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''Urban Fiction'' Also called "street lit", "hip hop fiction", or "ghetto lit", African-American urban fiction is a popular genre in public libraries, especially with teens and 20-something patrons. It isn't new -- Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines are two authors who wrote urban pulp fiction during the 1970s -- but there seems to be a renewed interest, perhaps sparked by the popularity of Sister Souljah's "The Coldest Winter Ever". Many of the titles are self-published or offered by small publishers, so it may be difficult to find professional reviews. Street Lit, as opposed to African-American fiction in general, usually features characters living in inner-city enclaves and involved in drug dealing, gang violence, and/or prostitution for the purposes of street survival or as a misguided means of gaining wealth to move out of the ghetto. This deems the genre as survivalist fiction in dystopia settings. Titles often feature teen protagonists, with plot action containing graphic sex and violence, so the addition of these books to teen areas of the library may be controversial. However, the genre's high appeal to otherwise reluctant readers makes the novels valuable as a way of connecting with young patrons. ==Book Lists== Urban Fiction Booklist -- September 2009 -- Miranda Doyle [http://amzn.com/w/X95F0FRERY48]<BR> EveryDay Life by MG Hardie [http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Life-M-G-Hardie/dp/1605940364/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252737878&sr=1-1] -- July 2008]] <br> [[New Urban Fiction -- May 2007 -- from Miranda Doyle]]<br> [[Urban Fiction Booklist]]<br> Sex, Drugs, and Drama: More Books Like "The Coldest Winter Ever" VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) [http://pdfs.voya.com/VO/YA2/VOYA200508SexDrugs.pdf VOYA article] <br> WorldCat Genres: Urban Fiction (Updated 4/2012) [http://www.worldcat.org/genres/urban-fiction.html] <br> Urban/Street Lit Reading List Suitable for Public Library Collections (last update 2008) by Vanessa Irvin Morris [http://www.jahreinaresearch.info/VJMWebsite/urbanfiction/UrbanFictionReadingList.htm Urban/Street Lit/Public] <br> Urban/Street Lit Reading List Suitable for School Library Collections (Grades 6 and Up) (last update 2008) by Vanessa Irvin Morris [http://www.jahreinaresearch.info/VJMWebsite/urbanfiction/SchoolUrbanFictionReadingList.htm Urban/Street Lit/School] <br> Urban Fiction Resources by Vanessa Irvin Morris [http://www.jahreinaresearch.info/VJMWebsite/streetlit.html Urban Fiction Papers & Booklists]<br> <br> [[My Favorite Urban Fiction Titles for Teens, from Miranda Doyle, San Francisco]]<br> Urban Fiction for Teens -- Library Summer Camp 2009 -- Miranda Doyle [http://libraryweb.weebly.com/urban-fiction.html Powerpoint]<BR> Latino Urban Fiction/Nonfiction List -- Miranda Doyle[http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/ICSVS7IHWZNV List]<br> <br> Urban Teen Fiction [http://www.teenurbanfiction.com/] ==Publishers/Popular Titles/Authors== NHouse Publishing (NHP) [http://www.NHousePublishing.com] [: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NHP/323299277725221] [Twitter: @nHousePublish] <br> Good2go Publishing [http://www.good2gopublishing.com/ Good2go Publishing] <br> The Cartel Publications [http://thecartelpublications.com/ The Cartel Publications] <br> Triple Crown Publications [http://triplecrownpublications.com Triple Crown Publications] <br> Red Bud Ave Publications LLC [http://www.redbudave.com/ Red Bud Ave Publications] <br> Macavelli Press [http://www.macavellipress.com/ Macavelli Press] <b[http://www.prioritybooks.com/ Prioritybooks Publications] <br> G Street Chronicles www.GstreetChronicles.com GstreetChronicles (http://www.gstreetchronicles.com Jazoli Publishing / Truth Hurts THUGS ARE FOR FUN series www.jazolipublishing.com [http://www.thugbooks.com Jazoli Publishing / Truth Hurts Pub] <br> Kensington Books' Dafina [http://www.kensingtonbooks.com Dafina] <br> Simon and Schuster's Atria/Strebor Books [http://www.simonandschuster.net/content/destination.cfm?tab=1&pid=427719 Atria/Strebor]<br> St. Martin's Griffin paperbacks [http://www.stmartins.com St. Martins] <br> Xlibris Corporation [http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/author.asp?authorid=20695&bookid=33053 The Street Life Series] <br> Random House - One World [http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/category/afam One World] <br> Urban Books [http://urbanbooks.net/index.html Urban Books] <br> Urban Literature LLC. - [http://www.UrbanLiterature.com/ Urban Literature] Writealot publishing https://www.writealotpublishing.com. ==Social Media== Street Literature Blog [http://streetliterature.blogspot.com Blog and research] -- Librarian Educator & Street Lit Scholar Vanessa Irvin Morris posts research and commentary on the subject of the Street Lit genre and how it is informed by everyday life. <br> Miss Domino Blog [http://missdomino.blogspot.com Blog and commentary] -- Young Adult Services & Librarian Coordinator, K.C. Boyd, posts commentary about street lit along with relevant resources. <br> PhatFiction - Librarian Wikispace for Street Lit [http://phatfiction.wikispaces.com/page/diff/home/152179727 Wiki] -- This wiki is an outcome of the ALA 2010 panel on Street Literature. The wiki features discussion, Q&A, and resources about street lit from librarians, librarian educators, and YA authors. <br> What's Hot in Street Literature [http://www.slideshare.net/kcboyd1/whats-hot-in-street-literature-july-21-2010-4825380?from=ss_embed Slideshare] -- Powerpoint lecture by Chicago Librarian, K.C. Boyd, via slideshare.net <br> What Is Street Lit? [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/writerslifechats/2010/04/09/what-is-street-lit Podcast] -- Podcast chat via BlogTalkRadio (July 2010) featuring author K'wan Foye, street lit bloggers and street lit readers. <br> ==Review/Discussion Web Sites== UrbanFictionEditor.com: [http://www.UrbanFictionEditor.com] [ http://www.facebook.com/UrbanFictionEditor] Twitter: @UrbanFictEditor <br> Street Fiction: Urban Fiction Book Reviews [http://www.streetfiction.org streetfiction.org] <br> Raw Sistaz [http://www.rawsistaz.com/ Blog and reviews] <br> Black issues book review [http://www.bibookreview Black Issues] <br> QBR: The Black Book Review [http://www.qbr.com QBR] <br> Urban Book Reviews [http://www.urban-reviews.com Urban Reviews] <br> Thumper's Corner [http://www.thumberscorner.com Thumpers] <br> Coast2Coast Readers [http://www.coast2coastreaders.com Coast2Coast] <br> Essence Forums [http://www.essence.com/essence/books Essence] <br> The Urban Book Source [http://www.urbanbooksource.com/ Voice of Urban Literature] <br> Streetwise Urban Fiction [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6349018.html Library Journal July 15 2006] <br> Library Journal publishes a monthly column reviewing recent Urban Fiction/Street Lit books called ''The Word on Street Lit''.<br> (To find ''The Word of Street Lit'' articles, go to [http://www.libraryjournal.com Library Journal]and type "word on street lit".) ==Bestseller Lists== There are no definitive, well-established sources that can be used to determine what are the bestselling Urban Fiction/Street Lit books as there are for general Fiction books. The sources shown below list bestsellers for African-American Fiction in general but include books considered as Urban Fiction or Street Lit. While these lists are not as comprehensive as the ''New York Times'' or ''Publishers Weekly'' bestsellers lists, they are helpful for developing an Urban Fiction/Street Lit collection for a public library. <br> <br> African American Literature Book Club [http://books.aalbc.com AALBC Bestsellers Lists (includes Urban Fiction and Street Lit)] <br> Black Expressions Book Club [http://www.blackexpressions.com/ecom/pages/nm/browse/genre.jsp?cat1=3489384&browse=3489066 Black Expressions New Releases and Bestsellers] <br> Books of Soul - lists Urban Fiction Bestsellers [http://booksofsoul.com/bestselling-african-american-books-at-amazoncom/ Books of Soul Bestsellers] <br> Essence Magazine - search for "essence book club" for bestsellers lists [http://www.essence.com Essence] <br> ==Bookseller Lists== Mosaicbooks.com [http://mosaicbooks.com/whatshot.html All African American Literature to include Urban Fiction]. <br> African American Literature Book Club-Urban/Street Fiction list [http://books.aalbc.com/urbanstreet.htm African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)] <br> Black