by Staff Writer

Welcome to the 2007 POOR Press Catalogue!!!

This catalogue features the amazing work of graduates of POOR Magazine's Digital Reisistance Program.
In this program, very low and no income adults and youth are given the opportunity to create a book from start to finish, beginning with creative writing, narrative essays and poetry and then progressing to graphic design and layout publishing and promotion. Since its inception, POOR Press has allowed over 46 youth and adult poverty scholars to publish books of artwork, poetry and short stories, sharing their extremely valuable, but all too often ignored, experiences, views and opinions with the world.

Check out our latest books and find out about them from the authors on The POOR Press Authors Page

To order any of the POOR Press publications (books and CDs) with your credit card or by mail click here to go to the ORDER FORM.

by Joe B.

I’ve been told that I’d piss persons of other than heterosexual orientation off if they read my stuff.

While I argue about being ambiguous about one’s orientation if not lying is being less than truthful making a sort of game that can be as emotionally damaging because the truth was shrouded and not clear in the open.

Example if a woman is Bisexual or strictly Lesbian
and the straight guy who’s already told the truth of his orientation doesn’t know because the lovely woman decides to be ambiguous never telling him the complete truth that’s were ambiguity becomes a cruel joke.

Because "S" guy falls in love then when woman see’s that not wanting to hurt him then tell the truth about herself.

I know "S’ jerks on fault. That’s what I mean blame victim for being human.

That’s why when I go into chat rooms I let cyber folks know my real orientation so as to rid myself of the rejections.

[While I’m at it, I’m so bad doing the dating adds
adultfinder.com/personals I input so much info that it may scare women away especially the medical and Philosopher’s Stone part.

But if I’m going to do the online thing I want no deceptions or be deceived].

I’m "Hetro Lost in San Francisco, and straight women out here?" or words to that effect.

If there are no emails to JoeGntleM at askjoe@poor magazine.org I’ll just try again being patient, persistant as a slow steady turtle has its advantages.

I couldn’t get my email off the site to change it so its up there looking pathetic even though I’ve told the truth there.

Well, that’s it; except please order my book ASKJOE: Holding up the World.

I say truth out, get rid of shallow surface people who already rejecting me let go 1000 no’s keep the 1 or more yes’s.

Folks, you don’t have to deal with heart ache, the "phrase "move on" is for such situations.

I’ve thinking of fiction, science fiction, and speculative fiction.

But there are always works that seem to be forbidden like a world without men, women, pets, mono racial survival and multi racial extinction.

Or what I’ve been thinking What happens when and if applied science found ways of ridding the world of same sex love?

Not by torture, killing, or sending folks into other dimensions or worlds but through genetic, hormonal, and brain chemistry.

The Place Anywhere: It could be a San Francisco in a parallel universe.

Imagine if you will scientist’s, researchers did find the answer say nothing and pre-born embryonic children are delicately operated on as soon as they found telltale traits leading to Homosexuality, Lesbianism, Bisexuality, Trans-gendered, Hermaphrodite or sexual confusion between them all.

I would be a slow extinction without genocidal consequences because children wouldn’t killed only changed in orientation.

What about gay adults and children?

They’ll find it more difficult finding same sex partners over time and the ones who do wanting children will have them and their children will grow up all of them at some point under doctor’s care and operation on as embryo’s.

Of course someone finds out but after 30 to 40 years its too late to correct this secret non lethal extinction of a people.

The last BI, Lesbian, or Homosexual dies of illness, accident, or old age.

And same sex orientation people are extinct in that city and all over the planet.

Ok, its only a short story, but just in case same sex folks should still be aware of ideas like these floating around.

My story would be similar except a heterosexual who’s ambivalent about this controlled pandemic could just let happen so he creates a genetic bomb that doesn’t kill only works subtly in people making a few same sex orientated and are in the genes of generations to come ensuring both same sex and opposite sex orientations continue.

I don’t know about you but the idea of a heterosexual man, the villain of 20th and 21st century being the savior of all those who’ve at time despised, ridiculed, and made to look sad and ridiculous, for hating and killing different "S" orientated people.

To turn around in a supreme effort universal love and understanding save the very people his fellow ‘hetero’s has tortured, killed, and who’s lives made miserable.

I don’t know if same sex folks would hate me because of the premise of making a straight man hero or the way of ridding the world of them completely can be seen as possible in the first place? Bye

PS What do you think folks?


Any ideas for other stories?

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Leroy Moore Jr. /Illin and Chillin

In this month, Women History Month of 2003, my disabled sisters of color voices are once again muddled or is it nobody’s listening to their beautiful voice, art and activism in this critical time. Early this month Gov. Gray Davis apology on the history of California in sterilization era that included an overwhelming number of Black women but the article goes on to say that there is a lack of information connecting California Gov. to the large number of force sterilization cases. I wonder have our state government ever read Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts, who researched and wrote on this topic of force sterilization on Black women. According to KPFA, after the first day of the so called war on Iraq, women and elderly has filled up hospitals, some will have to live with war inflicted disabilities.

What about disabled women of color artists, writers and advocates? Oh, they are out there in full force but once again their voices are muddled but growing strong daily. Locally Patty Bern, Noemi Sohn and Mariana Ruybalid are putting their beautiful and strong voices out there in their own way. On February 13, 2003, San Francisco Women Against Rap in conjunction with Fearless Words held a showcase of digital stories of survivors of sexual assault. Patty Bern, a revolutionary disabled woman of color put together a digital story in which disability, sexuality, dehumanization\violence, transformation and healing are understood as social and political phenomena as well as an individual process. I felt proud to see my disabled sister of color artwork in the mix of other women of color stories. This proud feeling continued to grow when my friend, a disabled Filipino, poet, activist Noemi Sohn told me that she is working on her first chapbook of poetry due out soon. I am blown away by the focus, determination and the words of Mariana Ruybalid, a spiritual, beautiful soul that forms this disabled Latina who will be coming out with her first full length novel in July of this year and found a publisher on her own.

