Some people would call it unethical to feed the homeless more addictive and harmful substances in the exchange for an audience. This is not lost on me, but the truth is not a single cigarette was refused.
The reason I used cigarettes is the same reason Mac Leopold told Jim Nolan in Steinbeck’s In Dubious Battle he’d better pick up the habit: smokers trust smokers. There is an instant connection with someone that will smoke a cigarette with you. It opens up conversations that you wouldn’t be privy to.
The Interviews
I. Carlo
II. James
III. Ziggy
IV. Jeff
V. Matthew
Word Slurpee 