After several months, Roaddawgz is finally gaining the kind of momentum I�d been hoping for, so much so that we are getting more submissions than we can pay for. This is, in its turn, presenting new challenges as far as being able to accommodate as many writers and artists as possible while re-assessing our standards. Many of the contributors who have been coming into the drop-in since it opened in January have gotten to the point where they�ve written more material than we can really handle � what I�m hoping to do next is to try and get those who are interested published in self-made chapbooks of their own that they can then distribute to bookstores around the city. If anyone out there knows anything about self-publishing, any practical information on the subject would be greatly appreciated. We have also been talking about taking advantage of Hospitality House�s silk-screening facilities to start a Roaddawgz line of t-shirts � if anyone knows of a cheap place to get a lot of blank t-shirts, or if anyone has some t-shirts that they�d like to unload, we are open to donations.

In the meantime, I�m enjoying the constant influx of new faces at the drop-in. We�ve been lucky in that we�ve had nothing but outstanding writers and artists wander in; each new face is a breath of fresh air with a story that couldn�t be told by anyone else. I�ve been lucky enough to keep in touch with some of the writers who�ve left San Francisco for other parts � Flee writing in about his experience at the Hobo gathering, Gary calling in from Oklahoma, amongst others. It�s nice to hear from those who are no longer here in the city � it gives me the feeling of having built a family of sorts. Really, I learn something every day from the young people that come in. We have scriptwriters, musicians, magicians, angels, fiends, and all sorts of in-betweens sharing their time and insights. The high quality of their work is evident � just check out all the recent stories on the homepage.

I�m now trying to figure out how to provide a broader platform for these artists � more open mic�s, art shows, that kind of thing. I�d like to get these talents in front of as broad an audience as possible so that they can be appreciated for how good they really are. I�d like to be able to offer more of a sense of community and opportunity than three days a week at the drop-in. Another idea I�ve been knocking around in my head is to get a school bus that we can transform into a mobile drop-in center that we could take up to the Haight as well as around the country, if possible. I saw a bus the other day for a few thousand dollars, and am considering having a fundraiser within the next few months to try and raise enough money to make this dream a reality.

In the meantime, while all of these ideas and dreams are wrestling it out for priority, the original focus of the project is going strong. It�s great to be able to provide a space for people to relax, get off the streets, and have room to express themselves. We are getting a whole new homepage of stories every week, so stay posted. More will be coming your way.