From my research, the mother of the Black Disabled movement, is Mildertte Hill of London England. Hill helped start The Black Disabled Movement in the UK and is the co-founder and has been the chair of the Black Disabled People Group in 1990. In 1993 Hill formed the Black Disabled Women’s Collective and help edited the first book I found on Black disabled people entitled Reflection: Views of black disabled people on their lives and community care . We can’t forget the mother & daughter team, the Dunhamns, in New Jersey that started the New Jersey Minorities with Disabilities Coalition. Last but not least our own San Francisco Bayview Columnist and Black Panther, Kiilu Nyasha who reminds us the injustice in the prison system and this racist country we live in. When I see Kiilu roll up to the mike in her stylist wheelchair, at rallies I feel like I’m not alone. Kiilu, one day I want to sit down with you, listen, learn, take notes on how to organize people of color with and without disabilities. You are something else! Please teach me! So to honor my gorgeous disabled sisters of color in Women History Month of 2003 I dedicate this poem to you. Black in this poem means all women of color.

I'm Beautiful


(For Black disabled women)

I am fucking gorgeous

with my brown smooth skin and my shaved head!

Oh yeah my body is slammin

with my long thin legs, firm tight butt and young breast!

Mmm mmm mmm I know I'm fine!

My green eyes stop traffic.

Mick Jaguar wish he had my lips.

High check bones, dimples and my thin eyebrows.

Yheap, I kissed myself in the mirror!

Although I'm the finest thing on this earth,

many people think I look like a freak.

I'm shock!

They don't see my beauty!

My legs are twisted inward.

My speech is slow.

How can any man or woman pass

me without noticing how hot I am?

I should have a date every day of the week.

You don't know what you're passing up!

Mondona, Janet Jackson, En Vogue & The Spice Girls

stand in line behind me!

My beauty goes deeper than what you see.

My mind is beautiful!

College and street graduate.

I'm dying for a stimulate conversation.

You can't ask for anything better!

Strong, intelligent, beautiful, independent,

Black disabled young woman.

But you can't deal with me!

You'd pass me by for what?

It's too bad you can't handle me.

Am I too much for you?

If you can't say it than you

need to stop starring at me!

I know what you're thinking!

"She is fine but............
If only..............."

But I don't need you to tell me

what I already know.

I'm beautiful from the inside out and outside in!

I'm beautiful when I drag my feet

across the street!

Everything about me is beautiful!

God damn I'm drop dead gorgeous

and you're ugly, stupid, and narrow-minded

and a waste of my time!!

This poem is dedicated to all the Black disabled women who have been over looked by the Women Movement, the Black Feminist Movement, the Black Gay Movement and the Disability Rights Movement. You're BEAUTIFUL. Fuck that you're Fucking Gorgeous!

by Staff Writer

Published by POOR Press 2003 ©

Excerpt from The Houzin Project Introduction....

In the Houzin Project , youth, adult and elder poverty scholars from the Bay Area and beyond, through first-person narratives, community journalism, poetryjournalism and visual art have linked the "causes" i.e.; gentrification, displacement, racism and redlining with the "effects"i.e.; eviction, houselessness and the criminalization/corporatization of poverty. These linkages are rarely made when the issue of Homelessness is bandied about by mainstream media, legislators and even the majority of formally educated, institutionally recognized, "scholars" who are asked to speak, write or theorize on the issue of poverty and homelessness.

In the Houzin Project we attempt to strip away the myths of homelessness’s origin, ie, to link the causes of modern day Colonialism (displacement) with its effects. To accomplish this we begin by exploring The Diasporas or what we call the Original Evictions of native peoples, indigenous peoples, poor women and children, poor elders and youth, working-class and communities of color from their land and their neighborhoods.

We examine the role of the artist as default gentrifyer, paving the way for some of the most focused and concentrated gentrification or “clean -up” efforts, such as Venice, California, Oakland and New York, which, after the redevelopment road is paved by the artist, in marches the real estate developers and anti-poor people mayors like Jerry Brown (Oakland) and John Gonzalez (San Jose) and then suddenly , as if by magic, “crime” rise in these areas, or more simply, the media coverage, police reporting and profiling of crime rises. As well, we look at how the economic oppression of communities of color happens through racial and classist banking policies like the redlining of the Bayview Hunters Point district of San Francisco, and how those covert and overt policies lead to economic desta bilization and houselessness of poor folks......

My Tio lived down the block

Until The Strangers came

My Auntie lived upstairs

Until The Strangers came

I lived in my house all my life

Until The Strangers Came

And then we didn’t live

Anywhere

an excerpt from My Friends Lived Next Door - a poem by Lydia, 14, Gentrification survivor in The Houzin Project

by Joe B.

Hi folks, you know by now it takes me time to try something new, get out of a comfort zone.

Like the slowly boiling frogs dying in comfort.
I do tend to move when heat starts getting a little hot.

I was told about dating online and that folks my age in their 40’s and up it is difficult without the face to face plus down loading material.

Being in a decade or more relationship makes one set in their way however unlike slowly boiling frog I have to jump out of the pot away from the flame into the pond where the other frogs are metaphorically speaking.

So far I’ve joined two online date sites to find a match while learning Ballroom, Salsa, Meringue, and tap dance for dancing for the fun of it.

