The Word on Street Lit No. 2 by Vanessa J. Morris (Library Journal article)

Appropriately for Women’s History Month, the following titles in this second installment of our new column—click here to read the first by Rollie Welch—focus on women’s stories, depicting the realities of inner-city life as experienced by African American women. What are the consequences of making split-second decisions driven by emotion, survival instincts, and desperation? What are the reasons for staying and surviving in the hood or chasing a dream of getting out and making a better life elsewhere? How do characters appreciate their womanhood in the midst of all the drama and uncertainty?

Street fiction came to the fore during the 1970s with the works of Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim. But the 1999 publication of Sister Souljah’s Coldest Winter Ever and Teri Woods’s True to the Game breathed new life into urban fiction, attracting female readers and writers to what had been a male-dominated genre. Souljah set the tone with her uncompromising tone and her frank depiction of the gritty realities faced by her protagonist. In successfully self-publishing her debut novel, Wood proved the efficacy and profitability of independent publishing. She also established the standard for fast-paced storytelling. Other notable female authors include Vicki Stringer, who founded Triple Crown Publications, the most popular and prolific publisher of street fiction; Nikki Turner; Keisha Ervin; and Tracy Brown.

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