My Story…

I am a graduate of the Humber School for Writers. I have a BA in psychology and a background in graphic design. I have been teaching yoga since 2001. I am a big fan of movement and the great outdoors, all year round.

I am blessed to live in a city that has rivers, galleries, art centres, independently owned cinemas, bike paths, independent and second-hand bookstores, etc., etc., all within walking distance of my front door. Unfortunately, the number of homeless people in this city continues to increase, while the availability of affordable housing/rent continues to decline.

I like creating flat lay art (see image on my book’s cover and on my contact page) and collage, making new things out of old things, and I love encouraging others to create.

From time to time, I encounter people who are so fascinating to me I can’t help but write about them.

Scroll down to see my book, hot off the Pottersfield Press, Tom’s Story. My 16-year Friendship With a Homeless Man.

“Pottersfield Press has often heroically published essential books. Tom’s Story by Jo-Ann Oosterman is one of these.
A remarkable and vital work.”
— David Adams Richards

Tom’s Story…

Tom’s Story is about my 16-year friendship with Tom Hogan, a First Nations man who was perpetually homeless, a self-described chronic alcoholic, and a person who had episodes of psychosis. He was also a magical storyteller and a gifted Woodland-style artist.

I met Tom in 1998, when I helped co-ordinate an art group for people marginalized because of poverty, addictions, mental illness, trauma, and homelessness. I was an outreach worker and an HIV counsellor at the time. I spent countless hours sitting on sidewalks beside Tom, listening and observing; then, with Tom’s permission, I wrote it down.

I became Tom’s ally when he entered and left recovery programs, or simply searched for a safe place to live. Sometimes I helped; sometimes I got in the way. Other times, I tried to walk away, but I was always compelled to seek him out again to follow his story.

Tom’s Story is a unique, raw window into the lives of people who are homeless. It is a testament to the power of hope, the generosity of people who own nothing, and the way that art promotes healing. It is also a strong argument for managed alcohol programs and the harm reduction model.