Now the hard part.

After sighing up, wrote about myself in my profile, what kind of person I am and who is supposedly a match for me.

Economically, physically I tell the truth about medical and the job situation.

The photo of myself is too large and has to shrunken to fit size needed.

Still have problems trying to shrink it to the correct size.

If I get some help that’s cool except them seeing where the photo’s going but other people online have their pictures up its only fair to have mine up there too at least to get all the people who’ll automatically reject me on looks alone out of the way.

I do believe in getting the bad press out of the way first and have ones that really want email, call, and give me a chance.

Women, men trying to find suitable partners to talk, link up, kick it with, or long term relationships.

Dating, to be on our best behavior and yet not really being our true ourselves until both of us are comfortable enough to let more of our true selves shine through.

Dating women online gives me the shivers not knowing what kind are reading the words, what preconceived notions held, if they’re sharing it with other girlfriends having giggles or outright horse laughs on people writing them.

Maybe this is a physical record of my electronic dating and if married or not will have taught me about myself and others.

What do you women, wimin, wymyn, Grrrr Cyber Fems really think?

What have your experiences been?

Were you disappointed or pleasantly supplied "uh surprised?

More on my dates if I ever get my photo shrunk in a size the web date sites want. Bye.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Last Sunday’s Oscar Show I missed mainly because its too much like sports in that its, tedious, long, and most of all,many of the films featured I haven't seen.

Even though Michael Moore praised the Dixie Chicks in his "Fiction" speech the Dixie Chicks/Bush thing means nothing to me.

Then I get an email on the DC/B thing and what started it.

Ms. Natalie Maine, one of the there DC’s made the comment causing all the hubbub in Lubbock, Texas.

A Republican State Rep. Catherine Ceips introduces a resolution last Wednesday call on them to perform for South Carolina troops and their families.

I don’t know, it seems that the group being from the same place as Selected President’s from can say whatever they want but when Ms.

Natalie Maine back tracks apologizing. It is the wrong tack.

As for the troops that’s plain personal pique on C. Ceips part, sounds like a she's got personal problem.

My Editor and boss has said "Being from L.A. all publicity is good publicity."

What occurs to me is if they're going to sing for the troops they might as well inform them what’s happening in the states, repeat what they said about the ‘Pres., and expand on it.

If C. Ceips is so thin skinned about what people say about the 'Prez Chicks True or not think of what kind of problems she’ll have as more and more hip hop, rap, and mainstream entertainers say what is really on their minds.

What’s she (Cieps) trying to do, use the "Entertaining The Troops" as code for placing Dixie Chicks in harms way?

Backing up, saying sorry we’ll be good little girls is not this real band they or one of their member have devalued themselves.

So Texas radio bans their songs, ladies you’re in good company all banning does is make more folks check out your stuff.

The world isn’t Texas and even though some family and friends may turn their back on you this will pass as for now all of you must do your music, speak out but no more wimp outs as women love saying of men.
It does not feel good being on the other end of W-word does it?

Remember the feeling when voicing your views.

That’s why most men, women, youth, and young adults say nothing its safer letting other people catching the flack.

The next fem rock group may say something more outrageous, not apologize, take a few hard hits for year or more and come out of it stronger for going through the baptism of public outrage and fire.

The Dixie Chicks apologized and still get flack for what one of them said.

So it seems the best thing is don’t take back what was said and move on people may not forget but they have lives and cannot stay on one subject too long unless its really unforgivable.

This is why some guys say don’t apologize just keep going, bare up, and deal with it.

Actually men have learn apologizing only leads to more conversations about what?

About why apologizing means nothing without action behind them and then not doing the same action again.

Movies have gotten so high 8$ or 9$ that going to them really is a challenge.

Between video or dvd movies this problem is solved at least when using the library instead of video/dvd rental stores.

All I need now is a VCR/DVD/TV combo and rare
outings at Walk-in/Drive-in Movies and most of my entertainment needs.

If lucky we’ve already celebrated and after the walk or drive-in movie celebrations can begin again.

Like food I do enjoy 2nd’s 3rd’s, 4th helpings which reminds me, remember: eat food because water can only fill one so much.

Dating is difficult for me but with patience, laughter, and women with minds and bodies relaxed less tense good times are easy regardless whether there is sex or not.

I have to say that incase people were wondering.

Until this Slaughter ends be well people…. Bye.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Staff Writer

A POOR Press Publication 2003©

What is a Poverty Hero

What is a hero? What does it mean to perform an act of heroism? Or, to live your life heroically? In Greek religion a hero was a famous
person who after his or her death was worshipped as quasi-divine – noblemen who were valiant fighters. In classic English literature heroes were created as mythical warriors capable of bravery and gallantry. In American literature, Hemingway defined the code hero- as a man who lives correctly following the ideals of honor courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful and always painful.

In our society many people judged by these classical standards have been heroes and heroines- Dr King, Mumia Abu Jamal, Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks to name a few, enduring and overcoming great odds and achieving great things- but at POOR we have developed a new kind of non-traditional literary hero – the Poverty Hero– the Poverty Hero has also withstood overwhelming obstacles – and achieved great things – but from another lens – in other words – the obstacles might be multiple evictions – homelessness and gentrification- welfare dependency and institutional systems abuse, racial and economic
profiling , incarceration and assault –the heroism could be surviving a life lived in poverty -through an existence fraught with misery and
suffering- the Poverty Hero could be a mother on welfare who has
successfully raised her children – an Abuela in Mexico who borrows the electricity of Sony Corp to power her Tijuana shanty village – a
houseless person who creates art – an elder who is fighting an illegal eviction- a homeless child who helps her mother care for her siblings, in other words, The heroism of survival itself through these great odds.

