Literary Tales of D.C. and Its People

While everyone is talking about the nominees for the 2013 Oscars, something was quietly tweeted across my Twitter timeline a few moments ago. The Washington Post has dropped their list of good reads that offer an inside look into the nation’s capitol. It’s really a list designed for “newbies” to the city.  Though I am familiar with the authors, I haven’t read the titles that are mentioned on this list. It seems the list is mostly made up of non-fiction books (there is a peppering of fiction and poetry), where politics plays a role (of course) and D.C. serves as the main backdrop. There are a few titles that are of interest to me, especially one from fellow journalist Natalie Hopkinson. Hopkinson’s Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City tells of a time when the city’s residents were majority black and how go-go music became part of our identity not as a people but as a city; the art, the movement, the good and the downfall of it all. The other that is of interest is Edward P. Jones’ Lost in the City. Jones, who is the author of the prolific The Known World, gives his readers a collection of short stories in Lost in the City. Jones sets the stories in little known D.C. neighborhoods or as the WaPo puts it “over looked neighborhoods.”  I’m curious as to which neighborhoods Jones places his characters.

There are a few more I want to add to this list.

I always tell people, if they want to understand the politics of local D.C. the go-to book is Dream City by journalists Tom Sherwood and Harry S. Jaffe. I read this in high school and it presented me with a perspective of my fair city that I couldn’t really figure out or fully understand until I read that book. For instance, I just could not understand why were never made a state and why Congress has so much say in our city. I also didn’t understand the need for a financial control board at the time. This really should be a mandatory read in civic classes in DCPS. Sadly, I believe this book is out of print and is hard to find. However, should you luck up and find a copy in the library by all means READ IT! I PROMISE YOU it’s a history lesson you will cherish, especially if you are a resident!

Every now and then I refer to a book in my home called The Guide to Black Washington. This book gives a small history lesson into “Black Washington” and over 100 institutions and places that are or were of significance to the city.

Lucky me that social media is now the thing. I’ve connected with fellow writers and journalist, one in particular is D.C. native Kenji Jasper. Dark is a fictional tale about a young teenage boy who teeters on a thin line like so many black male teens. Nearing 20 Thai, who lives in Fairfax Village in SE, has aspirations to head to college and he is holding down a government job. Yet, he has a couple of friends that may or may not influence his thinking and actions. It’s been a long while since I read the book, and some details seem a bit fuzzy, but I remember something MAJOR goes down. A murder. Thai escapes D.C. and heads to Charlotte, N.C. Aside from having authentic characters, Jasper present an authentic D.C. It’s funny that when I got the opportunity to tell Jasper that I loved the book, he accepted the compliment before telling me he didn’t think Dark was his best work, but he is consistently praised for it. You may also want to check out his book The House on Childress Street: A Memoir, as he recounts his family history via his maternal grandfather.

I’m sure there are plenty other books that use D.C. as the backdrop or the focal point. A few times I’ve stumbled on such books and always put it down after reading the synopsis.  Something about the story line doesn’t seem authentic, especially when using D.C. as the backdrop. It’s not real D.C. Reading that kind of synopsis just painfully reminds me that I need to shit and get off the pot with my own manuscript. I promise I can do my city justice without floating from one extreme to the other.

For the full list check out the WaPo’s “A Literary Introduction to Washington.” 

Tagged: african-american, african-american lit, creative writing, Edward P. Jones, Harry S. Jaffe, journalism, Kenji Jasper, Nataile Hopkinson, Tom Sherwood, Washington DC, Washington Post, writing

Posted in: Book Report, regular