Word on the street

Two former writing students are inspiring the homeless to share their stories through creative writing. Pip Harry reports.

Every second wednesday the Word Association writers gather around a table at Edward Eagar Lodge, a Wesley Mission homeless shelter set up in a former church in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst. Some are workshop regulars, like prolific poet, Peter Sokolowskyj and songwriter Rick ‘Pee Wee’ Geoff. Others wander in for the first time, hoping for a free afternoon tea or a break from their difficult lives.

They sit in a silent circle with their notepads, ignoring the din of street traffic. At first the words come slowly and hesitantly. As they warm up with a short stream-of-consciousness exercise, the writing becomes furious and the ideas flow freely. They have to be asked to put down their pens so the workshop can begin in earnest.

Over the next two hours, Association volunteers Jo Ross and Gavin Carver encourage the group to share their unique stories through creative writing. “A normal workshop will start with free writing for 10 minutes to limber up those creative muscles,” explains Jo. “We then bring in objects – old postcards and photographs, quotes, headlines and other books on form and structure to prompt people to write. We sit around a table together and do each exercise. After about 10 minutes, people share their work – if they wish to. Each participant has their own writing book, which is waiting for them in our box if and when they come back to the group.”

The atmosphere swings from chaotic to serene, as chatter and laughter give way to fierce concentration. Most people read their work aloud, inciting respectful praise from the group. Mid-way through the workshop, they break for coffee and a donated collection of afternoon tea – today it’s profiteroles and Turkish delight, which puts everyone in a festive mood. As they wander out onto a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the city skyline, it’s a chance for the participants to talk and connect. Sharing a love of writing can provide a lifetime bond.

Nobody knows this better than the workshop creators, Gavin and Jo. The pair met and started a friendship at the University of Technology (UTS) while attending a masters writing program. “We both didn’t understand a word the lecturer said,” laughs Gavin. “We started meeting up regularly after class to try and make sense of it.”

As a Darlinghurst resident who had previously volunteered in delivering food to the needy, Gavin came up with the idea of documenting the homeless experience through writing. “The initial idea was to get writing students from UTS to work with people in homeless communities and help them to write the story of the day they became homeless and the events that led to it,” he recalls. “But the social enquiry department and ethics committee refused to approve the idea, arguing it would disempower the authors.”

Undeterred, Gavin went to the homeless shelters to find out how he could make his idea work. “They said what they wanted most was to have regular contact with someone outside of the homeless community,” says Gavin. “So it turned into a regular creative writing workshop with a view to publish pieces at a later date.” The group was supported by RecLink, an organisation that links recreational activities for the homeless and disadvantaged with shelters and community centres.

In June 2005, Word Association held their first workshop. Gavin, who works as a wine-seller and freelance copywriter and Jo, a TAFE accounting teacher, had little practical experience leading writing groups. They felt their way through the process, seeking advice from shelter workers and sourcing volunteers from UTS and the professional writing community. “We made up the format as we went along,” says Jo, “scavenging around for writing exercises and bringing in unusual objects to inspire – from an African fertility carving, to music, and even bunches of fresh herbs and flowers. Some weeks it’s sane and results in profound words and beautiful writing. Other weeks, it’s absolute bedlam.”

The association aims to make writing enjoyable and accessible. “Our aims have always been simple,” says Jo. “We want to have fun with writing, and we figured that if problems were too big to tackle head on, then writing from an outside character’s point of view might help. They might also get something out of ongoing contact with writers who have day jobs, families and homes to go to.” Jo admits not everyone is there to become writers and that’s okay too. “It might just kill a couple of hours in a boring day and give someone a decent afternoon tea.”

Activities officer, Elyse Patten, has been involved with mediating the workshops and has seen how writing has helped participants express themselves. “There is quite a culture among the homeless to write stories and poetry,” she says. “It gives them an opportunity to not only express themselves, but explain themselves, their situation, past and trauma. It gives them an outlet for their frustrations and sadness. I think it’s important to bring creative writing to the homeless, not only as an outlet, but also as a new skill. The skill to express and articulate, dream, imagine and ‘escape’ from what can be a harsh reality.”

Elyse has also witnessed a growth in personal relationships between workshop participants. “The writing workshop builds trust, as people share personal works and receive encouragement and acceptance.” The end result can often be a more relaxed, confident individual. “I’ve seen many of them become more tempered and relaxed through the writing groups; they feel as if they are being heard and understood.”

You might expect the participants to dwell on the negative aspects of their lives, but they write from a well-rounded perspective and often display a wry sense of humour. It’s Word Association’s policy to keep the tone light in the workshops. “We don’t always know why they are homeless,” says Jo. “We generally don’t ask, although things are often revealed in the writing, of course. Prison time, psych wards, drugs, alcohol, but also professional jobs, families, mortgages, days at the beach and ordinary suburban childhoods.”

The workshops have been surprising for both Jo and Gavin, who have found a wealth of untapped talent in the homeless community and an unflinching, raw style. “As people who have studied writing, we are so conscious of the words we put on a page,” says Gavin. “We’re always trying to be unique or tricky or clever. The nice thing about the workshop is it’s such honest writing. Just really clean sentences which are coming straight from the heart, before it gets filtered. We’ve learnt how beautiful language can be when it’s just put down on the page so simply, rather than being too clever about it.”

