Oak Park author, Maggie Anderson discusses Black economic empowerment

"Our Black year:one family's quest to buy Black in America's racially divided economy", author, Maggie Anderson spoke to a rapt audience at Oak Park Public Library on Sunday, November 18. Drawing on economic research and social history as well as her personal story, author,

Watch One Family's Effort to Buy Black for a Year on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

">Maggie Anderson, shows why the black economy continues to suffer and issues a call to action to all of us to do our part to reverse this trend. The author made copies of her book available for purchase after the presentation.

Discuss "Lady Elect" at Takara Boutique, Oak Park, IL

Explore Christian Urban Fiction! The Phat Fiction Street Lit Book Club resumes it's Urban Fiction format on September 26 with a discussion of "Lady Elect" by Nikita Lynette Nichols. This work of Christian Urban Fiction explores themes of marriage, infidelity and spiritual challenges. Join the conversation at 7 pm at Takara Boutique, 123 Marion Street, Oak Park,(708) 445-7511. As always the Oak Park Public Library-sponsored book club is free and open to the public! The October 24 book club title is "My Son's Wife" by Shelia Lipsey. The book discussion will convene at Chicago's Home for Chicken & Waffles. Phone the Oak Park Public Library, Adult & Teen Services department for more information, (708) 452-3480

Are you reading Common's new book "One Day It'll All Make Sense"?

Common's new book, "One Day It'll All Make Sense", is Oak Park Public Library's Phat Fiction Street Lit book club title for April.

The Street Lit book club meets on the 4th Wednesday monthly and is open to the public. Book club titles are available for checkout from the library one month prior to the discussion. Phone the Adult and Teen Services Department at(708) 452-3480 for details.

"Section 8: a hood rat novel" by K'wan discussed

Phat Fiction Book Club readers had a lot to say about author, K'wan's characters and the storylline of his 2009 novel, "Section 8: a hood rat novel", and the reading experience in general. Susan

Street Lit: on the Real at Oak Park Public Library

What is Street Lit? Part romance, part true crime and part morality tale, with liberal doses of erotica, these riveting stories could have been ripped from the headlines – indeed, their plots are the stuff of tabloid fodder. Yet, street lit blends the mundane familiar with the exotic and the result is tantalizing stories, unforgettable, if lamentable, characters and more drama than a soap opera marathon.

If there is any doubt that this sub-genre of African American literature has ‘arrived’, one has only to look at the number of urban fiction imprints created by mainstream publishing houses like Hachette Group’s Grand Central Publishing, Simon & Schuster’s Atria/Strabo imprints, St. Martin’s Press, to name a few, or witness the surge in independent publishing of street lit titles in print and in electronic format on Kindle. Libraries and bookstores report difficulty keeping Street lit titles on the shelves because demand is so high.

The steady rise in popularity of urban fiction comes as no surprise to its devoted audience, authors and reviewers. Still, despite its ubiquitous presence, many readers unfamiliar with the genre are hard-pressed to explain what it is, or rather, what it isn’t. Fiction writing of celebrated mainstream Black authors like a James Baldwin or Toni Morrison is imbued with the spirit of the urban experience and its impact on the lives of people of color. But while struggles against racism may lie at the center of these and other canonical Black authors, street lit takes a different approach to the problem of ‘the other’. Here ‘the other’ is everyone outside the sphere of the inner city; ‘being on the block’ defines not only a physical periphery, but a psychological designation as well. Within the street’s confines every stripe of humanity vies for territory, stature, material gain, status, and above all, respect. Just as “Gossip Girl” is urban fiction of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, “True to the Game “ is anchored in the vernacular of inner city Philadelphia.

Street lit authors place their action in Northern industrialized cities or the ‘dirty South’. While their characters make no apologies for living in the ‘hood’, they strive always to ‘live large’, to exert their influence and acquire the trappings of a luxurious lifestyle by any means necessary.
Impeccable style is a key ingredient of these stories. The extravagant cars, lavishly furnished homes, ‘phat’ (pretty hot and tempting ) designer exclusive attire, expensive jewelry are described in meticulous detail and the swagger with which these accoutrements are ‘rocked’ or displayed is all-important as well. But, like Mafia tales and gangster mythology, the accompanying violence surrounding these ill-gotten gains often extracts a high price including, ugly addiction, prison, or grisly death.

