City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success Hardcover - 2009

A candid, colorful memoir about a nerd from the Brooklyn projects who made it bigNelson George grew up in the Tilden housing project in the crime- and despair-ridden Brownsville section of Brooklyn during the 1960s and 70s. In this tough neighborhood, Nelson was the nerdy kid who, in between stickball and street games, devoured Captain America comics, Ernest Hemingway novels, and album liner notes.City Kid introduces us to Nelson’s family: his absent wanna-be-hustler father; his tough-minded sister, who is seduced by the streets; and his mother, who dreams of becoming a teacher and returning to the South. Amid the struggles of his family, Nelson finds himself drawn into the world of black pop culture, first as a writer and then as a filmmaker, eventually collaborating with some of the major figures of the era—Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, Chris Rock, and many others.Nelson’s story is ultimately one of triumph, but it is not saccharine, sentimental, or full of false inspiration. Seeking transcendence through art and loving New York City, Nelson creates an insightful portrait of the emergence of black artists in the 1980s and 90s and illuminates how the pain of life can be turned into thoughtful books and cinema.

Details

• Title City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success
• Author Nelson George
• Binding Hardcover
• Edition First Edition
• Pages 248
• Volumes 1
• Language ENG
• Publisher Viking Books, NY
• Date 2009-04-02
• Illustrated Yes
• ISBN 9780670020362 / 0670020362
• Weight 0.87 lbs (0.39 kg)
• Dimensions 8.5 x 5.74 x 0.97 in (21.59 x 14.58 x 2.46 cm)
• Ages 18 to UP years
• Grade levels 13 - UP
• Library of Congress subjects Authors, American - 20th century, Music critics - United States
• Library of Congress Catalog Number 2008027422
• Dewey Decimal Code B