1. Marvin DeBose Sr. M.L.S.
Adult/Teen Librarian
Overbrook Park Library
Free Library of Philadelphia
Rutgers University
MLIS Colloquium
New School ReaderAdvisory
November, 30 2012

2. Urban Lit
Ghetto Lit
“ Street Literature”
Hip-Hop Lit
Urban Fiction
Ghetto Fiction

3. What is Street Lit?
Characteristics of Street Lit:
Urban setting

4.  Meets the needs/ interest of an ignored
group of readers
 Relationships
 Fast pace racy contents
 Reader can relate to the stories
 The Book Cover’s visual component is very
seductive.

5.  Bad writing style
 Degrading
 Glorifying Negative behavior

6.  Provides education
 Diversity
 Creating new reader
 Cautionary Tales

7.  INGAGED WITH YOUR PATRONS! Ask them
what they are reading & why they enjoy what
they are reading.
 Join a Book club (Librarian Book Club)
 Start a book club with your patron

8.  Native Son (1940) Richard
Wright
 The Street(1946) – Ann Petry
 Down These Mean
Streets(1967) Piri Thomas
 Pimp (1969) – Iceberg Slim
 Dopefeind (1971) - Donald
Goines
 Daddy Cool(1974)- Donald
Goines

9.  True to the Game – Terri Woods
 Coldest Winter Ever – Sister Souljah
 Fly Girl – Omar Tyree
 Push (Precious) – Sapphire
 B More Careful – Shannon Holmes
 Let that Be the Reason – Vickie
Stringer
 A Hustler’s Wife – Terri Wood

11.  The Readers Advisory Guide
to Street Literature by
Vanessa Irvin Morris Assist
Professor Drexel University
 Urban Grit: A guide to
Street Lit by Megan Honig
Yong Adult Materials
Specialist New York Public
Library

12. Publisher
 Triple Crown Publication
 Kensington Publishing
 Gorilla Convict Publication
 Grand Central Publishing
 Wahida Clark Publishing
 Simon and Schuster
 Cash Money Content

13. Web
Respectable street Lit. Book reviewer!
 Library Journal’s “Word on the Street lit” column
http:/libraryjournal.com
 Street Literature: Vanessa I. Morris
http://streetliterature.blogspot.com
 Phat Fiction: Susan McClelland
http://phatfiction.blogspot.com
 Miss Domino K.C. Boyd:
http://missdomino.blogspot.com
 Street Fiction http://www.streetfiction.org

14.  Your collection should always reflect the
literature need & want of the community it
serves.