News
Age of Inocente
As a homeless teen, Inocente dreamed of a better life. But she never imagined her dreams would lead to the Oscars. She lived in San Diego with her mother and three younger brothers, and for years they bounced from the YWCA to friends’ houses, from the Salvation Army to short-lived apartment stays. Sometimes Inocente and…
Birds of peace and prey
According to the United Nations, there are 45 million displaced people in the world, and more than 15 million of those people are refugees. Among them is Samir Khurshid, an Iraqi-born painter and a political refugee lending his vision to Portland’s ever-broadening art scene. One of 11 children, he spent his childhood under the reign…
Leave the patients to us: Is Nevada unloading its mentally ill in Oregon?
They were given a bus ticket along with a few days worth of medication and food. They traveled long distances to cities in California where they arrived as strangers. Their journeys have sparked outrage and lawsuits. Now there are calls to find out if it happened in Oregon. Following allegations that a psychiatric facility in…
Older, wiser and gay
Four years ago, director PJ Raval dove headfirst into weaving together a documentary on an often overlooked slice of the country’s population: LGBTQ seniors. Shadowing three 70-plus gay men on distant corners of the country — Harlem, New York, Galveston, Texas and Portland — “Before you Know It” shares a fragile and rarely told story…
Todd Snider and all-star lineup to support Street Roots
Click here to purchase tickets at the Alberta Rose Theatre website! The great storyteller and musician Todd Snider and Street Roots have put together an all-star lineup. Come enjoy an intimate night with musicians and friends and support grassroots media and people experiencing homelessness. We’re proud to announce that the great Todd Snider and an…
Vendor Profiles
‘One paper at a time’
Frequent visitors to Hawthorne Avenue will recognize vendor Keith Montgomery, who sells the paper, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, outside Powells Bookstore. “I’m always here during those times,” he says, “unless I have a prior engagement like a doctors appointment.” He laughs. Keith first started selling Street Roots six months ago, after moving up…
Opinion
Better solutions are on the front end, not the back
When discussing re-entry barriers with a formerly incarcerated person a few years ago, I was struck by the need for Oregon to grapple with a rhetorical question the young man was posing. “When will we actually put corrections in the Department of Corrections?” I am not looking to get too philosophical here, but it seems…
Our guilty hearts
It’s a little after 3 a.m. and the 7-Eleven lights up the parking lot. You can almost see heat waves from the cooling street. The neighborhood’s up late: hot houses, cold drinks at bars, and I’m pretending last call didn’t just happen, staving off another night in the pizza box that is my bedroom. This…
Funding package for women essential for success
The number can stop you in your tracks. 122. It’s six hours before darkness and you’re number 122 on the list to get into the Salvation Army’s emergency women’s shelter. You’re homeless, and you’ve just made a break from your abuser. With the kindness of strangers, a phone, and a safe room you find hope.…
Poetry & Art
Soup Can Sam: Sept 27-Oct 10, 2013
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You may think you’re making sense, but you’ve thought that before. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Passion will be your pilot this month. Scotch will be your jet fuel. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Ride the waves! Wet or otherwise. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Just because it’s getting cold out does not mean…
