Some Urban Lit Genres

From LeoNard Thompson's (Park Place Branch, Norfolk Public Library) presentation at VLA 10/24/08

Urban (Gangsta – Hip-hop)

Pace: sparse writing, face-paced, gritty, suspenseful, action

Storyline: sexually explicit and violent

Tone: frank, candid

Original works: Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man, James Weldon Johnson

Native Son, Richard Right

Coldest Winter Ever, Sister Souljah

Currently hot: True to the Game, Teri Woods

Triple Crown Publications

Nikki Turner

(often trilogies)

Urban Inspirational

Pace: sparse, engrossing leisurely paced, resolved ending, inspirational, character-centered

Storyline: typical story describes hero’s sinning life and then road to salvation

Tone: contemporary and melodramatic (so, bad language: NOT gentle reads, not Christian Bookseller Assoc.-type works); familiar details of church settings, religious life

Style: candid, dramatic

Original works: Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin

Church Folk, Michele Andrea Brown

Currently hot: Kimberla Lawson Roby

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Jacquelin Thomas

Walk Worthy Press

Urban Erotic

Pace: deliberate measured, compelling

Storyline: sexually explicit

Tone: contemporary, romantic, sensual

Style: candid, dramatic, direct

Original works: Black Erotic Anthology

Addicted, Zane

Currently hot: Noire

Mary B. Morrison

Geneva Holliday

Literary

Current Authors: Martha Southgate, Nathan McCall, Kalisha Buckhanon

YA

Bluford series (authors: Langdon, Schraff)

Kimani Tru (an mprint of Harlequin: “Kimani TRU focuses on the triumphs and obstacles of today's African-American youth with wit and realism!”

Drama High series (author: L. Divine)

For more details, see Thompson's notes on VLA's website.