54 full color pages – with original line art by Ken McGhee-
The Poverty Hero Anthology itself is a work of art

by Joe B.

Last Sunday all day I had a feeling of missing something but couldn’t place what.

I had begun Thursday and Friday placing emails on two or three electronic dating service.

This seems to be an ongoing disaster considering my inexperience webbing around the net.

So after eating a meal in St. Martin De Porre’s or Porre?

Taking a bus to Golden Gate Park to clear my head thinking of what to do with the rest of my life.

To the restroom then sitting listening to nature I remember how much I missed being here.

As I was leaving I saw drawn artwork left near a garbage can.

"That’s so anyone can pick it up."

The voice came for a man with a shopping cart, plastic bags on the side and inside cans and bottles.

Trying to set the sketched art straight I soon let it sit where the man left so the sun shone on it and somebody might pick it up.

The Moniker "San Francisco Betty" is the name.

We walked, talked about our jobs he a "Grateful Dead" sound engineer past and current and loving the outside enjoying speaking with people as he recycled bottle, cans, and glass.

He tells me about the A. P. Style Book "every writer should have one, its online or in book stores."

I thanked him for the information.

Offering me a beer which I turned down.

I have 1 wine, 2 bottle, or glass minimum when in bars or dance clubs that’s rare because of economics.

I’m trying to find both dance and non dance bars where straight women and men hang out.

I know a few women will go with friends for a night out to have fun not particularly looking for anyone to connect to.

ust my luck straight women with friends really want to have fun among themselves while in the hottest dance clubs gay men, women, and orientations other than boringly straight hood up.

The ongoing joke is straight men don’t get it an are left out in the cold.

My answer to that is:

find the regular "S" bars with both "S" men and women so I won’t feel so isolated and odd.

Have to constantly remind myself normal is a misnomer like gays in a 80 to 90% "S" city would feel just as odd that’s why in every city there was a sub now main thriving gay culture.

All I have to do is find these Islands of "S", mark these places just as online "S" folks are kicked out of online chats because of what was done same sex and other ‘diff orientated folk is the backlash and also online age difference.

I can cut the search down a lot by having reader mainly females above their early 20’s guide me to where you are.

Its funny some complain about not finding men and yet an arbitrary rule of S. F."s politics is not to date men from the same city!

Maybe it works for them but pretty soon guys tend to move about too to the point of moving out of the city.

The baby shower! I missed the baby shower, sorry June I know you told me when but missed the whole thing. That’s what being alone does to one sometime.

Leaving the city. I will probably will be alone for a while yet but between Yoga, some dancing, using being alone as learning process.

Still I’d like to travel a bit rounding out my rough edges, be out of the country for a few years returning slightly better and self assured less needy of a woman’s voice, natural form and sensuality.

I believe women are mad at men because they themselves mirror them and though they know they can give, take, safe, nurture life they know also men can to when raised by loving parents single or traditional two family unit.

I can imagine a world without women. I wouldn’t want to live there in that barren land even if immortality were mine it would terrible kind of lonely hellish existence.

A world without men women say would peaceful, quiet, less strife and stress but I think after awhile it too would become as barren, bereft of rough humor, male artistry, vision, imagination, closeness.

Face it SAPHO’s and Amazon’s at least the ones who’re happy with Lesbian only won’t miss men one bit of course the ones with those now forbidden desires will hide, be shunned, or be hunted down either placed far away from them or killed because they remind others of the other sex.

Either world is HELLISH. But for women who chose world’s, places unmanned be aware there are reasons why there are two distinct sexes each are unique in their own way few are better, more intelligent, or more noble than the other but equally need each others weakness and strengths to coninue.

It may indeed be possible to quarantine one sex from each other if that happened I’d become a rebel because I will not be separate from my other half, that’s half my flesh, vision, nervous system, brain, soul, mind, life, and I cannot, will not live a half life that’s a slow, grueling, inexorable, dread, dried out life.

The wet, warm, fluidity is what I need cannot live without.

Men, complex as Women, and women as exasperating, terrifying in their anger, love, hate, indifference living without ‘em would be a living death for me.

Yeah, I’m floating in this city unattached, alone in my shell, hold tears behind eyelids because we aren’t suppose to eyewet and have it seen.The Code Still Exsist is luckily I was never good follow most of the male or fem coding.

You know when you’re angry you say it too keeping an upper hand.

You know we are your mirror hurting yet holding back, you’ve learned our trick too now you know why we do it.

’Kinda went too far ladies that’s what bits of loneliness does drives one to face ones self and I do have a weakness, its funny its also my strengh.

Write if I’m made sense and even if not write anyway. Bye.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Alex Cuff PNN Newsbrief Editor

Despite ex-mayor Rudolf Giuliani’s ingenious and humane policy of slashing services and housing to those in poverty to cure homelessness (the "if you build it, they will come" fear), the number homeless in NYC has risen by 16,000 and is currently over 37,000. The homeless population in New York City includes 12,000 mothers and 16,000 who are under the age of 18.

In a creative response to a court order, which requires the city to provide temporary shelter for anyone who needs it, city officials are considering the use of old cruise ships as a solution to the chronic housing shortage. The cost of acquiring and renovating the old cruise ships is undiscloses but 'officials' say the cost will certainly be less than that of NY real estate which is at record high levels. The homeless services commissioner and other ‘top aides’ took mayor Bloomberg’s private jet to the Bahamas to inspect the ships...

