A seminar was held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in August 1987 on the subject, "Illiteracy and the Underclass: Are They Permanent?" The contributions of Chall, Comer, Epstein, Dash, and Rivera identified where illiteracy problems begin--in families with intergenerational patterns of illiteracy. Problems in estimating the numbers of illiterate adults in society and the work force were addressed by Harman and Sticht. The question of a growing and permanent underclass and the cost of remediating disadvantages were examined by McFate. Successful community-based literacy programs and the connection between literacy and employability were described by Garvey and Strucker. Problems in writing about poverty and illiteracy in the media were addressed by a panel of editors and reporters. (Ten story ideas for reporters and editors doing articles about literacy are identified in the document. Addresses and telephone numbers for the 13 seminar contributors are included, along with addresses and telephone numbers of 4 agencies dealing with illiteracy.) (CML)