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Voices from the Street: Truths about Homelessness from Sisters of the Road
Voices from the Street is a candid, guided exploration of homelessness poignant and powerful. The book aspires beyond mere literary voyeurism. Taken from over 500 interviews with those experiencing homelessness, Voices from the Truths about Homelessness from Sisters of the Road is an exploration of their narratives with photographs and family maps. Monica Beemer, executive director of Sisters of the Road, explains, Our hope is that we will build a sense of community, relationship, compassion, and awareness. This book connects readers to individuals, not to ideas, theories, or politics real individuals whose stories and thoughts will enrich readers lives.
- GenresNonfiction
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 12, 2019
A powerful and heartbreaking series of interviews with people experiencing homelessness on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Though the studies were done close to twenty years ago, the problem is worse than ever today.
This book should be a required read for anyone with a "Get a job, ya bum"mentality. The "normal people" tend to think of the homeless as stupid or lazy, when in fact most had "normal" lives, with families and owning their own businesses and thriving in society, until one tragedy struck. An injury that puts them out of work, or something not covered by insurance, or an abusive spouse or divorce, that puts them on a sharp and sudden road to ruin. Others are doomed by horrific childhoods of abuse and neglect that sets them up for failure. Others suffer from crippling psychological problems that require attention they can't afford or obtain.
So many of the stories reflect the theme, "I never thought this could happen to me. But it did. It could happen to anyone."
The specifics on policy noted in "Voices from the Street" may be less relevant all these years later, but the stories of human suffering and tragedy are timeless. This book remains a powerful force for igniting empathy and inspiring compassion toward those in need all around us.
This book should be a required read for anyone with a "Get a job, ya bum"mentality. The "normal people" tend to think of the homeless as stupid or lazy, when in fact most had "normal" lives, with families and owning their own businesses and thriving in society, until one tragedy struck. An injury that puts them out of work, or something not covered by insurance, or an abusive spouse or divorce, that puts them on a sharp and sudden road to ruin. Others are doomed by horrific childhoods of abuse and neglect that sets them up for failure. Others suffer from crippling psychological problems that require attention they can't afford or obtain.
So many of the stories reflect the theme, "I never thought this could happen to me. But it did. It could happen to anyone."
The specifics on policy noted in "Voices from the Street" may be less relevant all these years later, but the stories of human suffering and tragedy are timeless. This book remains a powerful force for igniting empathy and inspiring compassion toward those in need all around us.
April 20, 2008
wow, aside from the fact that I was associated with this book from the begining of its gestation, it is a truely great book. ever tell someone you "know how to solve homelessness" or think you have an idea of what its like? if you havent been on the street you should read this book before making those assumptions. if you have slept out, you should read this book and hear you, and your friend's stories.
Genny Nelson, the co-founder of Sisters Of The Road, and the instigator of this book should be thought of one of America's true wonders. since 1979 she has been the leader and the driving force behind an organization that has "walked its talk" around homelessness.
Genny Nelson, the co-founder of Sisters Of The Road, and the instigator of this book should be thought of one of America's true wonders. since 1979 she has been the leader and the driving force behind an organization that has "walked its talk" around homelessness.
July 18, 2012
Published in 2007, Voices from the Street: Truths about Homelessness from Sisters of the Road is a comprehensive, qualitative examination of the homeless population and community in Portland, Oregon. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic, such as spirituality, veterans, family, violence, and mental health issues. Rather than rely on studies, data, or the interviews of experts in the fields of sociology or psychology, the book is simply filled with interviews, but edited in such a way so each chapter focuses on a different topic. The forward is written by the founder of Sisters of the Road, Genny Nelson. Sisters of the Road, a café/restaurant that also serves as a gathering place for the homeless community in Portland, is the organization responsible for funding the making of the book, including the time it took to interview over six hundred homeless people.