A compelling distinction of Street Lit is that it places African Americans at the heart of the action, not merely as bit players, sidekicks, or walk-ons. Though other races may be represented, their appearances are marginal, and Afro-centric language, slang, parlance and world view hold center-stage. In street lit, the set-pieces of Black culture; the beauty shop, barber shop, nail salon, and church, are recognizable, authentic and explored with equal candor alongside the less savory aspects of the street culture of prostitutes, drug dealers, pimps, and gangsters.

Finally, street lit is the literary component of the Hip Hop music movement and it is no accident that Hip Hop music terms find their way into the literature. The club (dance hall) is an important site where urban ‘griots’ gather to ‘get down’, ‘chill’ exchange information, to hold court, or settle scores. Just as Hip Hop music amplified the urgency of street life in a whole new way, street lit is framing that life for readers. People identify with the lives and stories reflected in these novels and are eager to find these books in their local libraries and bookstores.

The Oak Park Public Library Phat Fiction Street Lit Book Club, meets to discuss street lit titles on the fourth Thursday monthly at 7 pm in the library’s main branch. The book club is free and open to the public and books are available for check out to library patrons one month in advance. A schedule of upcoming book club titles is available on the library’s web site calendar. Phone the Adult & Teen Services desk at (708) 542-3483 for details.

Phat Fiction Street Lit Book Club launches at Oak Park Public Library

If you have longed to explore urban fiction like Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever, Dutch by Teri Woods, or Section 8 by K'wan, then this book group is for you. Whether you are a passionate lover of the genre or have a mild curiosity about its characters, our monthly discussions will aim to illuminate and inform. Join us on the fourth Thursday of each month and discuss these novels over light refreshments.

Copies of True to the Game will be available at the Main Library a month before the discussion

Phat Fiction Book Club - Street Lit - love stories
True to the Game by Teri Woods
Thursday, July 28, 2011
7 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library

YALSA Street Lit Webinar

June 16: Street Smart: Serving Teen Street Lit Readers
Whether your teen population is urban, suburban or rural, they’re talking about street lit. What is this genre and how can you incorporate it into your library? Join Megan Honig, author of Urban Grit: A Guide to Street Lit, for a conversation about street lit. Megan will discuss how to use street lit and why it is important to incorporate it into your library’s collection. Participants will also receive a list of street lit resources.

2011 Street Lit Book Award Medal & Honor Book Winners for 2010 Publications

The Street Lit Book Award Medal Committee is comprised of a group of librarians and library workers from across the U.S. who work with Street Lit and it's readers in public and school libraries. The Committee collected, discussed, and nominated titles based on library patron popularity, book club interest, and overall reception of the story as a valuable addition to the Street Literature genre. Three rounds of nominations resulted in the following winners for 2010 publications:

Winner: Decoded by Jay-Z (publisher: Spiegel & Grau)

Honor Books (in order of scoring):
Damaged by Kia DuPree (publisher: Grand Central)
Welfare Wifeys by K'wan (publisher: St. Martin's Griffin)
The Streets Keep Calling by Chunichi (publisher: Urban Books)
Diary of a Young Girl by Mark Anthony (publisher: Urban Books)

A full write up of the awards with committee comments and committee member bios can be accessed at the Street Literature blog

For more information about the Street Lit Book Award Medal contact, Vanessa Irvin Morris at: vanirvinmorris@gmail.com.

2011 AAMBC Literary Awards Twitter party

Tune in on Sunday, April 11, 2011 for Twitter chats and interviews with authors of the 2011 AAMBC Literary Awards.

Chick Lit Challenge for literature about women of color

The challenge will run from January 1 - December 31, 2011.

Paper, e-books and audio books are all acceptable.

What qualifies as colorful chick lit
- Written by women of color about women of color
- Humorous, snarky or laugh out loud
- A tinge of romance, but not so much that it resembles a Harlequin
- A happy ending
- It's rom/com on paper!
Participants should try to read books from all four categories: Indian, Latina, Asian & African-American

Levels of participation
- Novice: 4 to 7 books
- Amateur: 8 to 11 books
- Queen of Chick Lit: 12 or more books

Coretta Scott King Review Books Donation Grant

If your organization needs books for a collection that brings books to under-served youth, the Coretta Scott King Review Books Donation Grant offers the opportunity to to do just that! Read on...

