Urban Fiction/Street Literature....The Debate Continues

    Yesterday I was informed that there was an interesting discussion about Urban Fiction/Street Literature on the YALSA listserv. After reading the posts and sleeping on it, I decided to put in my two cents.

  I've been using and advocating the use of the genre of Urban Fiction/Street Literature for over 10 years with allot of successes. I pride myself on having a healthy mix of teen friendly and adult Street Lit. books for my teen readers. Regardless of how one may feel about this genre, it's here to stay. 

My student Rebekah describes what Street Lit. means to her and her classmates who live in the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago.

My Final Thoughts About Urban Fiction/Street Lit.

1. All stories have VALUE, regardless of the lens/perspective it's told from.

2. Who are any of us (librarians/libraries) to say Urban Fiction is not a genre?

3. Urban Fiction is a genre and Street Literature is a sub-genre of Urban Fiction, both should be respected as such.

4. Urban Fiction is a genre that should be in all library collections for teens and adults. As should other books about various subjects and cultures.

5. To make excuses (I've heard many of them) not to include them is just plain sad and a disservice to your patrons.

6. Urban Fiction is a genre that should not be ignored by librarians. This genre has served as a catalyst to jump start reluctant readers to read more frequently.

7. Urban Fiction has provided a pipeline for readers to learn/understand communities unlike their

own.

8. From my personal experience, many critics of Urban Fiction have not bothered to either read not just one book, but a body of work representing various authors and reading levels.

9. Many critics of Urban Fiction just don't understand it. Just think about it: What happens when we don't understand something....We reject it.

10. Many librarians have Young Adult Urban Fiction and Street Literature books within their collections, and are unaware of their genre classification.

 If you would like to read more on this subject of Urban Fiction/Street Literature you can read my blog post on my other blog, MissDomino.BlogSpot: 

"Street Lit. Writers Must Be Heard"
  http://missdomino.blogspot.com/2014/08/street-lit-writers-must-be-heard.html 

Another post that should be read is Amy Koester's blog post,
"Selection is Privilege"
http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/2015/02/selection-is-privilege.html

Homecoming Week 2014

The students had so much fun during Homecoming (Spirit) Week 2014.  Here's just a couple of pictures from Twin Day, Nerd Day and Crazy Hair Day:

 The Behind the Paws crew members took pictures highlighting each day's theme.  At the end of this video, the students also created a mini-music video highlighting the lastest dance craze in Chicago, 'Boppin'.    The video was played during the Homecoming Assembly on Friday.  Enjoy!

My Creative Students!

Every year I try to contribute to the school wide message of teens abstaining from drinking and driving during Senior Prom.   In years past, classroom teachers led the project with my support of use of technology.  This year’s project was a little different.

The students had the opportunity to participate in a lecture series provided by the Grand Boulevard Coalition of Bronzeville.  This year, a representative from the organization provided a ‘deep’ discussion with Phillips teens about the dangers of drinking, driving and use of illegal drugs.  The students were definitely impacted by this presentation because the presenter was very direct and to the point.

Weeks later, one of the members requested that I provide him with some additional support.  Their town hall meeting for the community was quickly approaching and they needed some help getting the ‘word’ out in an innovative way.   In addition, they needed a public service announcement created and starring Phillips students.

I recruited five seniors, one junior and two sophomores to create two videos, provide voiceovers and create/locate interesting graphics online.  These students took control of the project and talked about the dangers of alcohol and drug consumption especially on Prom Night.  Phillips teachers, security staff, administrators and our own Mercy Clinic supported this effort.  The first video below is the announcement featuring a sophomore and junior student, encouraging the community to attend the townhall meeting and the second video is actually the public service announcement featuring the seniors.  Please keep in mind, the students are using language (lingo) that they understand and would send a strong message to their peers.

The students were rewarded with a pizza party provided by Mr. Brunson for their good work!