This isn’t the first time that New York has turned to inane solutions instead of subsidizing more housing: In the early 1990s thousands of homeless families were put on little-used jail barges in the East River. Last summer the city put homeless families in a Bronz jail where they spent 45 days until a court ruled the jail inappropriate for housing. In this there is an eerie, yet obvious connection between incarceration and homelessness.

In LA, they are skipping the facade of the cruise ship and putting the homeless straight into jail. On the day before ‘Thanksgiving’ more than 250 police officers swept the blocks bounded by 1st, Spring and 7th Streets and the Los Angeles River. Folks were arrested both on the street and in low-cost hotels around 5th street. LAPD claims the sweep had been planned for 2 months and was intended to catch parole violators but the raid came just 48 hours after business organizations complained that the high number of homeless people was threatening the downtown economy.

by Staff Writer

Through travels near and far, the Po Cats weave a modern day humorous allegory alternately critiquing and engaging inthe ironic mix of colonialism, travel, indiginismo, racism, ageism and much more....

The Series;

(not sold separately)

Book #1 Hands and Lester's Hawaiian Adventure

Book #2 Hands and Lester in Cherokee Country

Book#3 Hands and Lester at the Orphanage

Book #4 The 75 summers of Hands and Lester

Each book has over 24 full color pages for children and adults of all ages

by Joe B.

Folks there’s always been a difference in how lives are valued in America Black, Brown children hurt, injured, killed by drunk drivers or red light runners are not a valuable as a white child’s life taken in the same way.

Why is it that when blacks scream, warn of things going awry we’re not listened to but when what we warned about comes true who gets blamed the messenger.

I know some of you have been in a situation when you did your civic duty calling police to prevent, or as something begins to break off.

Who do they suspect when they knock on your door? YOU!

Is it any wonder people of color don’t call police. Before police picked who they ruffed up, beat on, torture, and killed.

Regular white bread citizens knew cops protected them from those mean street people from barrios, ghetto’s, or Asian, Philippine, or other non white neighborhoods.

I was reading about journalists of color getting bashed basically for doing their jobs a few weeks ago in Oakland - At a National Student Strike against the war on March 5 Oakland Police attacked youth and several elderly people accompanying them.

The two Black Journalists Beaten and Arrested at Peace March by San Francisco Bay View Newspaper Gathering in downtown Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza, high school and college students from San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and around the Bay Area walked out of classes in support of peace.

As 300 to 400 students marched peacefully down Broadway toward Jack London Square carrying a banner, singing and chanting in the tradition of nonviolent protest, members of the Oakland Police Department began following the protesters.

The number of officers steadily increased.

Once the students reached Jack London Square, police began attacking them, running into the demonstrators with their
motorcycles.

Ra'shida Askey, managing editor and staff writer for the San Francisco Bay View newspaper, asked officers why they were running over the young marchers.

In response, a black female police officer grabbed Ra'shida by the neck and placed her in a choke hold.

The Bay View's associate editor, JR Valrey, who was also covering the march, came to his colleague's aid. At this point, several officers swarmed both JR and Ra'shida, knocking them to the ground and beating them both.

The above taken from www.youthoutlook.org .

We know the saying "What do you call a college, university, educated, or professional black person?

A "N" you supply the rest. Means whatever achievements, accomplishments, sacrifices, we as people individually and collectively meant little to the larger society as a whole; depressing isn’t it?

Except we’ve heard it so many time we many of us no longer give a snit about since we are part of that larger society too.

When white children, adults, protest police see their son, daughter’s, father’s, mother’s, brother’s in the crowd metaphorically if not in reality.

But add color to the exact same mix, same issues, and you get maddened cops wanting to smash heads of unruly people who to them are alien.

Black and all rainbow folks are always seen as alien.

Ra'shida and JR Valrey aren’t seen as reporters doing their jobs but as more blacks causing trouble. [as if recording what they do is the problem not what their doing that is the cause.

a black female police officer grabbed Ra'shida by the neck and placed her in a chokehold.

Male, Female cops black, white, whatever might have a sort of us/them mentality in that everyone out of uniform is a potential enemy that means men, children, the elderly, and as for reporters the female cop didn’t care she wanted a piece of Ms. Ra'shida badly enough to hurt her, draw blood.

Using they motorcycles as weapons running down people and if your in their way it didn’t matter your fault for being on the street in the way.

This is why I rarely go to rally/protests because most if not every time those trusted folks in blue love to take sticks and guns to black bodies.

Whites too feel set upon by vicious cops in peaceful marches/protest/rallies too.

Now you get what we’ve been saying all a long "When you or child gets bloodied or God forbids dies for being in the wrong place at the wrong time you’ll know what we’ve been saying is true.

Cops in uniform see everyone out of uniform even brother/sister officers not in uniform are seen as enemies.

Right now my post box might not exist because non payment so go to Poor’s Magazine or Askjoe site to email if you want to write.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Alex Cuff PNN Newsbrief Editor

Typical of mainstream media, some of the most important stories are missed because they aren’t covering the president and his war, the rise and fall of celebrities, or politicians. The lack of these stories, which are in fact happening in our own neighborhoods, contribute to the ignorance and apathy of local residents who have the power to be making a difference. A perfect example is the story of Mack Cotton, the 42-year old Stevens County, WA, man who was the victim of a violent offense but who is being treated as a criminal. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Cotton told District Court Judge Pamela Payne before she convicted him and suspended his driver’s license for two years. After sentencing, Cotton paid for a transcript of his trial and voluntarily took a lie detector test. “I took the polygraph and passed it,” he said last week. “Now I think somebody should take a look at what really happened up there. I was a victim who was victimized.”

