Saturday at the Canal

"Oranges" by Gary Soto (1982)

One of Soto’s earlier and most well-known poems, “Oranges” is written in shorter lines compared to much of his later work and recalls a young romance contrasted against the limitations of Soto’s economic hardship.

"New Clothes" by Julia Alvarez (1982)

A poetic contemporary of Soto’s, Dominican American writer Alvarez engages with similar themes as Soto, writing about her childhood memories, lower class struggles, and her Latin American identity. Her work also provides a contrasting perspective to Soto, since she writes as a woman dealing with the problems of exile, patriarchy, assimilation, and immigration in America.

"What Work Is" by Philip Levine (1992)

During his studies at California State University at Fresno, Soto studied under Philip Levine, who had a pivotal influence on his career. Many of Levine’s poems, like “What Work Is,” are honest and sharp portrayals of working-class people, which influenced Soto’s own poetry on the subject.

Home Course in Religion by Gary Soto (1991)

Soto’s sixth poetry collection is a collection of scenes from his childhood, depicting his youth as a catholic boy growing up in Fresno. “Saturday at the Canal” is included in this collection, which provides some context for the poem and his experience at this time of his life.