Within the fabric of our cities, amid the bustling streets and towering structures, exist narratives
often overlooked yet profoundly human—the stories of those without a place to call home.
This is a story that has been told countless times, yet never delving deep beneath the surface of
what one sees as a voyeur.
Through my internal and external lenses I have delved into the deepest recesses of this segment
of our society, peeling back the proverbial ‘layers of an onion’ to gain an understanding for all to
grasp.The layers I speak of are vastly wide-ranging - spanning a chasm from high-level corporate
executives to those with severe mental illness. Within each person are untold stories and
experiences as they navigate the life they have entered, as well as the life they have left behind.
My goal is to present an authentic and truthful narrative so that you, the viewer, can gain the
critical insights to be better informed regarding those who are so often marginalized by society’s
passing gaze. Lying just beneath the surface are examples of perseverance, one that depicts the
strength and dignity that each person struggles to maintain amidst this adversity.
Through their resilience and unwritten stories, I strive to unveil the shared humanity that binds us
all.
Early in the morning people gathered in a small park by the river, in Nashville, Tennessee for a memorial service to honor the homeless who have died in 2023. The number was 181
At the end of the service those in attendance were offered flowers to be cast into the cold water of the Tennessee River in remembrance.
Ronnie, a middle-aged black man who is living unhoused, stands by a faux Christmas Tree made of Lights hung on wires, against the backdrop of downtown Nashville’s skyline. Ronnie holds his handmade cardboard sigh wishing passersby a Merry Christmas.
Nashville, like many cities, have what have been termed “tent cities” - places where the displaced erect tents to create a community unto themselves.
There are also single dwellings, especially along the Cumberland River that flows through downtown Nashville.
Single dwellings encampments, especially along the Cumberland River that flows through downtown Nashville, are common - yet remain somewhat isolated.
I walked the streets of Nashville early on Christmas morning to document the conditions of those living on the streets. It was cold, and the rain was a constant downpour for hours.
Here there are two people laying directly on the concrete as the water encroaches.
As I moved closer I realized that the person on the left, near the wheelchair, was covered only by a thin polyester blanket that was barely large enough to cover their upper torso.
Many of the unhoused pull a suitcase with them everywhere they go. It is the entirety of their possessions. One day, as Mark was walking by, - literally dragging his suitcase, he paused to talk with me. He said that the plastic wheels had ground down to nothing by the constant rolling over the pavement.