Urban Fiction on Kindle

ok, I know we are NOT trying to buy everything our little hearts desire in this season of unbridled consumerism (...um, I mean, the holidays). But, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the number of urban fiction and street lit ebooks available on Kindle. Check in with your public library as many of these titles are available for checkout via OverDrive media downloads. So, go ahead, indulge and get your Street Lit on!

Turf Dancing

...Since early 2005 (...even earlier, 'cause we remember the 80's Break Dancing phenomenon!) urban youth have been blazin' their creativity and claiming their piece of the world. Turf Dancing is the just the latest wave of self-proclamation rising out of the ghettos of the west coast (notably, Okland and LA) So, like Street Lit, these videos proclaim the exuberance of self expression that won't be contained

What's on my nightstand...

What am I reading? I'm in the midst of a few titles right now. The Evanston Public Library's African American Literature Book Discussion Group thatI facilitate on the second Tuesday of each month is reading, "Conception" by Kalisha Buckhanon as its December title. Buckhanon delivers this wonderfully written, urban fiction with a compelling plot and language that draws you to the characters like a magnet.
I'm also reading three riveting street fiction titles, "Alibi" and "Dutch III" by Teri Woods, and "Damaged" by Kia DuPree. I loved finishing Earl Sewell's latest Kimani Tru series title, "Myself and I", and was delighted to attend a book club reading at the Illinois Youth Center with the author, who wove stories for the young book-clubbers about the writing process that were as fascinating as any of his books. I'm enjoying these stories so much I'm falling asleep listening to Ntozake Shange's "Sassafras, Cypress & Indigo : a novel " via OverDrive Media e-audio books that I've downloaded to my Blackberry. So, until I purchase that eReader, I'll continue to stack favorites on my nightstand. Now, what are YOU reading...?

YA author, Earl Sewell to visit IYC book club on November 4, 2010

Is it Street Lit or Urban Fiction?

ok-seems the confusion over just what constitutes Street Lit and Urban Fiction continues. I received this recommendation from a librarian colleague suggesting an adddtion to the "Adult Urban Fiction" bibliography that I created at Evanston Public Library. The following is her title suggestion and my response.

"If you update this bibliography you might add: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann"
-C. Heneghan

My response was as follows:
Thanks, C.!
A great title, but unfortunately, I don't think Colum McCann's, "Let the Great World Spin" falls within the definition of Street lit or Urban Fiction as refelcted in the 'PHAT Fiction' bibliography I've compiled for EPL.

For a clearer definition and history of this compelling genre or examples of contemporary Street Lit and Urban Fiction titles, see my PHAT Fiction blog and wiki as well as the other web sites below:
missdomino (by K.C. Boyd)

-Susan
However, Vanessa Irvin Morris, Professor of Library Science, at The iSchool at Drexel University, has commented and made me re-evaluate my decision about the Colum McCann title. Ms. Morris has a different take on this urban fiction vs street lit debate and has made the following observations:

Technically though? Ms. Heneghan's suggestion is a thoughtful, accurate suggestion, based on what I've read (just now) in book reviews and a synopsis of what Let the Great World Spin is about.

It's urban fiction for sure.

It's not Street Lit.

I do make a distinction between the two. Urban fiction is city novels - novels about lives of people living in urban settings.
Street Lit is a sub-genre of urban fiction - novels about the lives of people living in inner-city enclaves.

Let the Great World Spin has some street elements to it - there's a character that is a prostitute who is trying not to pass this
sorrowful legacy to her daughters, and the car accident that seems to connect many of the characters in the story is reminiscent of the movie Crash (2005), and there's an Irish priest who lives in the projects in the Bronx. I think this makes for a compelling story ... definitely urban fiction. And I say urban fiction because the overall framework for the novel is that it is a New York City story - that it is a capture of living life in the city of New York - it's not (at least it seems to me on outset) a zoomed lens into the daily living of people in the hood.
Dang, now I wanna read it!
Can't wait to see others' take on it,
Vanessa.

