Alison Owings most recent oral-history book, Mayor of the Tenderloin / Del Seymour’s Journey from Living on the Streets to Fighting Homelessness in San Francisco, was published in September, 2024 by Beacon Press. An unforgettable account of Del Seymour, who overcame 18 years of homelessness and addiction to become one of the most respected advocates in San Francisco. Honest and compelling, Mayor of the Tenderloin follows homelessness in one of America’s toughest neighborhoods as it was lived—in the words of someone who lived it and is now fighting to solve it. This book was nine-years in the making, and San Francisco Chronicle called it “A richly satisfying tapestry.”
