The Great Escape
2010
Saint Paul’s iconic Como Zoo has long been a charming, peaceful place to enjoy creatures great and small. But one morning in 1994, the zoo was anything but peaceful. I was working by the giraffes when a vendor came running toward me. Her words were a zookeeper’s worst nightmare: “You better come quick. One of the gorillas is out!”
Police Work: Undercover as a prostitute with Carolen Bailey
2010
Here is a picture signed in 1974 from the very first case I ever worked on. I had just pulled off my blond wig when Sgt. Paul Paulos pointed his camera at me, so I put the wig back on crooked, because I really didn’t think he’d take the photo.
Why Beep Baseball for the Blind?
2010
In 1975, a team of blind baseball players in Saint Paul competed against a team from Arizona in the first World Series. Our Minnesota team was called The Saint Paul Gorillas, and they won the game 15–10. Rules of the game changed from year to year, but the game had beeping “kitten balls” and buzzing bases, as it does today.
Poem: The Strength of a Woman
2010
Founded in 1994, New Foundations is a non-profit organization located on St. Paul’s East Side that provides permanent, supportive, affordable housing and comprehensive on-site services for homeless dually diagnosed chemically dependent and mentally ill adults in recovery and their families.
New Girl in Town
2010
Each year, a small group of immigrants makes its way into Saint Paul from a foreign and misunderstood land. They may come for love, jobs, the promise of more house for the money. Willing to face great adversity, they pack their belongings and take a giant leap of faith across the mighty Mississippi. These brave souls move their lives from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. I am one of them; this is my story.
The Wisdom of the Urban Gardener
2010
Much of her life, my friend Ruthy lived in Saint Paul. She’s passed on now, yet every spring I think of her as the time for planting approaches. I know that when I get down close to the earth and feel the soil with my hands, there’s a sense of connectedness to the living universe that opens my heart as nothing else can.
May 3rd, 2010 Lowertown Reading Jam: “Celebrating Local Cultural Workers” with Deborah Torraine
2010
Hosted by Deborah A. Torraine, the Lowertown Reading Jam takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Black Dog Café, 308 Prince Street. Joining Torraine for a lively and inspiring event will be local writers, poets, storytellers, playwrights, a gospel singer and spoken word artists, including Louis Alemayehu, Lisa Brimmer, Claire DeCoster, Lenora Harris, Lynette Harris, Michael Haynes, Q and Leonard Wilkes.
My Nana is Rolling over in Her Grave
2010
Every time I used to drive down Cretin Avenue, just as I got to Selby, and depending on which direction I was heading, I’d point to the left or right and say, “My father grew up at the end of the street. Down there.” Whoever was with me would never look to the right or the left, but would answer, “I know. You always say that.”