Nearly fifteen years ago my colleague, Maureen Norton-Hawk, and I began meeting with women recently released from prison in Massachusetts. our goal was to learn […]
“I Don’t Forget Where I Came From”: Remembering Mikki
The first time I met Mikki [a pseudonym] she was fresh out of prison. I invited her to be part of study of formerly incarcerated […]
Eulogy for Laureen
Laureen was not an easy-going person. From a young age she struggled with agoraphobia and other mental health challenges. As an adult she managed to […]
The Knock-out Punch: Eulogy for Joy
Over the past fifteen years I’ve second-guessed our choice of the pseudonym “Joy.” We first met when she joined my ongoing research project with Massachusetts […]
Farewell Isabella
I never thought I’d have to write this eulogy for Isabella. Even though she struggled with addiction and a host of other challenges, Isabella always […]
Housing Tribulations: Still Can’t Catch a Break, January 2018
Over the past decade I have witnessed homeless and criminalized women enter and move through middle age. While they articulate ever greater understandings of their […]
The Women of Can’t Catch a Break: Fall 2017
The summer can be a slow time for anyone looking for jobs, housing or just trying to get things done. That’s true for must of […]
Eulogy for Andrea
Andrea* was one of the most focused people I have ever known. From the first time we met at the Women’s Center at St. Francis […]
The Women of Can’t Catch a Break: January 2017 Update
Life is never boring for the women of Can’t Catch a Break. Over the past months they’ve faced serious health problems; they’ve struggled to care […]
The Women of Can’t Catch a Break: Summer 2016 Update
The past six months have been eventful: a birth, a death (see Eulogy for Nicole), a job gain and a job loss, family ties strengthened […]