HOMELESSNESS Archives - Page 3 of 5

Yikes!

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on September 3, 2016. Posted in HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 14 Comments on Yikes!

What was I thinking? Sending out such a request? Yes, my agent is shopping my novel to big name publishing houses. Yes, editors at those houses—complete strangers—are judging my work. Plus, I’ve been in writing groups for years where judging nascent work is the name of the game. But this is different. I put out a request on Facebook for...

How to Fail at the Race Talk

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on August 2, 2016. Posted in Featured, General, GOD, HOMELESSNESS, LOVE, Racism to Reconciliation. 4 Comments on How to Fail at the Race Talk

I failed at the conference for racial justice this weekend. I gave racially tinged advice to a perfectly innocent question that had no race element to it. I mistook one African-American woman with glasses and short hair for a different African-American woman with glasses and short hair, because all African-Americans look alike to us white folks. Multiple...

Like a Hawk

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 27, 2016. Posted in HOMELESSNESS, LOVE. 2 Comments on Like a Hawk

You see, I’d just held a fundraiser for Outreach, Housing, and Community, the organization June Averyt founded to end homelessness. She also founded Door of Hope, which is where I met her when we started Door of Hope Writing Group. She died. I’ve told you about it here. Wanting to do something in her memory, I held my first popup...

Thank You for the Soul

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 25, 2016. Posted in GOD, HOMELESSNESS, LOVE. 2 Comments on Thank You for the Soul

When the dark night of the soul overtakes me and I can’t sleep for wondering how on earth I could’ve so terribly wasted this wonderful life I’ve been given, I sneak down the stairs, carefully feeling with my toe for the edge of each step so I don’t stumble. Patting the door jamb, I close the door behind me and turn on...

Spiritual Bottleneck

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 10, 2016. Posted in GOD, HOMELESSNESS. 10 Comments on Spiritual Bottleneck

Early Wednesday morning, the man who’d spent the night on the streets walked the hallway at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. He stopped at my table, lingering. He did not look happy. I think of this church hallway as the “neck” between Sister’s Chapel, where we hold the church service attended mostly by those living on the streets, and Martyrs...

Prayer, A Rule of Thumb

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 9, 2016. Posted in General, GOD, HOMELESSNESS. 2 Comments on Prayer, A Rule of Thumb

A while back, I conducted a workshop where I took my writing mentor Rebecca McClanahan‘s book Write Your Heart Out and translated the types of nonfiction writing into types of prayer. I don’t remember all the parallels (writing from joy, for example, became adoration or praise prayer.) I’ve been thinking about this as I make...

“Working” with “The Homeless”

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 6, 2016. Posted in HOMELESSNESS, LOVE. 8 Comments on “Working” with “The Homeless”

He calls me over. Wants to know if I work out. “‘Cause you sure got a nice shape.” The breakfast St. Mary’s offers for those currently homeless is almost finished. He’s mopping up his grits. His friend on the other side of the table is interested in my answer to his question. The friend cranes his neck, surveying...

June: Not a Sentimental Person

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 2, 2016. Posted in General, GOD, HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 12 Comments on June: Not a Sentimental Person

Many years ago, when I was letting the Spirit lead me around by the nose, I went to Door of Hope and asked if I could start a writing group for men and women living on the street. Dr. June Mann Averyt, the founder and then Executive Director of Door of Hope, watched me toddle through the door in my high heels and said, “What the hell—go...

Trust the River

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on April 5, 2016. Posted in General, HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 2 Comments on Trust the River

I arrived at a certain point in the writing of Jazzy and the Pirate that felt like a period. An ending about to soar to a new beginning. Exciting, but also a bit daunting. I needed a break. How does a writer take a break? Revise a different novel, of course. Don’t worry. I’m not abandoning Jazzy. I’m simply letting my mind focus...

Christian? Don’t Make Me No Nevermind

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on March 11, 2016. Posted in GOD, HOMELESSNESS. 12 Comments on Christian? Don’t Make Me No Nevermind

Here’s a story: conditions are so bad at an apartment complex in Jacksonville, Florida, it brings a council member’s assistant to tears. A tour of the complex affects the mayor to such an extent he’s activated to work with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure “all residents of subsidized multi-family...