The writers themselves relish the chance to be heard and share their stories. “I’m a poet and I write my own songs,” says Peter Sokolowskyj. Formerly a resident of the shelter, he has been attending the groups since they started, putting together a large volume of work. “The workshops are the only outlet for me where I can express myself through writing. In writing and verse you can say the things you normally cannot say – you can get away with murder virtually with a pen!”

Softly-spoken New Zealander, Jon Turanga, is a more recent member of the group and has blossomed from writing just a few lines, to developing short stories. “I love to read, and I wondered how my favourite authors got started,” he says. “I wanted to find out about how writing and words work, and see if I could maybe even one day write a story myself about my own life, that I could share with others.”

Jon, who lives in a Baptist community house, is now a popular member of the group and tries to attend when he can. “I’m really getting into it. It challenges my way of thinking and that’s always a good thing. If you search deep enough within yourself, you can find something great to express in words. The workshops can bring out a lot of the best in you.”

One of the more colourful members of the group is ‘Pee Wee’ who writes songs, which he often performs with his keyboard and mic. “I’ve been coming here for two years,” he says. “I like writing poems and songs. The group gives me a bit of exercise. I’m still not the greatest writer but I’m doing all right. I’m improving and people seem to like my work.”

Volunteers are told to expect the unexpected, and that applies to the standard of writing, as well as the mood of the participants – both of which can vary wildly. Volunteers are given guidelines with how to behave in the shelter environment and groups always have a shelter staff member on hand to deal with any conflict. But for the most part, it’s fairly harmonious. “What is fascinating about the writing in this environment is the lack of inhibitions,” says Jo. “There is no normal. Sometimes there is no real logic. At first I thought I would find this aspect of the groups scary. I’ve actually found it refreshing. I’m constantly amazed at the level of talent we have in the workshops – simple stories that just punch you in the gut. Sometimes the barely literate will write sentences that are perfect.”

Life on the streets is often associated with behavioural problems and short attention spans, but the group is patient and respectful when it comes to listening to other people’s writing. When the reading is soft and halting, they strain to hear the words and point to the strengths of the piece. “When we critique at university, we quite often look for the faults,” says Gavin, “but in the workshops, they absolutely pounce on everything that’s positive about the other person’s writing. If someone comes along and says they can’t write, the group says ‘of course you can!’. Because they’ve all been in that situation where they’ve doubted their own ability. I think that’s a beautiful thing about the group.”

A highlight for Word Association was getting a slot at the 2007 Sydney Writers’ Festival. “Jo went to the festival last year and thought it would be brilliant to bring the writing group the following year,” says Gavin. “She mentioned it to a friend, who said, ‘Bugger that, why don’t you get them to be on a panel?’ Jo thought: ‘That’s a brilliant idea.’”

Jo wrote to the director of the festival  and was thrilled to receive a prompt response, inviting Word Association to hold a panel. The group had six weeks to prepare a presentation and collate member’s writing in a self-published book which they called Word on the Street. “It was a challenging process,” recalls Jo. “Participants can disappear without warning, and it can be difficult to set schedules when they quite often exist from day-to-day.”

Word Association not only made it to the festival, but they were a sell-out, packing the 100-seat room and giving the writers a chance to shine. “The nice thing about the festival was that they were presented as writers, not homeless people,” says Gavin. “One of our regulars, Peter, said to me afterwards, that it gave them all something to look forward to. It gave them hope. It was a poignant moment and it was lovely to think that as writers, they looked forward to being respected for their work.”

Another special moment came when the writers were asked questions by the audience, revealing how much the writing workshops have meant to them. “One question from the day stayed with me,” Gavin recalls. “Someone asked one of our regular poets, Phoenix, ‘What does home mean to you?’ Phoenix replied, ‘These people up here are my home. Home is where I feel like I belong. Home is my community of friends in similar circumstances. Home is the people who support me.’”

Some of the audience were moved to tears by the impressive collection of writing. “We got some amazing feedback,” says Gavin. “One guy came up to us after the seminar and said, ‘I’ve been to five or six events today and this was by far the most amazing thing I’ve seen at the festival so far.’”

The success of the workshops has spawned a regular ‘poetry night’ which is open to the public and held every two months at the Edward Eagar Lodge. The atmosphere is set with flickering candles and the writers perform their work on stage. The poetry nights often include impromptu writing, scribbled on napkins and the odd hilarious musical moment. “Most participants are eager to share their work,” says Gavin, “but it’s more about what the workshops have helped them reveal about their own talents.”

In the future, Word Association hopes to expand the concept into aged-care facilities. “We’d love to bring the program to old people’s homes. You can discover a love of and an ability to write at any age. Everyone’s got their own story to tell and different experiences to express themselves with. We’d also like to expand to other homeless shelters and youth drop-in centres,” Gavin enthuses.

Ultimately, Gavin and Jo would love to see the writers’ work in a mainstream publication. “I would love to get these people published,” says Jo. “To say to them, ‘Look, that’s yours. You have a voice people want to hear. You matter.’”

If you are interested in making a donation, volunteering at a Word Association workshop, or would like to purchase a copy of Word on the Street, email Jo Ross and Gavin Carver at word_association@hotmail.com.

 

Photography: Andrew Lehmann.