Pedro Pietri

Like I said, it was 1957 when I started in oral tradition by memorizing all the poems I wrote…And I’d sit in parties, and bars—they were just poems to make people feel good…

— Pedro Pietri

I was introduced to Langston Hughes, who became one of my favorite poets…I mean, he was a poet; he wasn’t about words, he was a poet, he had rhythm.

— Pedro Pietri

…It goes back to 1945; when my parents, right, they left paradise looking for paradise…During the adventure of Operation Bootstrap, a lot of people were brainwashed to believe that if they leave there you can have a better life over here.

— Pedro Pietri