On the evening of 12/14, Cotton stopped by a popular hangout for residents of the nearby Spokane Indian Reservation. When the bartender served him a tequila drink instead of the gin and tonic he ordered, Cotton sent it back and went to use the restroom. Upon returning to his seat at the bar, Cotton was “punched in the side of the face and hit on the back of the head” with beer bottles and a pool stick. Cotton said that as he was knocked to the floor, he saw the bartender watching, but doing nothing.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that the bartender has had links to the Aryan Nations and white supremacists and Cotton who is African-descendant, believes he may have said something to provoke the attackers. “I heard one or two of the men beating me say, ‘Oh, you think you’re bad, nigger,” Cotton recalled. Four men aggressively kicked Mack while breaking beer bottles over his head until a woman intervened yelling at the attackers to stop. Police say they can’t find anyone to corroborate Cotton’s story! He has since taken and passed a polygraph test about the events in the bar that night.

When Cotton got away from the bar, he limped to his truck, bleeding from the mouth and the head. Scared for his life, Cotton got in his truck and loaded the .25 caliber handgun he kept under the seat. Shortly after driving a few feet, he pulled over to adjust and wipe his blood soaked eyeglasses and was stopped by the Springdale police chief, Strom, who asked him if he’d been drinking but made no inquiry about his beat up face.

“I told him I’d had a few drinks,” Cotton said. “He asked me if I had a gun, and I immediately handed it to him.” Mack Cotton was arrested on the spot. He was booked into the Stevens County jail on charges of being in physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated and carrying a gun without a permit. By the time the police chief heard about the attack and returned to question witnesses, the bar was closed.

Cotton is having a difficult time getting authorities to investigate the four men who beat him up in a Springdale bar. On 1/3, the Strom completed a report from Cotton about the assault and by then witnesses had provided names of the four assailants. Still Strom said there isn’t enough evidence for arrests. In February, Cotton reported the incident to the FBI, alleging he was the victim of a hate crime that local authorities had failed to fully investigate. An FBI agent was assigned the case in May but the federal investigation was suspended when the agent was transferred. Cotton has been unsuccessful in his attempts to get authorities to press assault charges against his attackers. Convicted by a jury, Cotton was sentenced 10/15 to 30 days in jail and fined $1,655 on the physical control charge. He was given another 30 days in jail, to be served concurrently, on the charge of carrying a weapon without a permit.

by Staff Writer

Sheltered in the Wings of Heaven..
an interview with A. Faye Hicks by Lisa Gray-Garcia aka tiny

"Children don’t listen to their parents no-how, but to read my story, to read about my resistance to poverty, through the Word – that’s when my son started resistin’ , started healin’ started listenin to me, his mama’" Rising from half-eaten crackers, a pile of steaming bagels, and a mist of coffee steam was the light emanating from Ms. A. Faye Hicks, Po Poet Laureate of POOR Magazine. The mini-mess hall at POOR headquarters with its harsh florescence could hardly contain the spirit, the power and the glory that was A. Faye. As she spoke, illustrating each consanant with a pinch of southern salt, she used several long limbs of her tall, slim body to underline the crucial points.

Ms. Alice Faye Hicks, an aspiring dress designer, was sporting black skin tight knickers, white tights and low platforms in the current vaguely 17th century send-ups that are all the rage on the runways of Paris and in the streets of Beverly Hills. But A. Faye did not waste her time in such elitist spaces, her fashion ensembles grace the hallways of one of the largest shelters in San Francisco. Ms. A. Faye is currently houseless.

My name is A Faye

I am a Lady of the Shelters.

I am a student and teacher of Life

In Indoor shelter living and Outdoor cardboard shelter living

I have met Hundreds of People

Most with Tragic Stories.

Jailhouse, Sickness..........Mental and Physical

I am all alone

Yet not alone!

Sheltered in the Wings of Heaven!!!!

(from A. fayes "slam bio" a tradition of The Po Poets Project)

"My son was in jail, not doing well, then he read some of my poetry that I wrote in the Po Poets, that’s when he started changing his life, studying for his GED, getting a good job across the Bay, you know healin, cause I think that’s when he started to understand my life – he said, ‘mama you the strongest woman I ever met’, now that’s the power of The Word, that’s the power of resistance"

As I listened to A. Faye recall her son’s catharsis, who grew up with Faye, "in a Section 8 apartment in the only Oakland neighborhood that would rent to us that felt like death row thanks to all the harassment by police of the youth", I was reminded of my own life with my mother, our poverty together and my ability to work through my issues with our life through my own writing. As a formerly houseless, currently at-risk poverty survivor, the first time I was able to write my story and have someone read it – have someone "see" me as something other than a bum, lazy, stupid or "useless" was the first time I felt alive, like there was a reason to go on living….

I asked A. Faye how she first got into the Raising Our Voices (ROV) Program of Media Alliance, which then led to her membership in The Po Poets Project of POOR Magazine,
"I saw a flyer on the wall at St Anthony’s Dining Room while I was eating lunch, and of course I had already met up with Ben (Ben Clarke and myself co-teach creative writing through the ROV Program) when he taught a workshop at Tenderloin reflection Center, so I had some idea of what that poetry writing would be like, but you know, I never did like poetry in high school – poetry was all about flowers, hearts and shakespeare, those things didn’t speak to me…

"How did you feel when POOR nominated you to be the first Po Poet Laureate"

"Well you know I didn’t even know what that word meant til I was nominated so getting that title opened my eyes to a whole new world – I started reading about other writers like Amiri Baraka and Quincey troupe and their experiences with poetry and society…"
I smiled cause POOR launched the Po’ Poet laureate project to seize that lofty literary canon and bestow it on the folk who we consider poverty scholars, and in my mind there was no larger, more deserving poverty scholar than A. Faye

I asked A. Faye about her other dreams, "What about this rumour of you being interested in being a chef "

" Yea I pursued that, " she spit out each word of this curt reply and then after a long pause continued, "but the food industry in San Francisco doesn’t hire older Black women to be Chefs- so I said the hell with you…..but all I wanted to do is something for people and now instead of feeding their stomachs I am feeding their minds…..

