Writer:

Alex Kotlowitz was raised in New York City, the son of former New York public television executive and former Harpers Magazine editor Robert Kotlowitz.Kotlowitz received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and is an alumnus of the Ragdale Foundation. He currently lives with his family just outside Chicago in the suburb of Oak Park.

Kotlowitz is a writer-in-residence at Northwestern University and has been a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame and at Dartmouth College.He also has been a writer-in-residence at the University of Chicago. He is the recipient of eight honorary degrees.(R.1)

Story:

Kotlowitz spent three years with Lafeyette and Pharoah and their family and friends. Through numerous interviews, discussion, and reflections he compiled, There Are No Children Here brings the different views, worries, and opinions from the members of the Rivers family. There Are No Children Here is a combination of reporting, urban nonfiction, and biographical writing.(R.2)

Highlights vs self- reflection:

1.p.22:The buildings were constructed on the cheap. There were no lobbies to speak of, only the open breezeways. There was no communication system from the breezeways to the tenants. During the city’s harsh winters, elevator cables froze; in one year alone the housing authority in Chicago needed to make over fifteen-hundred elevator repairs. And that was in just one development.

2.p.23:LaJoe and here siblings were bubbling over with joy at the sight of their new home. It was, after all, considerably prettier and sturdier and warmer than the flat they’d left behind. Before their father could unload the rented trailer and hand his children the picnic table, which he planned to use in the kitchen, and the cots, which he hoped to replace soon with his wife could only smile at the children’s excitement.

3.p.25:…eleven killed and thirty-seven wounded in the first two months-that the city’s mayor, Jane Byrne, chose to move in. Along with a contingent of police and bodyguards, she stayed for three weeks to help restore order.

4.p.79:The Chicago Housing Authority estimated that in its nineteen development, it has 200000 tenants 60000 of whom aren’t listed on the leases. Another 60000families are on the housing authority’s waiting list, becauses there is such a shortage of low-rent housing in the city.

5.P.188: Pharoah, perhaps in anticipation of the spelling bee, began having pleasant dreams

6.p.138:Organized evildoers can’t expect mercy from this court.

7.p.203:You know God, it’s up to him when you going to come and it’s up to him when you leave.

8.p.221:…They spent so much energy just thinking about the present, how could they be expected to look into the future.
9.p.222:Lafeyette had grown increasingly cynical. And in a child who has not experienced enough ot root his beliefs, such an attitude can create a vast emptiness. He had little te belive in . Everyone and everything was failing him. School. The Public Aid Department. His father. His older brother. The police. And now, in a sense, himself.

10.p.235:LaJoe had once described her three oldest children as red roses whose petals had wilted and fallen off. She wished she could give new life to those flowers. But she was tired of trying. And now she worried that her younger buds might never bloom.

11.p.236:LaJoe couldn’t stop thinking of Terence. She tried to rationalize his imprisonment. It would be good for him to get off the streets. To get away from the drugs and the shootings. If he were out here, he might just get in more serious trouble. He might get hurt, maybe even killed.

12.p.237:She no longer wanted to burden Lafeyette with her worries. Her insides, she said.”don’t be nothing but threads.”

13.p.298:LaJoe walked toward the back to break up the fight, she smiled. At least, she thought, I still have both of them . At least they’re still mine. She never thought it could be such a comfort to hear her sons arguing.

Golden Sentence:

Conclusion:

1.      “Evicted” is a 1-year(2008-2009) observed story of Milwaukee of US housing for the poor in general. “There are no children here “is a 3-year(1985-1988) observed story of Chicago of US housing for the black in general. We can see the “progress” which shows less horrible and more concern for the marginal people.

