My Name Is Child of God ... Not Those People

by Julia K. Dinsmore

Book Overview

This personal and provocative look at poverty in America is shaped around the author's own engaging stories, song lyrics, and poems, including the well-known Call Me Child of God ... Not Those People. The story of her growing up in a large Irish Catholic working-class family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, draws together the experiences of living in poverty, the role of the church and music in her life, and the many remarkable people who populated her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806656247
• ISBN13: 9780806656243
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishing
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Very Important to understand

This book of poetry, wit, and the lore of one persons experiences with poverty in America should be required reading for those who are looking to better understand what it is that is wrong with our country. If you stay awake late at night, feeling a tug at your heart that something isn't quite kosher with the popular ways of being and doing in America today, and feel called to be part of the change, this book will be one stone of many to pave the never-ending path to understanding. I especially recommend this author to those who have not been crippled by poverty and are looking to shed their course exoskeletons of affluence and emerge as their vulnerable, but honest and loved selves. If you don't understand poverty, this book is for you. If you have ever lumped any group of people together for convenience using the phrase "those people" this book is for you.

Poverty meets Social Justice

This book is a MUST READ! It should be required reading for every highschool and/or college age individual. Julia has written an honest, open, often gut wrenching, and more often humorous and spiritial view of how so many of us, due to misinformation and ugly stereotypes, have stomped down those not fortunate enough to live at or even below the poverty line. This is Julia's life story. And, as painful as it was to read at times, Julia, not one for self-pity, tells the story with the words of a poet, a loving mother, social prophetess, and with the spiritual maturity of one few can rival. Wether you are one who lives in poverty or one who has been blessed with more that enough, read this book and learn from one of the most fascinating voices I've had the pleasure to read in a long, long time.

Julia is a social prophet.

In her ground breaking first book, Julia holds nothing back. She tells her story about living a life time challenged by poverty. Poverty gets defeminized, gets politically corrected and becomes a multicultural and universal story and phenomena through humor, social commentary and poetry. Julia, as social prophet, unravels a tongue that's sharp, accurate and liberating. My Name is Child of God-Not Those People is a must read for THOSE who go by the book - discounting the richness and valus of human contact and interdependence beyond parallel play and ThOSE who know all about THEM (and IT) by reading or taking a touristy approaoh to social issues. This is a must read for those who lack language to express their outrage at the new and improved technologically savvy spin doctored social injustices. Read ths book if you've been there, done that, got a foot on here and there as you try to balance basic human needs on a daily basis and keep your dignity and sanity. As an African American woman, I've been a life time card carrying member of the "THOSE PEOPLE" club. "Those people" is a two word marginalizing, zap a group of people into some science fiction reality phrase. When spoken or even thought, a conscious act of segregation and terrorism is initiated and unleashed within every social institution - education, health, housing, transportation services, to name a few. We all live in a collected fear that POVERTY can happen to any of US PEOPLE at any time. It is not about THOSE PEOPLE. It's about WE THE PEOPLE and about our fractured social constructs that permit men, women and chidren toe hungry and homeless in America. Thank you Julia for your courage and insight. Say it LOUD - POVERTY ENDS NOW!

Julia, a rose in the midst of thorns for such a time as this

Bravo, Julia Dinsmore! There were times when I would laugh aloud and times when I was brought to tears in the telling of her life's story. An amazingly gifted woman in the literary and spoken arts with not only an amazing way of dealing with the adversities and stings of life but astounding the experiences she's had and how she approached them. I love to read, I appreciate good material, and cannot say enough about how impacted I am by this author and her profound story/stories. This woman is one that leaves impression, exhorts to action, encourages that we can "do it," and at the same time look to enjoy the journey of the drama life can bring. Watch for her name as I have no doubt that she is impacting a whole society in a way no person has done before. There's just something about her, a depth in a much deeper dimension. She's contageous in a profound way. I love Julia. The publisher hit a goldmine in this woman.