I say:
Wow, an interesting observation and distinction to be sure. And Vanessa is right, Street Lit is driven by characters and settings depicting inner-city life and so is at the core of my YA and adult urban fiction bibliographies for Evanston Public Library. I definitely see the need to be as inclusive (expansive?) as possible in the approach to this literature, so "Let the Great World Spin" has a place alongside other urban fiction (Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Charles Dickens). So, I wonder if I need to change my bibliography label to 'Street Lit'. Street lit seems to more acurately describe the particular sub-genre that draws many teen and adult readers to this writing. On the other hand, I'm compelled to continually help readers make connections to and see relationships with all kinds of literature. Thanks, this makes me think about this s'more!

I'd like to hear what others think. Comments?

Prison Book Club for Teens

Book club for incarcerated girls at Illinois Youth Center-Warrenville, IL

On Saturday, July 24, we had a conference call conversation between Kelly Woods, Outreach Services Librarian, Plainfield, Public library. Planfield, IL, and coordinator of a Book Club for incarcerated girls at Illinois Youth Center-Warrenville, IL; Susan K. McClelland, Adjunct Faculty Reference and Instruction Librarian, Oakton Community College, Skokie, IL. and, K.C. Boyd; Coordinator, City-Wide Book Club Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools. The resulting interview follows.

Sat., July 24, 3:00p.m. (CST)
Kelly Wood, Susan K. McClelland, K.C. Boyd
Susan: WHERE IS THE PRISON BOOK CLUB?

Kelly: Warrenville, IL, a maxim security facility for girls ages 13 years to 21 years.I have been volunteering at the prison since 2001, and facilitating the book club since 2004. The book club has no name (K.C. suggests, “Kelly’s Angels”!)
The volunteer application process is rigorous and can take 3-6 months; it includes background check, fingerprints and blood tests. One-time visits may be approved with about 2 weeks’ notice.

Book club has 8 -10 girls per discussion. Girls must attain levels of behavior to attend book club. Volunteer coordinator oversees book club privileges.
Some girls are familiar with books; some become avid readers as result of incarceration and book club involvement.

K.C.:WHERE DO BOOK CLUB BOOKS COME FROM?

Kelly: I purchase multiple copies of books with my own money and some come as publisher donations. I (Kelly) have a professional reviewer friend who often ships boxes of single-copy books for the book club. The volunteer coordinator is usually in charge of allowing the books into the book club and is not overly restrictive. I’m a longtime volunteer/book club coordinator, and this is rarely a problem.

K.C.:ARE THE VARIANCES IN READING LEVELS OF THE GIRLS CHALLENGING FOR THE BOOK CLUB?

Kelly: Not as much as you might expect. Most of the girls read at an acceptable level, but interest level is the key.

HOW MANY COPIES OF BOOK CLUB BOOKS DO YOU BRING WEEKLY?

Kelly: I usually purchase 8-10 copies, and freebies are often donated. The book club meets monthly and I try to tailor the questions to accommodate those who have read and perhaps not read the books.

CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TITLES ARE HITS & WHAT ARE MISSES?

Kelly: I take recommendations from the girls and they DO prefer non-fiction or true stories to fiction. For instance, some favorites very much enjoyed include, “A Child Called It” (David J. Pelzer), “They Cage the Animals at Night” (Jennings Michael Burch), and “The Coldest Winter Ever” (Sistah Souljah). The girls have a good grasp of the author’s intent and can express themselves quite well.
Some other great hits were “Random Family” by LeBlanc and “33 Snowfish” by Rapp. We’ve also read“Tyrell” (Coe Booth), Sharon Flake, Sharon Draper, and the Romeo and Juliet tale with an urban twist, “Perfect Chemistry” by Simone Elkeles.

Susan: IS THERE A LIBRARY IN WARRENVILLE?

Kelly: The girls do have access to the library, but it’s not well-weeded and the librarian doesn’t hold classes or have access to the latest books, since most come by donations.

K.C.: Since I get lots of books for my schools, I’d be happy to make some donations of titles you might like to read, but can’t afford to buy. Of course, these are usually single copies.