The book does briefly introduce the reader to hard statistics in the introduction, where affordable housing issues, gentrification, natural disasters, and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few all contribute to the rising numbers of homelessness in the United States. Some of the language borders on hyperbole, such as “evidence of the homeless among us is everywhere – found in the haunted eyes of people who peer out from doorways, food lines, park benches, and the hollow and secret places of our cities.” It could be argued that just as many homeless people crouch in doorways as walk boldly down the street, but Voices can be forgiven for an overly dramatic turn of phrase.
How the book is organized makes all the difference in the readability of the text. The first-person narratives are only broken up by a brief introduction at the beginning of each chapter, an equally brief excerpt from the interviewer’s journal at the end, and interview questions which begin each story. Voices is almost ninety percent made up of narratives of the homeless people interviewed, which makes it unique in that it doesn’t feature the perspectives of social service providers or academics. It is still difficult to read through, because the narratives are almost overwhelmingly negative, in that the people interviewed have had negative experiences and hard lives.
A notable exception to the unfortunate stories is the “Spirituality” chapter, which is right smack in the middle of the book. Rather than stories about negative experiences with religion (such as being unable to adhere to rigid dogma and being forced out of one’s community) all of the shared stories are overwhelmingly positive – as well as overwhelmingly Christian. A reader might be tempted to think there was a bias happening, especially considering the fact that the founder of Sisters of the Road, Genny Nelson, speaks openly about her Catholic-based faith in the foreword. A couple of pages into the “Spirituality” chapter, there is an insert that addresses the issue; the editor points out that Christian-based organizations are prominent in the homeless social services sector, and always have been, so it’s only natural that Christian-based faith would spread in the community. While the editor makes a valid point, another valid point is that out of every interviewee, only one man spoke of a spirituality connected to Native American roots, another man criticized the “religious recruitment policies” of missions, and a third man had an unfortunate run-in with a cult. A reader might find it hard to believe that only one person was critical of the Evangelical Christian practices, only one person practiced a non-Christian faith, and only one person had a negative experience with faith (though to be fair, the negative experience did involve a cult.)
A consistent theme throughout the book is the non-traditional definition of “family.” The subject of chapter 4 is “Family background and childhood,” and the focus is on traditional families and the negative experiences the majority of the narrators had, including many who had been estranged at a young age, and almost all struggling with poverty and child abuse. Chapter 14 is titled “Definition of Family” and it is the absence of a traditional family structure that is notable. Each narrator was instructed to draw a “map” of their family, and most of the drawings strayed far from the parents and children model, as did the narrator’s stories. Though some included immediate biological relatives, many focused on pets, social service agencies, their faith, or friends they had made through the years; sometimes this was in addition to biological relatives, but many times it was as a replacement. But what stands out the most are the narrators who simply wrote the “me” on a piece of paper. A startling number of people refused to name anyone as a member of their family, even when pushed by the interviewer. For example, Franklin, despite his fond memories of his deceased mother, and an amicable relationship with his grown son, refuses to draw a picture at all because, as he puts it, “family is supposed to help you when you need help. I’ve never been helped.”
The book ends with a chapter devoted to how some of the narrator’s lives have changed since the interviews began in 2001. The editor made a note to explain that these interviews were edited as sparingly as possible, and names were changed to protect the narrator’s privacy. But the interviews were more realistic than heartwarming. Some people’s lives had changed for the better, some had gone downhill, while others were simply watching the years go by. The epilogue is an appropriate, authentic conclusion to a book made up of the realistic stories of realistic people.
The book does briefly introduce the reader to hard statistics in the introduction, where affordable housing issues, gentrification, natural disasters, and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few all contribute to the rising numbers of homelessness in the United States. Some of the language borders on hyperbole, such as “evidence of the homeless among us is everywhere – found in the haunted eyes of people who peer out from doorways, food lines, park benches, and the hollow and secret places of our cities.” It could be argued that just as many homeless people crouch in doorways as walk boldly down the street, but Voices can be forgiven for an overly dramatic turn of phrase.
