Here is a short short list of the remarkable stories, essays, tributes, articles and poems from recent issues. And, don’t forget the art and photographs!

“How We Find Our Silenced Voices and Learn to Sing”   by Janny Castillo – a retelling of a story by Marguerite Annie Johnson, but you may know her best as Maya Angelou.

January Poetry of the Streets (poets Claire J. Baker, George Wynn, Joan Clair, Judy Joy Jones, Mary Rudge)

Are Homeless People Beautiful? by Osha Neumann

Silicon Valley’s Brilliant Design: Homeless Families in the Rain by Carol Denney

“Remember the Children Born On Our Streets”  and  “Dave Ferguson’s Lifelong Mission of Opening Doors” both articles by Lydia Gans

“History and commentary on blues and social justice”

“On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let us recognize that extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere. Let us recall that poverty is a denial of human rights. For the first time in history, in this age of unprecedented wealth and technical prowess, we have the power to save humanity from this shameful scourge. Let us summon the will to do it.” — Kofi Annan

Street Spirit is a publication of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)  that reports extensively on homelessness, poverty, economic inequality, welfare issues, human rights issues and the struggle for social justice. For the past 17 years, Street Spirit has been dedicated to empowering poor and homeless people and giving a voice to the voiceless, at a time when the voices of the poor are virtually locked out of the mainstream media.

American Friends Service Committee shoulders the entire printing costs of more than $3,000 per month to give more than 100 homeless vendors a positive alternative to panhandling, and to give our readers a progressive alternative to the corporate-controlled mainstream media. Help us remain an independent voice for justice! Please donate or subscribe to Street Spirit.

To read more about what Street Spirit is:  http://www.thestreetspirit.org/about-2/

If you wish to donate to Street Spirit through American Friends Service Committee, click on http://www.thestreetspirit.org/subscriptions-donations/

American Friends Service Committee

“We are committed to this Spirit-led journey, undertaken to see what love can do.”

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service.

AFSC’s work is based on our belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. These principles animate our work for peace and justice in scores of communities in the United States and in our international programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

AFSC was founded in 1917 during World War I.  In accordance with their Quaker faith, the new organization gave young conscientious objectors ways to serve without enlisting in the military or taking lives.  They drove ambulances, ministered to the wounded, and stayed on in Europe after the armistice to rebuild war-ravaged communities.

In 1947, the American Friends Service Committee and British Friends Service Council accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for the work done during and after the two World Wars to feed starving children and help Europe rebuild itself.

Committed to the principles of nonviolence and justice, the American Friends Service Committee seeks in its work and witness to draw on the transforming power of love, human and divine.

We seek to understand and address the root causes of poverty, injustice, and war. We hope to act with courage and vision in taking initiatives that may not be popular.

To read more about American Friends Service Committee:  http://www.thestreetspirit.org/about-afsc/

The art of homeless artists, reviews of gallery showings, profiles of artists and more:  http://www.thestreetspirit.org/category/features/art-spirit/

Index of back issues of Street Spirit  http://www.thestreetspirit.org/back-issue-archives-by-month-year/

Cheers to the Folks of Street Spirit – monthly newspaper with tagline “Justice News & Homeless Blues in the Bay Area”

**

Teresa LeYung-Ryan with her Love Made Of Heart trademark - photo by YBK

Teresa LeYung-Ryan is “Platform & Fanbase-Building Coach Teresa” and Manuscript Consultant and  . . .

author of:

Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby (novel used by college professors)

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (workbook)

Coach Teresa’s Blog at http://writingcoachTeresa.com

**

Please click here for a short movie of:  Teresa LeYung-Ryan filmed by Elisa Sasa Southard filmed by Margie Yee Webb

This is the kind of fun we create for ourselves to continue building our platforms and fanbases.

Thank you, dear Margie and dear Sasa!

author Teresa LeYung-Ryan with Love Made of Heart Chinese word and her book - photo by author Margie Yee Webb - calligraphy by author MKWL

http://lovemadeofheart.com/

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Thank you, author MKWL, for creating the Chinese calligraphy “love” for yours truly author Teresa LeYung-Ryan’s trademark.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan at FEMME movie screening orchestrated by FEMME producer Margie Yee Webb

**

Thank you, dear Marlene Cullen, for asking me to be your guest-blogger this week.

Here’s how I had started the post for Marlene’s blog (The Write Spot Blog–Sharing the Light):

What do I have to be depressed about?

I am blessed with friends, writing colleagues, housemates, spouse, family members, coworkers, a half-time day job, health insurance, my intellectual properties . . .  and what friends call a sense of humor.  But I don’t feel like laughing in my condition, maybe later. I may have inherited the depression gene (or genes) from my loving mother.

While I sympathized with my mother’s illness (my novel Love Made of Heart was inspired by her), it would take experiencing the illness myself before I could gain empathy.

To read more . . .  please visit Marlene Cullen’s blog post by clicking on Transforming Depression Into My Writer’s Muse — by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

**

**

For a list of resources, please visit my blog page Helpful Websites & Resources & Guides for Mental Health / Mental Illness / Depression.

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Teresa’s novel Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby is used in college courses and archived at the San Francisco History Center.

As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, Coach Teresa helps clients identify their themes and archetypes.

http://writingcoachTeresa.com   Subscribe to  “Coach Teresa’s blog”

Author Teresa LeYung-Ryan Deeply Moved by Professor Sheryl Fairchild and Her Students in Psychology of Women Class

author of Love Made of Heart Teresa LeYung-Ryan happy to be with Professor Sheryl Fairchild and her brilliant students in Psychology of Women--photo by author and producer Margie Yee Webb

**

author of Love Made of Heart Teresa LeYung-Ryan thanks Professor Sheryl Fairchild and author Margie Yee Webb (Margie is also producer of FEMME: Women Healing the World)

Dear Professor Sheryl Fairchild and all the Beautiful Students in Professor Fairchild’s Psychology of Women class,

I am still speechless from the warm welcome you gave me on November 4, 2013.  Your questions about the themes in my mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart and your sharing of personal experiences touched me deeply.

My wish for you is hat you will always let “the-wise-one-within” embrace “the-child-within.”  You are all beautiful; the world is in good hands.

If you would like to write a short book review and focus on a theme in Love Made of Heart, please click here.  I so appreciate your comments.  I thank you all.

With deepest gratitude,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

“I rewrote Love Made of Heart when the voices of protagonist Ruby Lin, Vivien Lin, and Mrs. Nussbaum jumped into my head!”

**

author Teresa LeYung-Ryan happy to be with the cast (Daniel, Ryan, Taylor, Sara) who read the first scene/chapter in Teresa's mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart--photo by author and producer Margie Yee Webb

**

**

author Teresa LeYung-Ryan THANKS Professor Sheryl Fairchild and her brilliant students in Psychology of Women--photo by author and producer Margie Yee Webb

Author Teresa LeYung-Ryan humbly thanks Professor Sheryl Fairchild (for assigning Love Made of Heart as required reading and extending the lovely invitation to meet her brilliant students) and dear pal & colleague Margie Yee Webb (for inspiration and support).  These three women will reunite on December 5, 2013 at the screening of FEMME: Women Healing the World (orchestrated by producer Margie Yee Webb) click http://www.tugg.com/events/6292 to reserve your tickets for Dec. 5, 2013

Author Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: "Ruby Lin the protagonist in Love Made of Heart learns compassion and self-forgiveness when her mom is 5150'ed." photo by Cheri Eplin

**

Press release:   Video Contest for Mental Health Stigma – Entries Due December 21, 2012

Love Made of Heart (mother-daughter love story) by Teresa LeYung-Ryan