Modesto seemed a world away in that moment as Norman started to strip down to a Lone Ranger Mask and shiny silver thong. It was clear - there were no rules in poetry here.

Pablo credits the support of current and former La Pena staff such as Sylvia Sherman, Paul Flores and Juan Berumen to his continued development as an artist. Pablo has been fortunate to perform as a featured artist throughout the West Coast, Texas and Illinois.

Since that night in 2000, Pablo drove from Modesto to La Pena to attend the "Word & Sing"’ regularly. During that time he had the opportunity to work and develop friendships with artists such as Jose "rasquaCHE" Garcia, Paul Flores, Melissa Lozano, Adriana Garcia, Marc Pinate and Rico Pabon. But, his writing really changed with he met Elia Arce in 2001.

"My work has changed quite a bit in the last two years that I have been working with Elia Arce. Specifically, I was just doing a lot of spoken word dealing with what everyone does - identity and where they live and where they come from. Issues that I found close to me.

Over the last - specifically the last year - and I think right now, what is happening is that I have found my groove in becoming more of a storyteller."

Storytelling, through the connection of our bodies to the earth is something that has impacted Pablo's work as an artist but also in his work with the Farm Worker Movement.

Currently, Pablo directs the San Joaquin Valley Regional Office for "La Union Del Pueblo Entero"’ in Fresno. L.U.P.E. is a non-profit affiliate of the United Farm Workers of America.

Elia Arce's organic process in directing and Rashad's organic process in choreography have impacted his professional life with L.U.P.E. significantly. Focusing on the process rather than the end product is a philosophy that Pablo and his L.U.P.E. mentors Rudy Gonzalves and Cesar Lara share with all L.U.P.E. Staff.

"The last two years, not just the Fruitvale Project but the one before, We Carry A Home With Us what's happened is that I think that now I have a very definite process to creating work, editing it and developing it. Whereas before I didn't. Before I was just like, I would write it and then - yeah then edit some words that I didn't like.

But, I didn't incorporate movement or how the way that movement changed some of the dialog that I chose to use. So that process and being very much process based as opposed to final product focused, like having a poem, has changed very much. Now it's exploring ideas and how they work with movement and how they can contribute back to a community and empower them."

Developing the intersection through art and direct action organizing is a long-term goal that Pablo has for his work with L.U.P.E.

• 1) Winning real improvements in people’s lives
• 2) Giving people a sense of their own power
• 3) Altering the relations of power

Photo by Hugh Lovell