Fire in the Dark

making a difference in the world

If you have ever asked yourself what positive impact the efforts of just one person could possibly have on the world's innumerable and seemingly overwhelming problems, then this book is for you. Kate St. Martin worked alone as a nurse making her daily rounds for more than twenty years deep inside Portland Oregon’s then-Skid-Road district, and this book recounts the lives and times of 115 of its male residents as seen through Kate’s eyes. Interspersed among the stories are 25 interview sessions between Kate and the author, 44 historical segments, 6 photo galleries, an extensive glossary, and much more, including more than 50 available sound track excerpts from the original recording sessions between the author and Kate. This work puts a face on those who live on Skid Road, exploring their personalities, their thoughts and attitudes, their living conditions, and the disease of alcoholism. Through Kate’s recollections, the reader is given rare and privileged access to the everyday lives of individuals who all too frequently have been shunned by society’s mainstream. Cutting through the objectification that is commonly applied to Skid Road and other marginalized populations, Kate’s efforts offer a model for change that is both inspirational and practical, energized by love of people, and based on the simplest of formulas: “I go from moment to moment, from request to request, following through.”