Kelly: We’d welcome donations and would love to have them!

Susan: ARE THERE ANY BOOKS YOU DON’T WANT?

Kelly: The girls here don’t usually want to read fantasy--no Science Fiction or anything that doesn’t present a solution to a set of problems or life situation that they can envision or that doesn’t seem real.

K.C: I’ve worked in schools in Englewood (Chicago neighborhood) and it seems to me that what is lacking is that these children have often not been taught how to fantasize or had the luxury to do so.

Susan: DO YOU FEEL YOUR BOOK CLUB IS OPERATING UNDER THE RADAR WITH REGARDS TO THE BOOKS YOU RECEIVE?

Kelly: If I were to have the books sent ahead of me to the youth center, they may not be seen again. That is to say, if I carry the books in myself, I know I’ll have them available for my book clubs. I’m volunteering and operate the book club alone.

Warrenville has its own school district and most girls attend class full time, though I find these studies are remedial at best. So I feel the book club, while I try to make it fun and a release from the school routine, can be work that helps increase learning; critical thinking, writing skills, etc. The girls can choose to receive a GED or diploma from Warrenville.

SUSAN: ARE THERE OTHER BOOK CLUBS AT OTHER FACILITIES?

Kelly: There is another book club which is facilitated by another group of volunteers, but it is different from mine. Also, Storycatchers Theater, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that helps at-risk and troubled teens write and produce theater based on their stories, comes to Warrenville to coach the girls through the process of telling their own stories, putting them down on paper, and turning them into songs and plays.

K.C. ARE YOU AWARE THAT OTHER URBAN FICTION WRITERS, SUCH AS WAHIDA CLARK, TRACI WOODS, AND VICKIE STRINGER TO NAME A FEW, ALL STARTED WRITING WHILE INCARCERATED?.

Kelly: The girls love to write and though they’re not always grammatically perfect, they are excited to express themselves through their writing. I think that’s why they enjoy the street lit books, because they are written about situations they are struggling with, by and about people with whom they can identify.

K.C. DO YOU ATTEND ALA CONFERENCES?

Kelly: Only when it’s here in Chicago! I regularly attend other local Illinois educators’ conferences like Illinois Computing Educators and Illinois School Library Media Association.

Susan: How did you find PHAT Fiction blog/wiki?

Kelly: through ISLMANET -Illinois School Library Media Association
www.islma.org/listserv.htm

Susan: HOW CAN THE PHAT FICTION WIKI/BLOG HELP BENEFIT YOUR BOOK CLUB?

Kelly: For these girls in particular, it can be hard to find appropriate titles in this genre, so I was happy to connect with the PHAT Fiction wiki/blog to suggest reading lists, titles and book reviews for titles the girls might enjoy. My dream is to have a publisher, company, or other group underwrite the book club and supply books!

K.C.: I think you should attend the ALA annual conference in New Orleans and be part of the next PHAT Fiction panel!

Susan: Yes, I agree, and in the meantime we’d both like to work with donating books to “Kelly’s Angels Book Club”. Thanks, Kelly, it was good to talk with you today.

Susan K. McClelland
http://phatfiction.blogspot.com
http://phatfiction.wikispaces.com
K.C. Boyd
http://missdomino.blogspot.com/

YALSA blog report on PHAT Fiction session at ALA

Street Lit collection development resources on ALA Blog

What's on my nightstand...

...ok, trying to get up to speed by reading some shorter street lit novels (...is that so wrong?) Now reading: " Flirt: three steamy novels" featuring, Tracy Brown, K'wan, and Angel Mitchell. Sooooo good.

Sidebar: Commuting by bus the other day, I was deep into "The Reason Why" by Vickie Stringer. You know the drill; head down, oblivious to sights and sounds, eyes racing across the page (...almost missed my bus stop!)Just before I reached for the cord to signal my stop, a Jehovah's Witness lady sitting opposite me slipped me a WatchTower newsletter, which I politely declined and returned to her. She said, "Well, I saw you reading, "Reasons", and if you need reasons, here they are..." I was stunned, but not really surprised. Needless to say, book covers and reader's book choices are still widely misinterpreted and stereotyped. Wow, do we librarians do that?? No way!