Bonnie Ratner is a playwright, an educator and a mainstay for Portland nonprofit theater groups. Ratner has consulted with and worked with many of the latter either creating a play or helping with advice on management, fundraising and board development. 

Ratner returns to Stage & Studio after several years. Usually Dmae Lo Roberts has interviewed her in conjunction with other groups such as The Red Door Project, Vanport Mosaic or PassinArt Theatre. This time Bonnie Ratner talks about her new novel “Hobo Rules.” It’s a mystery thriller set in 2000 that explores some of her history as a teacher in the prison system but also the little talked about Hobo culture which began after the US Civil War with its own rules of living and social structure.

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In this episode you’ll hear Bonnie Ratner talk about…

 The word Hobo: it’s hobo because they’re migrant workers. It started after the Civil War because there was– people couldn’t get home quick enough to make some money, so from the North and the South, there were jobs, farming jobs, agricultural help, right? Mostly. So that’s most of the work that they did, and they would strap hoes on their backs.”

Teaching writing in the prison system: “ I taught in the Tuolumne County Jail (Sacramento). I was working at, Tuolumne County Community Action Agency during that time. We got a grant from Laubach Literacy International that they an innovative literacy programs for adults, and we got a grant for me to go into the jail and teach. So I taught writing in the jail.”

About Hobo Wobblies (International Workers of the World):  ”I do think (the book) is hopeful, and I think that’s where the hobos come in, and, you know, they are hobo wobblies, and they are people who care about facing corruption. That’s a pretty important thing to understand about today–that it’s gonna take us all to get through this.”

About “Hobo Rule”s: In the year 2000, Sacramento is rocked by the brutal murder of the wife of Mike Teagle, a powerful figure in the private prison industry. Jennifer Embers, a dedicated educator with a passion for social justice, finds herself drawn into the investigation while teaching a writing class at the county jail. Among her students is Amber Sparrow, a young woman wrongfully accused of partner abuse by her meth-cooking boyfriend. As Jennifer champions Amber’s writing talent, she uncovers a web of corruption and greed that connects her students’ struggles to the murder and reveals the dark underbelly of the private prison system.

About the Author: Bonnie Ratner is a writer, educator, and theater artist. Her plays have been showcased in theaters across the country, while her poetry and short fiction appear in various small journals and magazines. Ratner has extensive experience teaching writing and literature in both academic and community settings. She has founded theater companies, directed plays, and performed on stage. Hobo Rules marks her debut novel. Currently, she resides in Portland, OR, where she continues to engage with the literary and theatrical communities, sharing her passion for storytelling and the arts.

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