The Longhair
Joyce describes himself as a "longhair," the type of homeless person who is highly mobile, lives out of a backpack and is distinguishable by his long, unkempt hair and beard.
A 48-year-old Needham native, Joyce prides himself on being a survivor, adapting easily to circumstance.
Still, he says, he would like to change his situation if possible.
Standing bewildered in front of the order counter at Au Bon Pain, Joyce apologizes sheepishly for taking so long to order. He feels a bit lost, he explains, at actually having a menu to choose from.
Though Joyce has passed the restaurant "literally thousands" of times, he says, he has never once been inside.
After deciding on a roast beef sandwich, he relays his story, beginning with a move to New Mexico in 1974. He was trying to get established as a painter but, in the spring of 1978, became involved in a "controversy" about which he declines to give details.
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