Once, in the infirmary, an assistant overseer entered ordered Manzano to be tied up similar to Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. He was then beaten to the point he lost so much blood he passed out. Finally, Manzano was falsely convicted of stealing a chicken and was beaten for 9 days until he was proven innocent. During this time he was still expected to complete his normal task when he was not getting tormented. Learning to write Manzano was a domestic slave with little power over his life, but he was taught to write by his master. His first mistress exposed him to the arts, and under her care, he memorized short plays, short poems known as décima, bits of opera, and other works of theater. Subsequently, with a master, Manzano was not allowed to use time that he could be working to recite by heart or write letters, but he practiced writing letters with the discarded notes of his master, first copying the script and then writing himself. Until he learned to read or write, Manzano was limited to remembering other's poetry. Writing allowed him to express his own viewpoints. He became a part of a group of Cuban reformists who, with a publicist and liberal writer named Domingo Del Monte, encouraged Manzano to write. The group took up a collection to buy Manzano's freedom. Manzano's poetry was edited by publishers who sought to create a cleaner version of the text, but in the process, the poems lost their authenticity. While still enslaved, he wrote (1821) and (1830). In 1835, he began writing his life story at the request of Domingo del Monte, who bought Manzano's freedom in 1836. Del Monte wanted him to write a narrative of his life to help promote abolitionism among the enlightened middle class. In correspondence between Manzano and Del Monte, Manzano was initially hesitant to reveal details that he thought would not be well received by his benefactor. He gained greater self-confidence and certainty about his autobiography with time. He held back some material that he wanted to put in a later book, which never appeared. Published works Autobiography His work appears to be the first slave narrative published in Spanish America. Manzano says in his narrative that his parents' mistress possessed the power over life and death - and allowed him to be born. He writes, "remember when you read me that