My Name Is Child of God... Not "Those People": A First Person Look at Poverty

by Julia K. Dinsmore

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 life and the lives of her family. The author describes economic hardship and social challenges as being as "regular as the turning seasons in my coming up years," and refers to her life in poverty as the "soil of my art." Through her stories and reflections, Julia Dinsmore puts a face on poverty and challenges readers to answer God's call to respond to poverty and its effects.

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir, Faith

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author claims the purpose of this book is to educate Americans about what living in poverty is really like. To some extent, she does this, but mostly her book rambles around in time, topic, and format. As a reader, I appreciated a handful of enlightening sections. As an editor, I have to wonder how this book was ever published.

[ashley mcqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

really more like 3.5 stars. super informative, important, and eye-opening, but i struggled with the style of writing.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. The poetry is good and thought provoking. But large sections of the book are just difficult to read and follow. It was hard to tell if the stories were supposed to be poetry, or just poorly written. I felt like there was a potentially great book in here, but I didn’t get to read it.

Her experience and description of poverty made it worth reading, but this isn’t necessarily something I’d recommend.

[Shana Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an important perspective. Eye opening and helpful in understanding what so many people are facing. Maddening that so many systems are making it even harder for people already loving in an unimaginably hard situation. Grateful for the insight. Sickened by the situations that so many are living in.

[Anna]

Powerful text. Thought-provoking as a whole and vivid poetry to revisit in the future.

[Paula J. Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as relevant today as when it was written in 2007. When will this country truly do the work necessary to end poverty?

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If that which conspires to silence poor people had hands, shame would be its thumbs.”

I should have been better prepared for this book since I have been working with an anti-poverty group for a number of years. I expected to understand what was going on, but I found Dinsmore's writing confusing. I think that was mostly my fault. I was in too much of a hurry to finish the book so I could pass it on.

I am grateful for the discussion my book group had since that helped me make more sense of this. I am also grateful to Dinsmore for being willing to bare her soul. It had to be hard.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book combined poetry with a hard nosed, first-hand look at Poverty in the United States. Those who have met the author revel in this book. I struggled with Ms. Dinsmore's style of prose but learned a great deal from her message and the description of her life.

[Big · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia's book is a raw look inside the day-to-day struggle of poverty. What is here comes from the heart and sometimes the pain is raw. A necessary read for anyone considering a career serving others.

[Kim Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book not for the writing, but for the wisdom, experience and the issue of poverty....knowing Ms. Dinsmore personally, she wrote this book to show (explain) how poverty is cyclic and it's hard to break of the cycle...for anyone wanting to under poverty in America.

[Paige Billman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rare look at poverty, not from academics or people who study it, but from a writer who has experienced it most of her life and continues to struggle. Invaluable perspective. Eye opening. Insightful. Important.

[Jennifer]

Not always my preferred writing style, but very powerful story-telling, and such an important perspective.

[Marcia L Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with meeting the author, the book opened my eyes to poverty and a deeper understanding of the human condition, feelings and need to be accepted and understood.