"I have always faced obstacles to my dreams – whether it was a dress designer or a chef – writing and publishing my book of poetry is the first dream I have had that came true… a dream that is possible … we should all have our dreams realized… knowing that people read my work ..knowing that I affect people with my words…. Gave me a purpose to being alive…."

by Joe B.

If people look at a certain online web date site they might see or not a double listing from California.

That simpleton is I, first getting on the site then not knowing I did twice finally not knowing how to eliminate its twin with an error it off the site.

From the first night of March 6 to now I’ve consistently fouled up my electronic dating game.

A problem with creativity is doing to much which is what I’ve done on at least 4 sites why 4?

Well, I figured four times the chances of getting dates.

Then the creative factor cursed me in that not writing down user/password names then making more up causes difficulty in getting back on especially when the programs dutifully memorized them its not their fault the owner forgets lots of ‘freakin times.

The first ad wasn’t thought out but honesty is uppermost in my mind wanting to get rejections over with.

Then there’s the photo snafu I’ve got a few but most are to large and not wallet sized.

Now more people will look at someone who sends a photo than one who doesn’t; chock another stupid mistake.

Recently sent another one this time pointing out where I can be seen.

I’ll get a photo after sprucing myself up a bit and it might as well be digital not film.

Its been a long, bad, frustrating week but slowly I’m getting the hand of online dating I might try that phone-date-on-T.V. thing.

My Web Date I.Q. is so low its half of a zero.

I know eventually I’ll get the hang of it but I’d like to do it within this decade before technology changes again.

Folks, what’s the best way to place digital photo’s online?

The first posted ad has so much stuff and too much medically speaking maybe I should’ve kept that to myself but being truthful was what counted to me at the time.

The second ad is much better, crisper, and had more of my true self in it aside medical stuff.

I check email to see if someone sent me something I don’t expect images because I haven’t sent my own its only fare that they see image as I’ll see them so I hope for now they write without sending photo’s.

Travel may help me, along with massage and kinds Yoga, Tai Chi, to keep bodies, brains, spirits, and souls balanced, quiet, and calm.

Meanwhile at the Utah to song write and sing is another talent I didn’t I had until recently.

Got to pain phone and
p.o. box bills.

Looking at the women online in semi or full nude poses with other folks makes me again think maybe I should just go to a bar with my 1 wine, 2 drink minimum taking my chance with ladies who most likely will turn me down on looks alone.

I can take a few rejections as long as one yes caresses my ears.

You know the rules guys.

1,000 no’s does not equal 1 yes or is that 1000, realities doesn’t equal 1 dream?

Either way just as women kiss many frogs to find their prince I must go through many a snickering women who will wait for me to gather courage to talk to them so they can take their time for public snubbing humiliation be they straight, bi, lesbian or other orientations besides straight.

Does it always sting?

A bit yes because the old beauty and the beast fable isn’t true.

Many a rich beast can have beauty dangling on their arm while frog prince’s in beast clothes must always have other attributes going for them to compensate for outer looks.

Just a metaphor? How many women at first go for surface looks and only after a time see the real soul shine through.

Gladly most women aren’t shallow and only a few would enjoy public humiliation displays.

If I can make a few friends, get a few dates lasting more than once, or simply bed mates otherwise know as booty calls I’m alright with that.

I don’t mind having a booty call or being one some of us have to really "work it" not blessed in looks, money, body, talent, or social strata like a certain rent a car company most of us slobs must try harder for what some other lucky guys take for granted.

I’m just a guy slowly improving body and mind wanting a few women in his life or if I’m honest a loved one beyond any price.

What do ‘ya think girls, young, Grrrr’s women, wimin, wymyn, or a particular woman wanting to write me tell what you think and be honest.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Staff Writer

These Poems are written with wisdom held and
spoken with pride

These poems represent memories of what abuse
has done to a child

.......Byron Gafford

by Joe B.

I had just gotten back from my Optometrist’s appointment in Berkeley.

Before calling my friend I see protesters and police across the street as I was almost in my apartment I saw police run ahead of the anti war marchers I didn’t know why they did that until a few minutes after they were a little ahead.

Walking toward the anti war marchers I saw the police form a line in the street split protestors in two groups! I already have an answer for what the cops did.

They used the human line or wedge to prevent protesters from entering their objective on mass and also if reporter in helicopters or news vans can say there are less people in the march while in reality there was always more there not counting the cops Blue Wedggie tactics.

Here’s where C.B.M. Critical Brain Mass comes into play.
1.

There are more citizens than cops.

2. People knowing the area’s side streets, corners, and or short cuts can be utilized.
Cops are as ants surrounded by sand, we the people, are the sand.

What happens sand is swept by wind or picked up in fingers?

It splits in different directions.
3. When cops try splitting protester again; don’t make the cops work hard.
4. Before cops do their Blue Split or Police Wedggie the protester themselves split into other groups making their way to the main area.
5.

All these self split groups use these and other contingency plans going to multiple areas of protest instead of just one main one.

Cops, National Guards, G-folks cannot cover all of ‘em at once.

Spread the word folks, this and other plans will frustrate cops, gov. folks to no end and this is just one guys plan off the top of his head imagine what will happen if we used our brains collectively in these and other efforts.

