Then they split up to teach the book at various community sites, including a middle school, a transitional program for people who have been homeless and a literacy organization. The culminating event, attended by all these groups as well as the general public, was Wideman's visit to Art Sanctuary in April. There was a man in the audience from Project H.O.M.E. who said that he'd never been able to focus in his life. He had an extended period of homelessness, and he's now in this GED class. Essentially it was this man really grasping the importance of memoir and identity in our current post-modern life and taking them in as a possible tool in his own intellectual development.
Plans are in the works for more community-based teaching projects.
Writers groups have also been formed, adding another dimension to the series, which Cary hopes will one day thrive without her. But she believes the enrichment that comes from interacting with artists on your home turf can have a powerful effect on a neighborhood. You've written yourself into the history.