Beyond Homelessness: Frames of Reference

Collected here are nine engrossing conversations with people who have thought deeply about homelessness: Peter Rossi, the late Jerzy Kosinski, Hazel Dukes, James Dumpson, Robert Jay Lifton, Robert Coles, Sister Mary Rose McGeady, Herbert Parades and Robert W. Reiber. Giamo ( On the Bowery ) and Grunberg, a Columbia University professor of clinical psychology, provoke heartfelt, incisive comments from each discussant. Those interviewed make clear that the cause of homelessness isn't only a lack of housing: racism, poverty, urban development, deinstitutionalization of the sick and selfishness are also important factors. Noteworthy is the history of New York City homelessness as portrayed by Dumpson, former head of NYC social services. Gripping, too, are psychiatrist Lifton's views on the dehumanization of the general populace confronted daily by the homeless. This slim book speaks volumes. Photos not seen by PW. (June)