This collection of poetry is inspired by the author's testament to his past. Andrew Zaragoza expresses his insight of the human spirit through written word. Messages complimented by visual accents, the poet hopes to inspire others through his debut book.

It is my hope to instill inspiration to my readers when they read this book. Themes in this book include the following: love and relationships, hardship, perseverance, grit, wonder, and humanity. Based on lived experiences, I share my insight in a way that made sense to me, through the written word of poetry and visualization. To commemorate a period of time where I was lost, I present XI: A Collection of Poetry on Being Human.

Andrew Joseph Zaragoza, Jr is a Chicano born and raised among the Greater Los Angeles gateway cities. Having grown up in and now employed at the ABC Unified School District, he spends his time teaching students to become their best selves. He concurrently works with adults at private residential locations as a Residential Counselor. He recently acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills with plans for post-baccalaureate work. While growing up, Andrew has become a model to the young minds by inspiring them to achieve their unique and individual greatness. Having persevered through hardships and loss at a young age himself, he found comfort in visual arts and music. Having formal education through several high school art classes, self-taught knowledge, and past experience with the Downtown Art Walk in Los Angeles. Much of his artistic inspirations come from his grandmother, who first introduced him to a wide variety of media at a young age. With her passing in 2009, he looked to his parents for support and direction about how to proceed with his skills and development. Further, he draws his aspirations from the wide variety of musical artists, Salvador Dali, Seurat, Morley, and more. His style is one of continuous growth and up to the audience's interpretation. He describes himself as the fluid that fills up the audience's containers, liquid and always moving.