 - Fun Zone
11 - Thin Line
12 - A.W.O.L.
13 - Weasel's Wila
14 - The Town I Live In
15 - Doing It To Death
16 - Sly, Slick & Wicked
17 - All Ratas Die
18 - Shark's Teeth
19 - Soul Searching
20 - Slippin'
21 - Matón
22 - La Pinta
Epilogue
Glossary
Song List

REVIEWS

Homeboy's Soul Review by Mark Russel Bell (Los Angeles) -- 5/31/2010

Homeboy's Soul Review by Midwest Book Review (Oregon, Wisconsin) -- 7/13/2010

Homeboy's Soul Review by Carter Jefferson, Editor, Internet Review of Books (Boston) -- 7/17/2010

Homeboy's Soul Interview with Fred Stawitz by Michael F. Shaughnessy, Senior Columnist, EducationNews.org and Professor of Psychology, Eastern New Mexico University (Portales, New Mexico) -- 7/19/2010

Homeboy's Soul Review by Michael F. Shaughnessy, Senior Columnist, EducationNews.org and Professor of Psychology, Eastern New Mexico University (Portales, New Mexico) -- 7/22/2010

Homeboy's Soul Interview with Fred Stawitz by Bridget Hopper, Blogger, Readaholic -- 9/16/2010

Homeboy's Soul Review by Bridget Hopper, Blogger, Readaholic -- 9/16/2010

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS

Homeboys kick back with some pisto in front of a wall tagged with Los Sharkies placasos.

Calle Doce homeboys gather in front of old Catholic Church before a meeting.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Don Armijo, homeboy and former shotcaller for a gang in East Los Angeles County, California, is currently incarcerated.

Fred Stawitz researches, writes, speaks, and consults on:

• Mastering the challenge of successfully implementing disruptive, emergent technologies
• Driving high-levels of employee engagement
• Shaping a corporate culture that promotes safe, productive, and sustainably profitable operations

A popular international speaker, he has been featured on CNN Headline News, a PBS special program, TV news/talk shows, nationally syndicated radio programs, business meetings, conferences, and quoted in a Special Congressional Quarterly Report.

As an experienced program development manager, he has more than fifteen years of expertise in successfully designing, implementing, and managing programs that maximize safety and productivity while ensuring regulatory compliance.

He was recruited to design and implement the first technical training program for the US Space Shuttle Program (United Space Alliance) following the Challenger explosion. He also produced online training and desktop simulations for the astronauts.

He developed training and regulatory compliance programs for InterGen (Shell/Bechtel joint energy venture) and developed the in-house capability for delivering online training and video production for El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline (largest pipeline company in America).

He is a recipient of:

• Leadership 500 LEAD Award (a global honor presented by HR.com)
• National Education Association A+ for Excellence in Education Award
• NASA and the National Science Teachers Association National Honors Teaching Award
• And more!

He served as judge of the Diversity Value Index Benchmark & Awards Program as well as judging numerous writing competitions. He has received several awards for writing. He penned and produced the award-winning stage play Soldier Mom.

He is currently the CEO of Storymakers, Inc., a specialized publishing operation.

Stawitz graduated from Washburn University with dual degrees in mathematics and computer science backed by a minor in foreign languages.

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