Joyce Carol Thomas at
Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center
New York, NY
May 22-25, 2000

2000 marks the tenth anniversary of the Foundation's New York City based Settlement House-Author Residency program.

Readers of all ages at Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center in New York Citywere visited by National Book Award author Joyce Carol Thomas from May 22-25. Her Marked By Fire was a 1983 Winner of The National Book Award for Children's Books.

Fathers, mothers, and their children welcomed Joyce to the Stanley Issacs Neighborhood Center with a dinner held in her honor, which was followed by a reading, a discussion, and, art activity based on Joyce's book, Gingerbread Days.

Adult education students gained respect for the power of the written word after attending a two-day workshop conducted by Joyce. With her guidance, many felt confident to be themselves and were able to find their voice and write their first full-length story.

About fifty senior citizens invited Joyce to their annual picnic in Central Park. She engaged them with a reading and they reciprocated her with songs.

Homebound seniors were not left out of the four-day author residency and prepared for a conference call with Joyce by reading two of her books; I Have Heard of a Land and Gingerbread Days. The call consisted of Joyce discussing her writing life and seniors reading their prose, which were inspired after they read Joyce's books.

Joyce Carol Thomas came to Stanley Isaacs as a stranger, but left as a friend.