How the book is organized makes all the difference in the readability of the text. The first-person narratives are only broken up by a brief introduction at the beginning of each chapter, an equally brief excerpt from the interviewer’s journal at the end, and interview questions which begin each story. Voices is almost ninety percent made up of narratives of the homeless people interviewed, which makes it unique in that it doesn’t feature the perspectives of social service providers or academics. It is still difficult to read through, because the narratives are almost overwhelmingly negative, in that the people interviewed have had negative experiences and hard lives.
A notable exception to the unfortunate stories is the “Spirituality” chapter, which is right smack in the middle of the book. Rather than stories about negative experiences with religion (such as being unable to adhere to rigid dogma and being forced out of one’s community) all of the shared stories are overwhelmingly positive – as well as overwhelmingly Christian. A reader might be tempted to think there was a bias happening, especially considering the fact that the founder of Sisters of the Road, Genny Nelson, speaks openly about her Catholic-based faith in the foreword. A couple of pages into the “Spirituality” chapter, there is an insert that addresses the issue; the editor points out that Christian-based organizations are prominent in the homeless social services sector, and always have been, so it’s only natural that Christian-based faith would spread in the community. While the editor makes a valid point, another valid point is that out of every interviewee, only one man spoke of a spirituality connected to Native American roots, another man criticized the “religious recruitment policies” of missions, and a third man had an unfortunate run-in with a cult. A reader might find it hard to believe that only one person was critical of the Evangelical Christian practices, only one person practiced a non-Christian faith, and only one person had a negative experience with faith (though to be fair, the negative experience did involve a cult.)
A consistent theme throughout the book is the non-traditional definition of “family.” The subject of chapter 4 is “Family background and childhood,” and the focus is on traditional families and the negative experiences the majority of the narrators had, including many who had been estranged at a young age, and almost all struggling with poverty and child abuse. Chapter 14 is titled “Definition of Family” and it is the absence of a traditional family structure that is notable. Each narrator was instructed to draw a “map” of their family, and most of the drawings strayed far from the parents and children model, as did the narrator’s stories. Though some included immediate biological relatives, many focused on pets, social service agencies, their faith, or friends they had made through the years; sometimes this was in addition to biological relatives, but many times it was as a replacement. But what stands out the most are the narrators who simply wrote the “me” on a piece of paper. A startling number of people refused to name anyone as a member of their family, even when pushed by the interviewer. For example, Franklin, despite his fond memories of his deceased mother, and an amicable relationship with his grown son, refuses to draw a picture at all because, as he puts it, “family is supposed to help you when you need help. I’ve never been helped.”
The book ends with a chapter devoted to how some of the narrator’s lives have changed since the interviews began in 2001. The editor made a note to explain that these interviews were edited as sparingly as possible, and names were changed to protect the narrator’s privacy. But the interviews were more realistic than heartwarming. Some people’s lives had changed for the better, some had gone downhill, while others were simply watching the years go by. The epilogue is an appropriate, authentic conclusion to a book made up of the realistic stories of realistic people.
July 19, 2020
Incredible, heartbreaking interviews with currently and formerly homeless people in Portland, Oregon. Homelessness is a far bigger, more complex problem than I'd realized.
Yes, a small few are on the streets "just" because they enjoy the escapism. But many more, by far, seem to be there as a result of trauma: childhood abuse, sudden loss of a job or a loved one, mental health disorders, physical health problems that America's ridiculous health insurance system didn't cover, etc.
And yes, many do use & abuse drugs and alcohol. But I didn't realize how difficult (if not impossible) it is to kick a drug habit when homeless: Even if you had the willpower to spend a few weeks detoxing yourself, there's no safe place to stay in bed while you feel shitty or even to stash your belongings, and not much of a supportive community to help you. If you do get into a detox center, afterwards they often put you up in clean-living apartments... which are EXACTLY in the middle of the same sketchy downtown center where you used to use drugs and know where to get them, making it easier to relapse than not.