2.      P.3-7.While the other kids play Lego train in awe of the world at home, Pharoah(12)Lafeyette(10) cut off the bushes and small tree under the viaduct to see the “awe” of the world. While other kids play in the playground, the railroad tracks are their playground. While the other kids play fake cosplay in the department store, Pharoah(12)Lafeyette(10) play the real fatal cosplay on the road. It’s a world beyond their ability to conquer. While other kids eat in the Macdonald. They are looking for snakes for dinner. In such a humble situation, they can enjoy savor this sanctuary. Their soul used to be so pure and simple. What kill all the kids here? They scarify their lives for others to breath. Are we the killers?

3.      P.8-18: Home is not home for them, it’s a synonym of jets, graveyard to bury their
hope and dream. There’s no public libraries, movie theaters, skating rinks, bowling alleys and telephone . Few days after Lafeyette celebrated his 12 year-old b-day. He met the gun-fire on the road. The police ended with no record of shoot-out that it was hard for Lafeyette and Pharoah to believe. Her mother LaJoe is a warm, kind generous wife and tries so hard to protect her children, seem in vain. Her ant power can’t get rid of the threaten of the elephant setting.

4.      The kind judge commit them as a record not a case due to burglary and the writer also keep giving them the financial support, to give them a hope to keep going. Family education is important, but a friendly setting is helpful,too.

5.      Their dreams are shattered in teenagers. Horner serves a cheap setting of 20 thousand lower class sqeezing with drugs, guns and no entertainment. Live like in prison and end up in the real prison.

There Are No Children Here by Peggy

There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz

Author’s biography:

Alex Kotlowitz was born and raised in New York City. His father was an author and his mother a social worker.

Prior to working for the Chicago bureau of the Wall Street Journal beginning in 1984, he worked on an Oregon cattle ranch for a year. For the next five years he freelanced, writing articles and contributed to The MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour on PBS television, the New York Times, and National Public Radio. His focus remained tied to urban affairs, poverty, race relations and other social issues. The Wall Street Journal noticed his work and hired him in 1984. 

Alex is perhaps best known for writing There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America, published in 1991. This book was a surprise bestseller and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Helen B. Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Carl Sandburg Award and a Christopher Award. The New York Public Library also selected There Are No Children Here as one of the 150 most important books of the 20th century. 

The story was originally adapted from an article he wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 1987. It was about the effect growing up amidst violence was having on the lives of Lafeyette and Pharoah.  In the fall of 1993, There Are No Children Here was adapted for television as an ABC Movie-of-the-Week special starring Oprah Winfrey. 

Alex left the Wall Street Journal in 1993 and concentrated on books and selected writing. Between books, Kotlowitz has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and public radio’s This American Life. His articles have also appeared in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic and The New Republic. 

He is a writer-in-residence at Northwestern University where he teaches two courses every winter, and a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame as the Welch Chair in American Studies where he teaches one course every fall. He currently lives with his family just outside of Chicago. 

Summary:

There Are No Children Here is a case study of the effects of poverty and violence on one American family.

LaJoe Rivers is a single mother whose primary concern is to raise her children: to see them clothed and fed, to help them find opportunities to succeed as adults, and most importantly to avoid being drawn into the neighborhood’s cycle of violence. Most of the story focuses on three of her sons: Pharoah, Lafayette and Terence.

We first learn about the neighborhood’s history through LaJoe’s eyes: how her parents had come to Chicago “from the shacks and shanties of the South”, later moving from a poorly-heated tenement into public housing in the 1950s, when the projects were still seen as “the grand castles being built for the nation’s urban poor”. Kotlowitz gives us a brief account of the political fight over public housing that ultimately led to the projects being built but not maintained.

LaJoe’s husband was a former boxer: a politically-active intellectual, music fan, and flashy dresser named Paul. They met as teenagers and had two children by the time LaJoe was fifteen. They eventually had eight children together, but by the late 1980s when this story takes place, Paul is a drug addict who spends what money he earns on his habit. He offers little support to the family, though he often lives with them as LaJoe never feels comfortable turning him away.

Their two oldest children rapidly fell into the neighborhood’s culture of drugs, crime and prostitution. LaJoe was particularly close to her third child, Terence, perhaps spoiling him a little. He became her greatest disappointment when he started selling drugs for a neighborhood gang.

LaJoe’s fourth child was Lafayette. When the story opens, we see him as a ten year old determined to avoid violence and the mistakes of his older siblings. He repeatedly talks about how important that is to him, but by the end of the book that resolve has been pushed to its limits.

Lafayette was thirteen when one of his friends—a popular local musician named Craig Davis—was shot and killed running from the police. After this incident, Lafayette started to become paranoid and withdrawn. He began to have a hard time remembering stressful experiences and became obsessed with order and safety. He started sleeping long hours, going to bed right after school, exerting himself as little as possible, and distrusting everyone. LaJoe said she didn’t know what to do with him, and his younger brother Pharoah worried about him as well.

Pharoah was a very different person than his older brother. He was introverted, happy-go-lucky, and a very serious student. Like his parents, he was interested in politics. He was affectionate and told clever jokes. But he was small and physically weak, so Lafayette feared for his safety even while sometimes venting his anger on him. Pharoah had a stutter, which grew worse when his life became stressful. As a young child he had spoken very articulately and properly, but later he would have trouble getting words out at all.

Pharoah’s greatest interest was the annual spelling bee at his elementary school. He cared a great deal about school and generally did well. Spelling was his best subject, and he poured a great deal of effort into preparing for the big competition. Two students from every class were selected, and he studied regularly with the other representative from his class, a girl named Clarise. Ultimately Clarise came in first in the competition and Pharoah came in second, and both were happy. Sadly, the day of the spelling bee was also the day that Craig Davis was shot, so Pharoah did not receive much celebration when he came home.

The author asked LaJoe for permission to follow their lives for two years as a way of exposing life in “the other America.” He follows and catalogs their disappointments, joys, and tragedies over those two years, and in the process, shows the readers what so many people in our country would rather ignore. 

Questions:

1.        Which character did you like and/or respect?  Why?

LaJoe is so opmistic to face the bright sight from the bad situation

2.  In the epigraph at the beginning, the author includes 2 poems:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore— And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

—LANGSTON HUGHES 

Ah! What would the world be to us   

If the children were no more?

We should dread the desert behind us    

Worse than the dark before.

—HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW  

How do these poems relate to the book?  Have you ever had a dream deferred?

It’s easy to bear a child, but it’s so difficult to bear them hope in the worse setting.

3.  Alex Kotlowitz was first introduced to this family because a friend had asked him to write the text for a photo essay on children in poverty.  Later he went on to write essays and then this book. 

a.  We all have choices when we see things in society that are unpleasant.  Many people turn away and try to ignore or forget what they have seen.  Why do you think Alex chose to get so involved with this family?

He is angel from God to give them a helping hand.

b.  With the proceeds from the book, Alex set up a trust fund for the boys and some of their friends.  He also used money from the book to send them to a private school and he paid for Terence to get out on bail when he was arrested.  In the epilogue, he states that: “I know there are people who will say that I became too involved with the family, that I broke my pact as a journalist to remain detached and objective. But, in the end, I had to remind myself that I was dealing with children. For them—and for me—our friendship was foremost. Anything I could do to assist them I did—and will continue to do. “ 

Do you think that Alex acted wisely in getting so involved in this family?  Why or why not?  What possible risks did he take in getting so involved?

Maybe it’s not so perfect to get involved so deeply, even turns out that they still go back to jail again. But at least, he pull them back more better than before.

4.  Below are several quotes from the book. 

1.      “If I grow up, I’d like to be a bus driver.” (Lafayette)

2.      “But you know, there are no children here. They’ve seen too much to be children.” (LaJoe)

3.      “Nothing here, the children would tell you, was as it should be.”

4.      “So that summer LaJoe wanted to be prepared for the worst. She started paying $80 a month for burial insurance for Lafeyette, Pharaoh, and the four-year-old triplets.”

5.      “Denial is simply a means of survival here.”

6.      “ ‘Mama, one time I had said to myself I wasn’t gonna talk no more. I got tired of peoples talking to me and I wasn’t answering them. What I try to say ain’t worth saying to nobody anyways. Nothing happens.’  (Lafayette)

7.      “ ‘Anytime I go outside, I ain’t guaranteed to come back.’”  (Lafayette)

8.      “ ‘I feel good not understanding.’  (Pharoah)

9.      “My brothers ain’t set no good example for me, but I’ll set a good example for them.” (Lafayette)

Which of these quotes touches you?  Why? 

What might these quotes tell us about the impact of poverty and violence on children?

No.9. even in the horrible setting. Never use is as an excuse, find out the purpose of our own life.

5.  Where in Taiwan might there be children who are faced with a similar kind of hopelessness (but perhaps for different reasons)?

Right now in Taiwan, the education is not so fair for the poverty. But we do have some volunteers to keep more effort to it. It’s so meaningful.

6.  What glimmers of hope and happiness for this family did you notice in the book?

LaJoe and the writer is the candle of the light.

7.  The neighborhood around Horner Homes is described as a “beast devouring its children.”  Do you think this is an accurate description?  Why or why not?

The bad setting really brings bad influence to the kids.

8. Lafeyette tells his mother at one point that he is “just tired.” Explain what he means and how he came to feel this way.

It’s really hard to fight against the setting.

9. How is LaJoe a typical mother raising children in the projects? How is she not typical?

p.298:LaJoe walked toward the back to break up the fight, she smiled. At least, she thought, I still have both of them . At least they’re still mine. She never thought it could be such a comfort to hear her sons arguing.

She is weak, but never gives up hopes. She is the angel to protect her kids.

10.  LaJoe’s children respond differently to their experience of growing up in this environment. If you have siblings, how did they respond differently then you to the situations you faced growing up?

Pharoah is the most talented to enjoy reading. It brings him different destiny. It’s a gift from God and he also put great effort on it. From the story, it makes me feel the gift and the destiny hard to change. But we need to face it and do our best, then we still can see the miracle.

11.  What was your neighborhood like growing up? What kinds of advantages or resources did you have, and how did it compare to the Rivers’ situation?

The story gives me a chance to appreciate that we have more choices to change our life.

12.  If you were in the situation that this family is in, what might you have done the same?  Different?

I doubt I have such a courage than LaJoe.

13.  This book became a best seller in the US and then a movie.  Why do you think it might be important for a culture to look honestly at these difficult issues rather than hide them?  Why might it be important for these stories to be told?

We can’t just take care of ourselves and forget our social responsibilities. Or we will be the accomplice.

14.  The book was written in 1991, and now the boys are adults.  I was curious as to what happened to the boys, and found the following article (their real last name is “Walton”):

The brothers, now 36 and 33, have dealt with their share of adversity. They have both served time in prison and continue to struggle with poverty.

Pharoah Walton, depicted as the inquisitive younger brother, was paroled last year on a drug-related conviction, Department of Corrections records show. Over the years, though, hes joined Kotlowitz for speaking engagements and in 1993 was in the authors wedding.

Lafeyette Walton lives on the South Side and works inside a laundry. He was paroled this year after being convicted on separate drug, drunken-driving and handgun charges.

Depicted as the reserved older brother, Lafayette Walton said that he was conflicted about the success of the book during the 1990s.

While he got to travel the country and earned a bit of a celebrity status, the family was still poor. His mother had a nervous breakdown, forcing him to take on the role of caretaker for his younger siblings.

But Lafeyette Walton credits the experiences with Kotlowitz with giving him a broader view of the world, better able to cope with the stresses of the streets.

"The type of life, where I came from, its almost like being in Vietnam," he said while sitting in a busy South Shore neighborhood diner Saturday. "You need to surround yourself with people who are more positive so you dont drive yourself crazy. The stuff Ive seen could drive the average person crazy."

