Narrator discussing Mad Housers
In "Faceless Portrait," 2007, a memorial text of 63,000 words is based on a personal experience that took place in the early 1990's. A handwritten index on one wall refers to the adjoining wall's text that is printed on vellum. The text portrays the chance encounter and symbiotic relationship between an intense storyteller, who is slipping into homelessness, and a silenced but active listener.
In text, Narrator singles out one group that is doing effective work on behalf of the homeless population: Mad Housers - a group started by activist architects in Atlanta. I contacted Mad Housers in 2010 and, one of these days, we'll do a collaboration.
The Narrator's voice is one of of chronic resistance, cravings, curiosity and gallows humor - expressing a conviction that as bad as any situation is, nothing prevents it from spinning further out of control. The critique is multi-directed: at system, counter-system, social circle, self and listener. Meaning is found in continued engagement and moments of tenderness.