What if you manage to avoid drugs and health problems, and you've merely been down on your luck, but you are eager to find a job? Too bad the homeless services (in Portland at least) are near the city center, while the jobs for low-skilled workers are on the city outskirts. You need to spend hours on public transport getting to the job sites just to have a chance of snagging one -- and then hours getting back to a shelter for the night -- not to mention covering the cost of bus tickets (and lunches, with no soup kitchen near the job site), when you are still waiting on that first paycheck.
Maybe you can tide yourself over with unemployment, Social Security disability checks, or supplemental security income (SSI); or find subsidized housing? But only if you follow the byzantine rules. For example if you want to save costs (or have a personal life, have a community!) by living with a partner in the same situation as yours, the two SSIs might cancel out and you'll lose one or both of them.
Finally, there's the simple fact that you are not treated with dignity by most of society, except by a few of your fellow homeless folks. They become your only community when you are homeless. So if you do manage to land a steady job and new apartment, suddenly you lose the only community you've known for a long time. No wonder it's hard to "escape."
So: Have compassion. Homelessness could happen to any of us, given an especially unlucky combination of life-changing events. Most often, it strikes those who've already had a dramatically unlucky childhood. Even those young & healthy-looking homeless folks you pass by are probably struggling with a lot of backstory and baggage that you cannot see. Hold back on judgment, and treat your fellow humans with compassion and dignity.
Notes to self / notable quotes:
[TBD]
Yes, a small few are on the streets "just" because they enjoy the escapism. But many more, by far, seem to be there as a result of trauma: childhood abuse, sudden loss of a job or a loved one, mental health disorders, physical health problems that America's ridiculous health insurance system didn't cover, etc.
And yes, many do use & abuse drugs and alcohol. But I didn't realize how difficult (if not impossible) it is to kick a drug habit when homeless: Even if you had the willpower to spend a few weeks detoxing yourself, there's no safe place to stay in bed while you feel shitty or even to stash your belongings, and not much of a supportive community to help you. If you do get into a detox center, afterwards they often put you up in clean-living apartments... which are EXACTLY in the middle of the same sketchy downtown center where you used to use drugs and know where to get them, making it easier to relapse than not.
What if you manage to avoid drugs and health problems, and you've merely been down on your luck, but you are eager to find a job? Too bad the homeless services (in Portland at least) are near the city center, while the jobs for low-skilled workers are on the city outskirts. You need to spend hours on public transport getting to the job sites just to have a chance of snagging one -- and then hours getting back to a shelter for the night -- not to mention covering the cost of bus tickets (and lunches, with no soup kitchen near the job site), when you are still waiting on that first paycheck.
Maybe you can tide yourself over with unemployment, Social Security disability checks, or supplemental security income (SSI); or find subsidized housing? But only if you follow the byzantine rules. For example if you want to save costs (or have a personal life, have a community!) by living with a partner in the same situation as yours, the two SSIs might cancel out and you'll lose one or both of them.
Finally, there's the simple fact that you are not treated with dignity by most of society, except by a few of your fellow homeless folks. They become your only community when you are homeless. So if you do manage to land a steady job and new apartment, suddenly you lose the only community you've known for a long time. No wonder it's hard to "escape."
So: Have compassion. Homelessness could happen to any of us, given an especially unlucky combination of life-changing events. Most often, it strikes those who've already had a dramatically unlucky childhood. Even those young & healthy-looking homeless folks you pass by are probably struggling with a lot of backstory and baggage that you cannot see. Hold back on judgment, and treat your fellow humans with compassion and dignity.
Notes to self / notable quotes:
[TBD]
May 20, 2007
I edited this book (well, I was one of several). Co-produced with Sisters Of The Road cafe, it was created from hundreds of interviews with homeless people in Portland.
April 12, 2012
The introductory pages and first chapter were interesting but then it was just repetitious annd depressing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews