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The Derelict Voice was discovered buried in the poetry and prose read aloud during a Wednesday morning writer’s group at the local homeless resource center. The participants had stories to tell. Sometimes the setting of the story was the inside of a van, a camp alongside the road, or the wrong side of prison walls; tales of strangers, lovers, and family members. The work resonated with humor and laughter, sadness and tears and pain—human emotions shared by people in all walks of life.

At the beginning there were only four women with a joint love of reading and writing and a desire to help others strengthen their writing abilities. We began the group with no particular blueprint, but it has emerged as a buoy for the talented people who have floated through the door. Many come once, never to be seen again; others are now the heart and soul of the group. They have taken up the challenge of creating a place in The Derelict Voice for those whose voices have been neglected, their stories untold.

We come from diverse neighborhoods within the larger community of Chico, California; each person bringing a unique voice. However, we share a passion for writing that transcends our differences.