URBAN/STREET LITERATURE
By Angie Green and Paula Shapiro
Also Known As…
Hip-Hop Lit
Urb
an Lit
Urban Fiction
Phat LitStreet Lit
Gangsta Lit
Urban
Pulp
Fict
ion
Ghetto Fiction
Hood Lit
Definition
Street Literature Raw, gritty urban stories set in the violent, dangerous,
familiar, and sometimes exhilarating landscape of the streets, featuring tough characters (often African American) and focusing on themes of interpersonal relationships and survival by any means necessary. (Honig, p. ix)
African American Literature Simply, writings by people of African descent living in
the U.S.
Definition cont.
Same feel as Hip-Hop Lyrics Sensationalizes inner-city conditions Gratuitous Graphic Not African American Literature
Common Characteristics
Settings Urban areas Street life
Characters Young adults Females in turmoil Males often are abusive, drug dealers, in jail
Plot Action is fast-paced Conflict driven
Themes Violence, death, drugs, sex, crime, etc.. Modern Cautionary Tales
Common Characteristics cont’d
Writing Styles First Person Street Slang and Hip-Hop Verbiage Profanity
Authenticity Write From Personal Knowledge
Paperback Covers Similar to Rap Albums
History
Authentic tone, flavor, appeal connected to publishing history
Non-conformist attitudes with mainstream publishing Whiteness Middle/upper class aspirations
Market to own communities Authors maintain creative control
History cont.
Self-published Independent publishers Poorly edited Began selling titles from the trunks of
their cars Reviews
Iceberg Slim
August 4, 1918 – April 28, 1992
Robert Beck
Donald Goines
December 15, 1936 – October 21, 1974
That credit you dead it, I know heads gettin'
annoyed, And knew all about a dope
fiend before reading Donald Goines
-from 'Can I Live II' Reasonable Doubt (Jay-Z)
[1999]
pseudonym: Al C. Clark
Rise of Contemporary Street Lit
Began with two street-themed novels Published by Simon & Schuster Large-scale attention Independent authors gain underground
success Not targeted to teens but they were
reading it!
Sister Souljah
www.sistersouljah.com
April 21, 2011Chicago Public Library
400 State StreetChicago, IL 60605
6:00 pm
Independent Authors Gain Followers
Zane
Vickie Stringer
Publishing Houses
http://www.triplecrownpublications.com/theblog/
Vicki Stringer
http://www.teriwoodspublishing.com/site.html
Carl Weber
http://www.urbanbooks.net
Major Publishing Houses
Why teens like it
Just Like Shakespeare… Similar themes of love, sex, jealousy, betrayal,
murder, and revenge Meaningful Reflection of experience Identify with characters Engage at safe distance Entertainment Risk-free thrills Escape
Value of Urban Lit
Harry Potter phenomenon Teens need books with which they can
identify Morals across all cultures Appeals to “Picky” Readers Confidence Gateway for discussions Reading = Bigger World
Core Collection Sample
Books from Research
Read-a-like Titles
What Else?
Read a Book
Blokhedz
Criticisms/Controversy
Inappropriate Language and/or Sexual Content
Glorifies Sex, Drugs, and Crime Exposed To Dangerous Ideas
May Emulate Language and Behaviors Negative Portrayal of Women and GLBTs Portrayal of African American Community
Reinforces Stereotypes
Criticisms/Controversy cont.
Literary Quality Grammar/Spelling Focuses on Plot
Shelving Inclusive Collection
Reviews
“Word on the Street Lit” – Library Journal
Newsletters
Book Smack
Word on the Street Lit
Professional Materials
Urban Grit: A Guide to Street LitBy: Megan Honing
The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Street Literature
By: Vanessa Irvin Morris
Experts?
Megan Honig
aka Ms. Dominohttp://missdomino.blogspot.comhttp://kcboyd.wikispaces.com
http://www.meganhonig.com
KC Boyd
Vanessa Irvin Morrishttp://www.vanirvinmorris.com
Websites, Wikis and Blogs
Street Fiction www.streetfiction.org Street Literature www.streetliterature.com Phat Fiction Wiki
www.phatfiction.wikispaces.com Library Success Wiki
http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Urban_Fiction/Street_Lit
ALA Wiki http://wiki.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/street_lit_collection_development_resources
KC Boyd (aka Ms. Domino) http://missdomino.blogspot.com
Bottom Line