Sunday, November 18, 2007

Cambridge Photos, and Me, as Rock Star

These will have to do as the post for today. I took the top photo this morning as I left my room at Episcopal Divinity School. Apparently, Jim Stewart has some sort of an in there that allows him to score free lodging for guests. This is Burnham Hall, where I'm staying. The guest lodgings are are on the nice side of college dorm-like, which is surprising, considering the building looks like some sort of medieval manor. The wide windows in my room have a built in 1863 feel, and the steam heat gurgles happily in the iron radiators. It's lovely.

Below that is Greg Daugherty, who is Spare Change's most successful vendor. Greg dates back to my era, which was about 14 years ago. He twirls in a circle like some kind of an autistic paper selling machine and finds something to say to each person who passes by that connects to them personally ("How are you, young maaaan? Help the homeless today?"). He is a street paper vendor genius. It's always nice seeing him again.

Finally, there's me, in 1990, accepting an award from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless for Boston Jobs with Peace's key role in the local 1989 Housing Now! March mobilization. My memory is that Boston sent 39 buses. I think I look a little like a rock star giving a speech at the World Economic Forum at Davos. I purchased the suit that day for the occasion. Jim Stewart bought me the tie.





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tim,
I'm enjoying reading about your trip back east and your early work. I've never seen you so stylish as you were in that picture taken back in 1990. Do you still own a suit?
Coincidentally, the year 1990 has tremendous significance in local social justice history. In November of that year a group of courageous homeless people raised tents outside the Kingdome, without a permit. It was the birth of SHARE, the only self-managed, democratically organized homeless
group in this area. Every night SHARE/WHEEL shelters hundreds of people, and they do it on a shoestring, with a tiny, selfless, support staff that eschew the limelight and live on pauper's wages.
Since you weren't here in 1990 I thought you might not be aware of this important anniversary. Do you think there might be something in Real Change's next issue to mark SHARE's seventeen years of sheltering and empowering homeless people?
Peggy Hotes, SHARE Volunteer

Tim Harris said...

I've pretty much given up on suits. And hair.

SHARE/WHEEL, Operation Homestead, Streetlife Gallery, and the Tenants Union were all good reasons for choosing Seattle back in 1994 as a place to build a new street paper.

That said, I tend to stay out of editorial decisions, but if they'd like to pitch an idea to Adam, they should.