July 2024 News

Hard as it is to believe that this collaboration between Ronan Russell, Pat LaMarche, and Aron Rook was published a year and a half ago. And maybe even harder to believe that they expected you to wait for nearly two years to learn what happened to Officer Pleasantly - but the time is near! Thankfully!

Kursid Kids Winter Turns will go from publisher to printer at the end of summer. With an October launch window drawing near, it is good to revisit the question Ronan Russell asked that prompted his first book. While riding in a car one dark night thinking of his housing insecure classmates, he pondered, “Who will make things right in a world where so much is wrong?” Based on his continued writing, you would have to agree that he wants to be part of that solution. It you are interested in exploring Ronan's original vision, Kursid Kids For the Love of Pearl, visit our friends at Whistlestop Bookshop or use the link below to get your copy.

Because of your kindness and generosity, the Charles Bruce Foundation supports artists of every stripe. Filmmakers included. While we lent a tiny amount of support at the earliest phases of the process, the newly released documentary film Beyond The Bridge: A Solution To Homelessness has caught the attention of major funders and received critical acclaim. Following the stunning truths exposed by a cutting edge exposé, Under the Bridge: The Criminalization of Homelessness, Don Sawyer partnered with filmmaker Tim Hasko, intending to find somewhere - anywhere - in the U.S. that was tackling America's most visible tragedy and doing so effectively. The two men worked - nonstop - for two years, conducted thousands of hours of interviews and produced a one of a kind documentary about chronic adult homelessness. The film highlights two major cities, in particular, who have stemmed the tide. The new film has already been screened to supportive audiences in Atlanta; Houston; San Diego; Minneapolis; Fargo; and Washington, DC. If you are fortunate enough to live in Milwaukee; Indianapolis; Boston; Portland, Maine; Burlington, or Philadelphia, you can plan to attend a free screening in your area. Just click the link below.

Recently-released and soon-to-be-released books abound in the Charles Bruce Foundation world right now. An upcoming release, Humble Pie, offers a historical tease to peak your interest. How many of us are aware that Alberta Williams King, mother of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated just over 50 years ago as she played music in the Ebeezer Baptist Church? For the section of Humble Pie entitled, "Hungry for Justice," Pat LaMarche had the privilege of interviewing Jackie Sawyer in her Richmond, Indiana home. Jackie hosted a visit from Martin Luther King, Sr. and his grandson, not long after Alberta's death - because food is how we grieve, cope, communicate and survive. Watch for next month's newsletter so you can reserve your copy of this important book.

Next, mark your calendars for Marianne Romagnoli's event at History on High with her latest book, Those Yucky Mucky Mushrooms. You can get your copy at your convenience, but plan to see Marianne for an autograph in September. 

Coming soon, we have a "dutiful" book by new Charles Bruce Foundation author and Kurt Vonnegut scholar, Marc Leeds. Marc created this story for his own children and now he's ready to share it with yours! Watch for a Mid-October launch date. If you're in New York City - so is Marc! Watch for details on an event in the Big Apple, as well.

Topping the list of "most wanted" is the limited edition holographic cover versions of Major Tom Versus the Spiders from Mars. As you are aware from previous newsletters, this is the most recent graphic novel illustrated by Jason Seaux - with an "all hands on deck" support team of CBF writers and artists. 

If you want a copy, email Pat LaMarche NOW! Only 20 copies of each of these variations will be made available for the public!

An encore publication by Diane Nilan, with help from Diana Bowman, is The Three Melissas The Practical Guide to Surviving Family Homelessness, the manual you never want to need. The work necessary to bring the wisdom of three formerly homeless women (all named Melissa) has been intense, but the insights offered by a leading homeless advocate is sure to be valuable. BTW the book is beautifully illustrated by Bonnie Tweedy Shaw and designed by Max Donnelly.

As you can see, as long as you keep turning the pages, we will keep bringing you the books!

P.S: Don't forget to join us for our 10th anniversary party in September, as well!

Although we have taken a short rest from producing a Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project newsletter, the work for a display in 2024 has taken no such break. We have applied for a permit to display at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA on December 21st. Why Independence Hall? How can anyone have true independence if they don't have a home? What's even worse than the "notion" that the unhoused have limited freedoms compared to their housed neighbors, the recent Supreme Court took an exacto blade to their 8th amendment protections from cruel and unusual punishment. In light of this tyranny, it seems more than fitting that we lay hundreds of beautiful handmade blankets at the foot of the building where the notion of individual liberty was birthed. (I mean they got a bell for it and everything!)

One more important follow up question: how is your blanket coming? While it can be hard to think about winter during the heat of the summer, we are only about 5 months away from this year's event!

Lastly, if you'd like to learn more about the Johnson v Grants Pass Supreme Court decision, Pat LaMarche wrote a story that shows what one state, Pennsylvania, might do to guarantee humane treatment for the unhoused. To read exerpts from Pat's interview with Grants Pass resident, Helen Cruz, and see what PA lawmakers have in mind, click the link below to read her Bucks County Beacon report on efforts to protect the rights of the unhoused.