Lafeyette Walton said that his experiences with Kotlowitz helped him enjoy being a kid, even if for a short time.

"He gave me a different feeling in life," he said. "I was always the child who had seen too much."

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/books/1128231-does-anyone-know-what-happened-pharoah.html#ixzz5GPWjh9Ee

Based on this outcome for the boys, how would you evaluate the impact of the author’s involvement in their lives?

We need more people to take this situation into consideration. He is a great reminder.

 ※Summary of “There Are No Children Here” by Peggy Owen:

Thank you to everyone for such a lively and interesting discussion about the book, There are No Children Here.  We missed everyone who could not attend today. We especially appreciated our guest, Taylor Baird, who lives in Chicago and provided helpful information about the city and insights into the problems faced by many families.  Thanks to Clive for sending his thoughts and insights, even though he couldn’t be there.

There Are No Children Here is a case study of the effects of poverty and violence on one American family.

LaJoe Rivers is a single mother whose primary concern is to raise her children: to see them clothed and fed, to help them find opportunities to succeed as adults, and most importantly to avoid being drawn into the neighborhood’s cycle of violence.

LaJoe’s fourth child was Lafayette. When the story opens, we see him as a ten year old determined to avoid violence and the mistakes of his older siblings. Lafayette was thirteen when one of his friends was shot and killed running from the police. After this incident, Lafayette started to become paranoid and withdrawn. He began to have a hard time remembering stressful experiences and became obsessed with order and safety. He started sleeping long hours, going to bed right after school, exerting himself as little as possible, and distrusting everyone.

Pharoah was a very different person than his older brother. He was introverted, happy-go-lucky, and a very serious student. Like his parents, he was interested in politics. He was affectionate and told clever jokes. But he was small and physically weak, so Lafayette feared for his safety even while sometimes venting his anger on him. Pharoah had a stutter, which grew worse when his life became stressful. As a young child he had spoken very articulately and properly, but later he would have trouble getting words out at all.

The author asked LaJoe for permission to follow their lives for two years as a way of exposing life in “the other America.” He follows and catalogs their disappointments, joys, and tragedies over those two years, and in the process, shows the readers what so many people in our country would rather ignore. 

Everyone had interesting insights and observations to make about the book and the social issues that it addressed.  Many expressed great respect and admiration for LaJoe’s commitment to her family in this difficult situation.  It is beyond our experience to imagine a life in which a mother would need to spend limited resources on burial insurance instead of saving for a college education.  And yet in spite of this, she was able to do special things for them, like have a birthday party.  The strength of family loyalty and love for each other touched our hearts.  Pharoah’s positive spirit was another bright spot in this family’s challenging situation.

Despite the fact that both boys have ended up in prison at some point, the conclusion of the group was that Alex’s contributions to this family, both in terms of money and relationship, were very valuable.  It is possible that without his help, the boys would not have even lived into adulthood.  The impact on their thinking and understanding of the world cannot be measured.  The issues surrounding this family, of poverty and violence, are complex and systemic, and cannot be resolved quickly.  It is important to try to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

The author’s choice of a title, prompted by LaJoe’s observation that “there are no children here”, led to a discussion about children losing their innocence in life when confronted by so much violence.  We then considered groups of children in Taiwan who are at risk for a similar sense of hopelessness.

By giving us a glimpse into the lives of real people, Alex Kotlowitz helps people understand that the issues of poverty and violence cause great suffering in the lives of children and must not be ignored.  We all learned a lot about this important issue by coming to know the Rivers’ family.

Related Reading:

1.There are no children here review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Are_No_Children_Here

2.There are no children here movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFgVHzHaURQ

3.There are no children here review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41918.There_are_No_Children_Here

4.Henry Horner homes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Horner_Homes

5.L.L. Cool j. rap: https://genius.com/Ll-cool-j-im-bad-lyrics