Piece Comment

Review of Miracle On The Streets


Toward the end of the piece Miracle says "telling the truth will shame the devil" and that's what this piece does. Dmae Roberts pretty much shows you who's living on the streets, how they got there, how they are living on the streets,and how some are getting off of them. And In giving this demographic an identity it's no longer possible to write the homeless youth off as some statistic.

There's a moment when a homeless girl reveals that all she eats are Little Debbie Star Crunches because they cost only a quarter. Well when she says this you immediately get an idea of what her life is like. this little detail is a shortcut to a life that's lived moment to moment, a life that's lived in public spaces. And this piece is full of these kinds of details. Most of the people Roberts interviews are homeless because they are homosexual and have been estranged from their families. Most of these kids also use and sell Crystal Meth, which is understandable once you learn that it supresses at least two side effects of homelessness: being hungry and being cold.
Roberts does such a good job of narrating, she's right there, alongside these kids and it gives this piece a real sense of immediacy--and her subjects a sense of dignity.

This is worth broadcasting at anytime because it addresses so many relevant issues. But if you want some context you could air this on a youth-oriented show, on a show that focuses on homosexuality or a show about homelessness or additction.