Street Lives: From Destitution to Community Building

Though some of the stories related are familiar, this book does, as author Vanderstaay argues, present a more nuanced portrait of homelessness than most accounts. Each of nine sections--including ``Life on the Street'' and ``Work and Its Discontents''--begins with some historical context, then offers brief testimonies from homeless people around the country. Ted, a mechanic in his 50s, describes how ``they treat you like a dog'' in a daily labor pool. Batman, a 30-year-old ex-convict, says ``society acts like it never wants to let you get started again.'' Tanya, a college drop-out, backs up the author's assertion that homelessness fosters mental illness: ``You're not as sick as they think you are.'' Solutions offered by the homeless, the author writes, lack political homogeneity but are ``at once personal and community-based.'' Vanderstaay, a teacher and writer on educational and social issues, cites a transitional housing residence in Boston, where strict rules support those who've completed detoxificaton programs; a Catholic Worker House in Iowa, where ``guests'' are treated as family members; and a youth center in Seattle, where runaway teens can learn to trust. Photos. (Dec.)