The Clump of Woods
Many of us have read stories about homelessness where the reporter manages to slip some anecdotes from one or two homeless people in between the quotes and statistics from experts. I've written a few like that myself. But in "The Neighbors You Don't Know," Mike Mosedale does so much more. His story in the Twin Cities' City Pages takes us beyond the stereotypes and introduces us to the men and women who spend their nights in an area known as the Clump of Woods. Mosedale shares with telling details the lives of Terrible Tee, Willie, Cool Harley, C-Note and other residents of the makeshift camp. Here, for example, he describes Willie's new tent:
Inside, there is a discarded futon, scrounged from a dumpster, along with a collection of couch cushions, some pink egg-shell foam padding, and a heap of blankets. Outside, brown tarps tied to the trees create a windbreak and add some additional privacy. Folding metal chairs and milk crates are scattered around a fire pit form. And, as in most homeless camps, there is a little library, with works of Tom Clancy and Dean Koontz currently occupying the lending shelf.
Mosedale's story isn't judgmental, nor is it sentimental. It just tries to tell it like it really is.
http://citypages.com/databank/28/1363/article15061.asp