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These stories explore some of the quirky, eclectic and eccentric individuals who, more often than not, find common ground through the proven route of neighborliness. For instance, one story tells of a next-door-neighbor, a woman of modest or low IQ who nonetheless possessed great wisdom about getting along with people. Another tells of Hubcap Jack, a local man who emigrated from Cape Verde, grew fond of drink and became a neighborhood icon. This presentation would include a reading of one or two of these stories, as well as a discussion of this area of Providence from the vantage point of the author as both a creative writer and a journalist. If requested, the presentation could also include a short film that was created for a Providence Preservation Society tour of the West End in the early 1990s. The film features oral histories with residents and former residents.

Karen Lee Ziner is a General Assignment reporter, city staff, at the Providence Journal with expertise in refugee and immigrant issues. Her range is versatile, from disasters to in-depth features, environmental, investigative to offbeat. She has contributed work to Life magazine, The New York Times, and The Village Voice, amongst others. She has lived in Providence's West Side for 20 years and has been writing creative stories about her neighbors and the neighborhood during that time.

Needs: Lighted lectern/water