Everyone has a story

Redlands A.K. Smiley Library’s Adult Literacy Program presents Anthology vol. 7

There is no doubt that each and every one of us holds stories worth telling, of life’s sorrows and triumphs, struggles and tributes. One of the places where that was especially true was when the Redlands Adult Literacy Program presented their volume 7: “Our Stories -A Collection of Writings” from 2024.

Diane Shimota, the adult literacy coordinator had invited me to the event in the Contemporary Club, Sunday afternoon, September 28. Close to 150 people showed up to hear the many diverse stories presented on the stage. The anthology had 45 authors contribute, 25 of them were brave and read their stories aloud.

Getting to know your community in an intimate way, this is it. That is what I looked forward to at the event and I was not disappointed.

The adult literacy program serves 101 adults that need support in learning to read, write and talk better English with the help of volunteer tutors. Some of the learners are immigrants, some never got an education because their parents didn’t see a need for it and some want to strengthen their language skills to advance their careers. The adult literacy program is their first step.

The program has a long history at A.K. Smiley library, though with gaps of funding and periods of inactivity. In 2010, Katherine Gifford and Trudy Waldron of the Friends of the Library revitalized the program. In 2015 the City of Redlands added their support, and the following year the program received a grant from the State of California. The program stands strong today thanks to coordinator Diane Shimota and two part time employees; Renee Kennedy (who designed the cover) and Ann Sandin.

Most new learners work with their tutor (all volunteers) for 2.5 years, some stay even longer.

The cover of the book is a photo of one of the stained glass windows at A.K. Smiley Library. The original design was made by Redlands artist Tom Medlicott. “This window is a composite of five thousand tiny glass pieces collected from the USA and other countries around the world,” described Claudia Guillaume, one of the tutors and anthology editorial committee members, in the foreword. “An anthology, like a stained glass window, is a composite too. […] Each one of the stories adds a unique perspective that enriches the beauty of this collective work.”

I read the anthology before the event. There are stories about husbands and sisters, home countries, a trip to Seattle, memories of donkeys and jumping out of the window the first day of school, there is a scrumptious Thanksgiving turkey recipe mentioned in one story, the meaning of rodeos, and how one of the authors growing up in Cambodia enrolled herself into school at 7 years old. There are poems and fiction.

The anthology pulled at my heart strings. Not only because of the sometimes very personal stories of overcoming struggles, the feelings of inadequacy living in a country with language barriers. But also because I too remember as an immigrant coming from a foreign country (Denmark) to the US and taking time finding my footing in unfamiliar territories.

Reading their stories reminded me of how much we humans are alike and how fascinating it is to learn about different cultural backgrounds. After having lived in the US for 18 years, I remembered the time it took me creating a home away from home.

Raul Becerra was the first author to read his piece. “With the ability to read I am more confident at work and doing my job,” he read, “I read books to my young granddaughters.” Afterwards, Becerra explained to me that he was born and grew up in Riverside, he was enrolled in the special ed-classes and graduated high school without the ability to read. Now, he is turning that around. Two years ago he moved to Redlands.

“Whatever effort you put into it, is what you get back,” he said. During the 1.5 years he has been in the adult literacy program, Becerra has read over 20 books, he contributed to the 6th anthology too and hope to go to college sometime in the future. “I am getting one step closer every year,” he said and laughed, “And one day I will be back to be a tutor.”

The 7th anthology is divided into seven chapters: Opening Windows, Triumphs, Surviving the Storm, Inspiration, Sanctuary, Reflections and Imagination. An additional chapter “Chalk Dreams” features stories from a family event where the children of the participants contribute their stories.

One of the authors, Katerina B., wrote about the importance of being able to communicate in English: “What I treasure the most is that participating in this program allows me to express my thoughts more precisely and completely and helps me feel less plain, primitive, or simplified.” She described how her personality changed in the US because she couldn’t speak the language well.

I remember that kind of frustration. I used to use humor in my daily interactions in Denmark, but 18 years ago moving to Redlands I felt stifled and too direct talking to people. I couldn’t use the nuances of the English language to make others laugh. Luckily, I feel better today. Heck, I also use the written word to find my voice, just like all of these beautiful fellow community members in the anthology.

Sharhonda McLaurin (above) got on stage and read her poem “I Told the Storm”: “I’ve learned that the storm is unpredictable - It comes and goes as it very well pleases.” Her voice was strong and boomed across the room, the sentences gave me chills. “If it were not for hope, I would have given up a long time ago,” she continued. “My storm would have swallowed me whole and spit out my bones and left me for dead.”

Listening to the authors reading their own words gave a three dimensional glimpse into the personalities of each written story, some details stood out like little gems in their writings that I had completely overlooked while reading the book.

“What makes Smiley Library special and always makes you feel at home, it’s the people who work and volunteer there! They are magic! They are kind!” read Alexandra Suarez. “I can say with certainty that Smiley Library has made an invaluable investment in the hearts of everyone in the community.”

The idea of the first anthology came together with the encouragement of Diane Shimota. Katherine Gifford gladly took the baton and within the program they had training for the tutors to becoming sufficient in incorporating writing into their reading and comprehension lessons. Reading aloud at this Celebration of Authors-event ties in with the participants’ work on pronunciation.

As if we needed more arguments of how important the work our local public libraries does, here is another one to add to the list.

“And isn’t it important for everyone to be able to share their story?” said Gifford. “You can imagine when there is a language barrier or a confidence barrier because of problems with literacy how much more liberating and freeing it is to tell your story.”

Libraries are our local community hubs, the best kinds.

I recommend you go support our local library by getting your hands on the latest anthology from Redlands Adult Literacy program. That way you can read the complete stories, only presented in small delicious mouthfuls here. Like this first half of a poem below:

We, too, sing America.

We are the unseen,

The underclass,

The immigrant harboring hope,

And yearning for a better life,

We work in the shadows,

Behind the scenes

We break our backs

And pay our tax.

We learn the language

And wonder why

We must learn English

In cities with Spanish names.

(By Anonymous)

Go to www.akspl.org/literacy/ for more information.

Thank you for reading. If you liked this piece, please like below and subscribe to my Substack: www.siwheede.substack.com

One last favor: If you are curious about writing and finding your own voice, my friend Katie Allen is the host of A Mindful Writing Village who provides lots of ways to start writing. Go to: www.katieallen.net or “mindful.writing.village” on Instagram.