The 1984 documentary Streetwise, directed by Martin Bell, is still relevant. It took a closer look at the lives of Seattle’s homeless youth and eventually was nominated for an Academy Award.
Streetwise chronicled the harsh lives of several youngsters, including Roberta Joseph Hayes, Dewayne Pomeroy, “Little Justin” Reed Early, and more. Over the years, their journey took different courses. However, one of its subjects, Tiny, aka Erin Blackwell, is still alive and has lived a life of ups and downs. In Streetwise, she was only 13 years old and earned her livelihood by prostitution.
When the documentary was nominated for a 1984 Oscar Award, Blackwell attended the prestigious ceremony with its director, Martin Bell, and photojournalist Mary Ellen Mark. Unfortunately, her life did not get any better after that. Mark kept visiting Seattle and saw her getting older and running into numerous issues. She kept selling her body for money, got addicted to drugs, and gave birth to ten children (with different men).
Per The Seattle Times, she currently does not have a job. Furthermore, her feet and hands are affected by bone spurs and carpal tunnel, respectively. Her only source of income is child support and Social Security for a challenged son.
Reports suggest that when Erin Blackwell was 13, she lived in an apartment in Seattle with her mother, Patricia. One day, she went to a nearby store to buy a Mother’s Day gift and stumbled into a homeless friend who she knew from her rollerskating day. After a conversation with him, she returned home, packed her possessions in a trash bag, and joined him. From that point onward, she began spending her days on the streets, and during the night, she slept at a friend’s place.
Streetwise Documentary: Where is Tiny now?
Tiny aka. Erin Blackwell is currently in her 50s and lives in the city of Kirkland, Washington. Fortunately, she is not addicted to drugs anymore but has deep regrets about her previous life.
Blackwell recalled meeting Mary Ellen Mark in 1983 in the parking lot of The Monastery, a club in Seattle. At the time, she was under the influence of drugs and assumed that the photojournalist was an investigator or a police officer. She stated, “I was so high off of something. I thought (Mark) was the police or some kind of investigator.”
Back then, Mark worked with Life magazine and was on assignment. Eventually, she approached the 13-year-old and revealed that she was taking pictures of children living on the streets. Upon learning this, Blackwell agreed to be a part of her project, which allowed her full access to her life. One of her most memorable pictures is that of her clad in a French prostitute outfit for Halloween.
Blackwell’s drug addiction persisted until the age of 30 when she met her future husband, William Charles. After 16 years of marriage, they went their separate ways. None of her children have watched Streetwise because Blackwell didn’t allow them to watch it and believes that they will dislike it. Even though her life has never been a bed of roses, she continues to dream and hopes to meet a companion in the future.
