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New book tells Islanders’ stories of pain, hope in troubling times Editors say the compilation gives a voice to those who have struggled By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer
It’s a modest book and a mere 33 pages long, but for the two women who edited it, “Voices from the Vergeâ€? carries a powerful message. The collection of poems, stories and images was created by a diverse set of Islanders — young people and people of color, artists and farmers, Islanders who have struggled to keep a roof over their heads and others who have faced disabilities. To Janie Starr and Juli Goetz Morser, it speaks to the fact that everyone deserves a place at the table, as they put it, that everyone on Vashon belongs. “All of us on Vashon care about community,â€? Morser said during a recent interview at CafĂŠ Luna. “The idea behind the book is to take our awareness and broaden it to include those who might be in the shadows.â€?
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Juli Goetz Morser (left) and Janie Starr, pose with “Voices from the Verge,� a compilation of stories and poems they edited. The book — and the project behind it, she added — “expands what community is.� The project’s inception began two years ago, when Starr and a handful of other Islanders initiated an all-Island read of “Breakfast at Sally’s,� a haunting memoir of a once wealthy man who became homeless.
Soon after, Starr asked Morser to join her in a series of interviews entitled “On the Verge,� profiles of people who have turned to agencies on Vashon to help them put food on the table or a roof over their head and others who had to confront issues of race, ethnicity or disability in their effort to find their place on Vashon.
The series ran over the course of several months in The Beachcomber. “We highlighted stories that might touch us and remind us that a sense of belonging can be as elusive as a consistent paycheck,� Starr wrote in the introduction to the book. The experience of writing these stories was powerful, both women said. Islanders opened up to them. They shared their vulnerabilities. And in various ways, many of these Islanders revealed a depth of fortitude and strength and a spirit of generosity and humor that Starr and Morser realized carried them through hard times as much as support from Vashon’s agencies. Inspired and moved, Starr and Morser realized there was more to their project. And thus, the book was born — a chapbook published this month that contains a dozen poems, shorter versions of some of the Beachcomber articles and a
moving profile of Glenn Cooper, a well-known Islander who moves through Vashon town in his electric wheelchair. The profile is written by Islander Bruce Anderson, whose family helped Cooper move from a residential support program in Tacoma where he was miserable to a life of considerable independence on Vashon. Starr and Morser are pleased by this final piece in their project — a book, Starr said, that contains “a mix of painful stories and really hopeful stories.� “I think the book is amazing for how tiny it is and yet how huge its diversity is,� she added. Contributors range in age from 10 to 97. At the same time, they said, the book has a theme that holds it together — and one that Starr and Morser find meaningful and moving. “Nobody’s a victim,� said Starr. “Everybody has gifts and strengths.�
A launch party for “Voices from the Verge� will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the Vashon Bookshop. The book was published with financial support from Sustainable Vashon, Welcome Vashon and individual contributors. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness.