Local Author’s Memoir is a Triumph of the Human SpiritRandy Shawbyline‚ Mar. 08‚ 2007Lisa Gray-Garcia is best known as “Tiny,” but her memoir is a giant tribute to the power of hope and one’s inner strength to overcome social and personal obstacles. The creator of POOR Magazine, Tiny’s life story is so unique that it would make a great movie. But whereas The Pursuit of Happyness tried to show that “the system” works, Tiny’s story describes how it fails. Instead of a Will Smith character having responsibility for a cute young child, Tiny cared for a mother (Dee) whose childhood sexual abuse left her suffering from depression and other mental health problems. But the message in Criminal of Povery is surprisingly upbeat. Tiny’s social critiques are far more subtle than those familiar with her advocacy work might assume, and her work should have book groups and college classes debating its themes long into the night. |