Arts at the Armory Spotlight Series is excited to welcome Tracy Kidder and Dr. Jim O'Connell for a book discussion of Rough Sleepers on Wednesday, May 1st. The discussion will be moderated by Hannah O'Halloran, Director of Homeless Services for Somerville Homeless Coalition.
In his latest nonfiction work Rough Sleepers, Tracy tells the story of Dr. O'Connell and the founding and growth of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). The story depicts the journey of Dr. O'Connell from the halls of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he completed his internal medicine residency, to the streets of Boston where he continues to take care of the rough sleepers, individuals who opt to shelter outdoors no matter the circumstances.
What once seemed like a year of domestic service to a vulnerable population with complex health issues has turned into a life calling for Dr. O'Connell who has been with BHCHP since its founding in 1985. A result of five years of shadowing Dr. O'Connell, Rough Sleepers explores both the seen and hidden world of unhoused individuals and tells a remarkable story of a mission-oriented group that defies every obstacle to provide support, friendship, and essential health care to the homeless. A tour de force of a book, it will be sure to offer inspiration and hope to many who work to eliminate today's social issues and aspire for a better future together.
Tracy Kidder has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Award, among other literary prizes. His books include Mountains Beyond Mountains, Strength in What Remains, The Soul of a New Machine, House, Among Schoolchildren, Old Friends, Hometown, and A Truck Full of Money.
Dr. Jim O’Connell began full time clinical work with homeless individuals as the founding physician of the BHCHP in 1985, which now serves over 10,000 homeless individuals and families each year in Massachusetts. He has been featured on ABC’s Nightline, CBS Evening News, and has received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award in 2012. Dr. O’Connell is president of BHCHP and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Join us for an enlightening conversation this spring at Arts at the Armory's recently improved and upgraded Performance Hall. Doors will open at 7:00pm; event will begin at 8:00pm with an introduction to SomervilleCAN (Community Agency Network). This event is put on in partnership with Somerville Homeless Coalition and Harvard Bookstore. Copies of Rough Sleepers and other books by Tracy Kidder will be available for purchase.
Tickets purchased for Rough Sleepers are non-refundable. All ticket sales are final.
