Anna Carvlin

Dwell at My Door: on Being Homeless -- Forty-five Life Stories Anna Carvlin

Over the course of a year, I interviewed forty-five homeless people and the advocates who work with them. This book presents their stories uncut and unfiltered. If there is a homeless caricature in the American mind, these unique and nuanced stories lay that stereotype to waste. These are among the most thoughtful, intelligent people I've met anywhere. They represent American culture in the Southwest. Many have college degrees; they are Hispanics, Native Americans, Whites, African Americans; some are legal citizens, others are not. There are men and women, gays and straights, veterans, artists, wealthy people, people with mental illness and addictions, and people who are homeless by choice. Unrepresented are Spanish-speaking-only individuals. All of the interviewees have been associated with St. Elizabeth Homeless Shelter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at some point. All proceeds of the book will be donated to St. Elizabeth Shelter.