Expressions Urban titles for sale [http://www.urbannovels.com/ Black Expressions] <br> Black Books Direct Urban Fiction List [http://www.blackbooksdirect.com/urbanfiction.html Black Books Direct] <br> Hip Hop Books for Urban Culture [http://www.inetmgrs.com/onepeoples/HIP%20HOP%20BOOKS.htm Hip Hop Books] <br> Urban Reviews [http://www.urban-reviews.com/ Urban Reviews] <br> Street Gangs' Book Club [http://www.streetgangs.com/bookclub/ Bookclub] <br> Hood Stories [http://www.hoodstories.com/books.html Books] <br> CB Book Distribution [http://www.cbbooksdistribution.com/index.html CB] <br> The Urban Book Source [http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/ Voice of Urban Literature] ==Articles for Librarians== Takin' It To The Streets (VOYA) [http://pdfs.voya.com/Vo/yaT/VoyaTakinItToTheStreets.pdf] Street Fight (School Library Journal) [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6573998.html] <br> The Word on the Street No. 1 [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6530172.html?industryid=47118 Library Journal February 7 2008] <br> Streetwise Urban Fiction [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6349018.html Library Journal July 15 2006] <br> Library Journal Street Lit Takes a Hit [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6299839.html Library Journal] <br> Selling Urban Fiction (article) Publisher’s Weekly, 1/06 [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6301171.html Publisher's Weekly] <br> Library School Dissertation: Street Lit Novels and Triangle-Area Public Libraries: A Search through the OPACS (Online Public Access Catalogs)[http://etd.ils.unc.edu/dspace/handle/1901/320 Street Lit] <BR> What Librarians Say About Street Lit -- SLJ Feb. 2009 [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6634534.html?nid=4302&rid=&source=title] ==General Articles== Urban Book Source.com [http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/articles/news/hiphopfictionbeefs.php Hip Hop Fiction Beefs] <br> Urban Book Source.com [http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/articles/editorials/urbanlitisdead.php Urban Lit is Dead!] <br> New York Times 10/08 [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/nyregion/23fiction.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%22from%20the%20streets%20to%20the%20libraries%22&st=cse From the Streets to the Libraries] <br>Colorlines ''The Rise of Street Literature'' June 2008 [http://www.colorlines.com/article.php?ID=291 Rise of Street Literature] <br> Seattle Times, 2005 Hip Hop Fiction Drawing More Readers to Black Lit [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002186046_blacklit22.html Seattle Times] <br> Wikipedia article on Urban Fiction Wikepedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fiction Wikepedia] <br> Columbia News Service Street Lit Goes Legit [http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-03-14/allwood-streetliterature Columbia News Service] <br> E! Online 50 Cent in Da Books [http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2005/11/50_cent_to_release_gunit_books_line/ G-Unit Books] <br> Philadelphia Weekly column critical of the genre [http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=12277 Ghetto Fiction] <br> Christian Science Monitor article [http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0909/p11s02-bogn.html Gritty Street Lit] <br> Washington Post: New Books in the Hood [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29121-2004Jul30.html Washington Post Article] <br> NY Times: Street Lit with Publishing Cred [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/books/14rele.html?ex=1297573200&en=eae95f3764cc841f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Street Lit] <br> NPR: Readers Embrace "Ghetto Lit" Genre [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1606270 NPR] <br> San Francisco Chronicle: Hip Hop Lit is full of grit [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/10/19/MNGP72ERMV1.DTL] <br> Salon: Candy Licker: A best-selling book about cunnilingus and thugs. [http://www.slate.com/id/2142831/ Candy Licker] <br> Newsweek: It's Gangsta Lit [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5145832/site/newsweek/ Newsweek article] <br>

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