Boricua Book Club: Down These Mean Streets

Join NMPRAC for our virtual Boricua Book Club as we dive into one of the most powerful and necessary books in Puerto Rican literature. Down These Mean Streets is Piri Thomas’s raw, lyrical memoir of survival, from the streets of Spanish Harlem to the inside of Sing Sing prison, and ultimately, a story of hard-won freedom, self-acceptance, and resilience.

This is a book that doesn’t whisper. It speaks from the heart.

We’ll explore themes of identity, race, belonging, and transcendence, conversations that feel just as urgent today as they did when Thomas first wrote them. Whether you’re reading it for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, this is a space for honest, meaningful dialogue rooted in community.

And the experience doesn’t stop on screen.

The Book Club culminates in a special in-person celebration and meet-and-greet with facilitator Anthony Milian during Barrio Arts Fest on July 11th at 11 AM. Come ready to talk, connect, and celebrate Boricua literary culture together.

📖 Reserve your spot. Read the book. Come to the conversation.

Click here to learn more about the author and the book.

Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Facilitator: Anthony Modesto Milian

First Virtual Live Gathering: Monday, May 11, 2026, at 7 PM CST

• Please read the Prologue + Chapter 1-8 by May 11, 2026

Schedule:

Session 1: MON. May 11, 2026 — Prologue + Ch. 1-8
Alternative: WED. May 13, 2026

Session 2: MON. May 25, 2026 — Chapters 9-13
Alternative: WED. May 27, 2026

Session 3: MON. June 1, 2026 — Chapters 14-19
Alternative: WED. June 3, 2026

Session 4: MON. June 15, 2026 — Chapters 20-24
Alternative: WED. June 17, 2026

Session 5: MON. June 29, 2026 — Chapters 25-32
Alternative: WED. July 1, 2026

Session 6: MON. July 6, 2026 — Chapters 33-35
Alternative: WED. July 8, 2026

To purchase the book: If you are in Chicago, you can buy Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas at the Museum’s Gift Shop for $15 during regular business hours.

• Online in various formats: Click Here
• You could also visit your local public library to reserve a copy.

Questions: Please email Veronica Ocasio at [email protected]