Visible Voices: Literacy and the Invisible Homeless

About the Book

Who are the “invisible homeless”? They are individuals and families who have been forced into temporary living situations or shelter systems as a result of such conditions as changes in income, domestic violence, health care needs, and shifting housing costs. Unlike the chronically homeless, who are often stereotyped, or the situationally homeless, who may receive emergency assistance regaining their previous lives, the marginally homeless – often called the invisible homeless – get caught in institutional spirals that seem to discourage change. This book, however, provides evidence that an individual’s literacy identity can promote positive transitions out of homelessness. Although the stigma surrounding homelessness provokes silence, the five individuals who took part in this project speak eloquently about their circumstances, their accomplishments, and their intentions. In addition, the book can serve as a how-to for completing a qualitative research project, as the reader is walked through the steps of the research process.

About the Author

Melissa M. Juchniewicz, EdD, teaches writing and literature, as well as teacher education, at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill and Lawrence Massachusetts. In addition, she facilitates workshops in memoir writing and poetry throughout New England. Her research interests include literacies of marginalized people, as well as children’s literature. She was Outstanding Graduate Student in 2005 when she earned her doctorate in Language and Literacy in Education, and has since been recognized nationally for teaching excellence. Dr. Juchniewicz makes her home in a 200 year old farmhouse in Chester, New Hampshire with her husband.