You know we can do this and more.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Staff Writer

“Hey what is your name?
You thought I was lame
Living in the game
Caused me a lot of pain

Now the rules have changed
Your game brought me fame
My spoken word
Is like constant rain
Flooding your brain and driving you insane

Excerpt from Living in the game by Leroy Moore

by Joe B.

I had just gotten back from my Optometrist’s appointment in Berkeley.

Before calling my friend I see protesters and police across the street as I was almost in my apartment I saw police run ahead of the anti war marchers I didn’t know why they did that until a few minutes after they were a little ahead.

Walking toward the anti war marchers I saw the police form a line in the street split protestors in two groups! I already have an answer for what the cops did.

They used the human line or wedge to prevent protesters from entering their objective on mass and also if reporter in helicopters or news vans can say there are less people in the march while in reality there was always more there not counting the cops Blue Weggie tactics.

Here’s where C. B. M. Critical Brain Mass
comes into play.
1.

There are more citizens than cops.
2. People knowing the area’s side streets, corners, and or short cuts can be utilized.
Cops are as ants surrounded by sand, we the people, are the sand.

What happens sand is swept by wind or picked up in fingers? It splits in different directions.
3.

When cops try splitting protester again; don’t make the cops work hard.
4.

Before cops do their Blue Split or Police Weggie the protester themselves split into other groups making their way to the main area.

5.

All these self split groups use these and other contingency plans going to multiple areas of protest instead of just one main one. Cops, National Guards, G-folks cannot cover all of ‘em at once.

Spread the word folks, this and other plans will frustrate cops, gov. folks to no end and this is just one guys plan off the top of his head imagine what will happen if we used our brains collectively in these and other efforts.

You know we can do this and more.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

I’m pissed off as it is because of a gash in my thumb that finally stops bleeding through band aids.

It mean frustrating days of worry, being extra safe sex cautious thumb protectors, smaller round band aids near other minor cuts on the wrists.

A doctor and another guy from cable’s They’re on a late night X-R rated talk show.

The tall guy is or was on "The Man Show" [you know the end of the show, ladies in skimpy nightgowns, bikini’s, short shorts, or flimsy underwear bounce around on a trampoline Sometimes I really miss cable TV.

The "Stern" person is on and some other folks talking about Britney Spears and a guy who supposed to have (by mutual consent) had her.

This is why most women see men especially straight on as dogs, wolves, or as a strange alien species altogether deadly to them and the planet.

Ms. Spears is young, famous, and popular singer and as her due because she’s earns her money with Goddess/God or spiritual given talent (you choose which).

She does what she pleases including the most obvious in the privacy of her home, apartment, or in any motel-hotel she temporarily dwells in at the time.

Private is private even if she has a public persona
her other persona should not be forced and mixed in with her private one.

I guess anything is grist for the mail or public consumption.

This is exactly why stars are secretive about their private lives they must be or they’d have no peace/ place to concentrate on their craft.

It sells newsprint, magazines, TV, and radio ads but socially its scum ridden, crude, and shows at least to bad personal self loathing not of the one exposed but the one doing the exposé themselves.

A friend, lover, lost, gone forever or never to be called visited again because of a deep hurt, distrust caused.

She’ll get over it in time though trusting will be harder on whoever she next shares herself with.

Yet men exposed in this way are still lionized as studs, great lovers, or celebrated in other ways.

Maybe a Madam President of the United States is needed for Economic, Abortion, and Women’s lives in general because our male presidents have done little in nothing to ease their lives.

Years ago I thought most men relate knowing females takes more time to enjoy and patience is needed later I’m told what’s normal and abnormal.

I’ve recently found out my own private shame or

medical problem caused delays during coupling makes some fems happy.

What chills me at first is what I saw as a problem is not abnormal or norm just a sliding scale.

Its good to know people are people and they seek what’s good for them as Ms. Spears I hope she has her own grape vine ["The Girls Are Talking" by TLC]. so her side of the story also filters out because going on the Stern radio show would may lead to further humiliation if any of you’ve heard or seen the Stern show.

I don’t know how these things work but as a pop star she has equal or more power don’t know how she’ll use it bud she does have the choice.

I was mad at something else today, oh, Black History.

Well, that’ll be on the last day all I’ll say now is folks of color are still catching Hell-On-Earth and as we all know the true naked, brutal, face of America as its victim, witness, survivors, and saviors Black, Brown, Red, Asian’s, and Pacific Islanders.

We, collectively have the goods on the Ms., Mr. or Mrs. America, ‘Unc Sam or any of the other names.
America understands two things Violence & Money.

They’ve caused so many tears, deaths, its time for them to pay in interest for bloody crimes they’ve literally got away with murder wiping out bloodlines at their whim.

That’s all I’ll say for now. Bye.

OH, forgot. Don't send angry letters, emails, or faxes to the Stern show, they live for that and use it on-air.

Instead send possitive thoughts, good will toward Ms. B.Spears, She's got to know she's not alone in trusting some jerk in her life.

Give her props for having a heart worth giving there are people she can trust.(that-&^%$#@*^)
show ticked me off doing that to her or anyone else.

Its wrong to do that to anyone.
famous or not.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94109 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 PO Box

#645

Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Staff Writer

Clean slate

Why is the black man made to feel rejected

Then be thrown into the system

Where he will be misrepresentated

Then eventually he is incarcerated

I'm not making excuses because we're a minority

But why do we make up the majority in prison

Because some of us made the wrong decision

But when we're released and try to do what's right

Our past has become our plight

But we've got God now

And He has shown us the light

Although the world may still treat us mean

Our Lord and Savior has wiped our slate clean

............Marvin Crutchfield