Author Page for Katy Quigley
His Eyes Said He Didn’t Believe Me: A Thanksgiving Blog
His sleepy eyes said he didn’t believe me. It was almost 1 a.m. and Lamar was lying on a piece of cardboard, with late night traffic speeding 20 feet above the light blanket that was covering his slight frame. The traffic noise, Lamar’s soft voice and my own hearing challenges necessitated Lamar patiently, but listlessly, [...]
Mr. Michaels’ Water
In south Louisiana, we don’t worry too much about not having enough water. Too much water? Well that is many totally different stories for another day. But not having enough water? That thought rarely even crosses most New Orleanians’ minds… The overpasses and the oaks were dripping after the 30-minute afternoon cloudburst. The spray from [...]
Blessings
In the spirit of the season, I count among my blessings the men, women and children whom the entire UNITY team and the Continuum of Care partners have assisted this year. Here are a few of my recent favorite blessings: “Wait, wait! Stop please!” she cried. We were out in the UNITY van and on [...]
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Phrases.org identifies the origin of the phrase “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” as “Always toward absent lovers love’s tide stronger flows” from Sextus Aurelius Propertius – a Roman poet from 15BC. (The same site also conveys the bawdy wordplay that Shamus may appreciate – “Absinthe makes the fart grow stronger”.) I’ve been thinking of [...]
She Was Raped
Sheila was raped yesterday. While Sheila was lying in her scavenged bed in an abandoned apartment a man came in through the door that no longer has a lock and he raped her. Sheila is already approved for housing. She has already completed the maze of information gathering, verification and documentation. She was days away [...]
Steinbeck, Sydney and T
John Steinbeck would have loved the people we meet on a daily basis. I can imagine him sipping coffee in the morning with Ms. Donna – coffee warmed on the grated fire pit in front of her deteriorating, ramshackle home. He would have helped her empty out the strategically placed pots placed throughout her house [...]
