Postcards from Lonnie

How I Rediscovered My Brother on the

Street Corner He Called Home

by

Lisa Johnson

Biography / Photo Journal / Poverty

Publisher: Rand-Smith LLC

Date of Publication: January 14, 2020

Number of Pages: 200

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It all started on Christmas Day 1993. Lisa and Lonnie were sitting on their mom’s rickety yard swing, when Lisa’s curiosity took over. She asked Lonnie questions about his life on the street, about being homeless. To her surprise, he answered honestly, humorously, and thoughtfully.

That conversation continued throughout the next four years as Lisa wrote questions on postcards addressed to herself, then mailed them in packets to Lonnie at the flower shop on his corner. He wrote his answers and mailed them back. Lonnie answered a lot of questions and even asked a few, too. His detailed, matter-of-fact responses gave Lisa an unfettered view of a population living on the fringes of society and the issues they face every day.

Postcards from Lonnie is a dialogue between Lonnie, who speaks through the postcards, and his sister, who not only learns a lot about her brother but also about herself. Intimate and revealing, this is a unique family memoir and a universal story of love, respect, family, and ultimately hope.

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About 3 years ago, I watched a documentary called Signs of Humanity that addressed the homelessness situation across the country.  It really opened my eyes to those that are homeless and their situation.  No two people are the same and their reasons for living on the streets vary.  This book shines a light on one man’s story and how living on the street impacted him and his family.

Lonnie’s story could be the story for many of those that are homeless.  He had a family – parents, a sister – many that loved him.  But through various circumstances, he found himself living on the street.  But this is a life he chose and he made it work.  He still had a relationship with his family and once a year would visit them.  This was when Lisa had the brainstorm to work with Lonnie to tell his story through postcards.  She would pose questions to him and he would answer them and that became the framework to share his life with us.

There are 94 postcards in all and the answers and comments from Lonnie range from the simple to complex.  He even drew pictures on some of the cards.  I appreciated that the postcards were included in the book because it really put his story into perspective and gave me an insight into Lonnie’s mind.  The one thing that never wavered was Lonnie’s faith in a higher power and doing what was right to protect children and those that were weaker around him.  Lonnie may have been living on the street, but he never shunned his family or lost touch with them, even if that communication was sporadic.  Lisa recounts various stories from their childhood until his passing of the good times they had together.  Not everything was great and there were some dark days for Lonnie, but he persevered throughout it all.  I would challenge anyone reading this book to think about the question that is posed to Lonnie and how you might answer the question yourself.  Would you be as selfless, open, and caring as Lonnie?

It is easy to become jaded in this world when we see people on the street begging for money since some are not in need and are just out for an easy buck.  But those that are truly homeless might just have an interesting tale to tell as I discovered in this book.  And it wasn’t just Lonnie’s story, but Lisa’s as well.  Her journey through life wasn’t easy but the thought to work with Lonnie to understand his story was genius.  I’m sure she is glad that she went through this effort over the four-year timeframe and that she learned much about Lonnie, his life, and his thoughts on life.  They say we should ask our parents for the family history before they pass away and that is just what Lisa did with her brother.  Now his life is here for us to understand and appreciate.

This book might open your eyes to those around you and that maybe there is more to the story than you could even imagine.

This book touched my heart in various ways and I am sure it will touch your heart too.

We give this book 4 paws up.

Lisa Johnson was born in Middletown, Ohio, at Middletown Hospital, where her brother, Lonnie, was born almost five years earlier. Two years after Lisa was born, they settled in Houston, Texas. In a couple more years, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Before Lisa started elementary school, they moved again, to Atlanta, Georgia. Lonnie was in fifth grade and was starting to misbehave in his classroom, not “applying himself.” A new first-grader, Lisa applied herself big time, and, once she got a taste of the praise and affirmation that came with high grades, she was hooked for life.

By the time Lisa was in junior high, they had moved again, to Topeka, Kansas, and as she started high school, they moved back to Houston.

Lisa went to college, Lonnie got married. Lisa got married, Lonnie’s daughter was born. Lonnie got divorced, Lisa got divorced. Lonnie’s daughter drowned in the bathtub. Lisa graduated from college, went to graduate school (where she got a good taste of misbehavior but lived through it). Lisa moved to Houston to mooch off their parents for a year or so. Lonnie remarried. Lisa moved to New York to teach at Queens College, CUNY, but soon found her dream job as a copywriter in a large New York ad agency.

Lonnie got divorced and disappeared onto the streets of Houston. Lisa moved to Atlanta. Their dad died. One Christmas Day, Lonnie and Lisa dreamed up an idea for a book. She started sending Lonnie questions on postcards, and he answered every one.

Lisa quit the advertising business to go to seminary — loved seminary, hated being a church-based chief executive officer. She returned to Houston, where their mom still lived. Lonnie died. Lisa found a job writing corporate stuff for a large oil-related company.

Then Lisa finished the book she and her brother had dreamed up: Postcards from Lonnie: How I Rediscovered My Brother on the Street Corner He Called Home.

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Signed copy of Postcards from Lonnie 

March 19-March 29, 2020

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