Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America Format: Paperback

Eleven-year-old Lisa becomes her mother’s primary support when they face the prospect of homelessness. As Dee, a single mother, struggles with the demons of her own childhood of neglect and abuse, Lisa has to quickly assume the role of an adult in an attempt to keep some stability in their lives. “Dee and Tiny” ultimately become underground celebrities in San Francisco, squatting in storefronts and performing the “art of homelessness.” Their story, filled with black humor and incisive analysis, illuminates the roots of poverty, the criminalization of poor families, and their struggle for survival.

Lisa Gray-Garcia became homeless at the age of 11. She is the founder of POOR Magazine, a literary and visual arts magazine, and Poor News Network (PNN), a monthly radio show focusing on issues of poverty and racism. Her journalism has been featured in Common Dreams, the SF Chronicle, as well as many other local and national media outlets.