Urban fiction, also called street lit or street fiction, is a type of story that takes place in a city. This genre describes the everyday lives and challenges of people who live in cities. The stories often have a serious and difficult tone, showing the hard parts of city life. These stories may include strong language, descriptions of relationships, and scenes with violence. Many writers of this genre use their own life experiences to create their stories.

Genesis and historical forces

Modern urban fiction is often written by African Americans because many people living in inner cities today are African American. In his well-known essay The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. Du Bois described how a metaphorical barrier, or "veil," separated African Americans from the rest of society. This idea suggests that people outside the African American community may struggle to accurately portray the lives, settings, and experiences of African Americans in their writing. Individuals who did not grow up in urban areas might find it challenging to create stories that reflect the realities of inner-city life.

Urban fiction has roots in the 19th century, when authors began writing about the changing lives of city residents. Earlier novels that showed the struggles of people living in poverty in cities can also be considered early examples of urban fiction or "street lit." In her book The Readers' Advisory Guide to Street Literature (2011), Vanessa Irvin Morris notes that books now seen as classics were once viewed as urban fiction in their time.

Some important examples of urban fiction from this period include Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, often called the greatest American urban novel, and Ulysses by James Joyce. Other works that show historical inner-city life include Maggie, A Girl of the Streets (1893) by Stephen Crane, Oliver Twist (1838) by Charles Dickens, and The Sport of the Gods (1902) by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Urban fiction is not limited to African American or Latino stories; the genre includes works from many cultures and backgrounds throughout history.

Early 20th century urban fiction

Alongside the modernist movement, which aimed to change traditional ways of writing, a new type of urban fiction began to appear. Katherine Mullin stated that "the modernist person who feels disconnected is shaped by big cities, not by the countryside or small towns." Elizabeth Young wrote in the book Shopping in Space that "cities offer unique chances for creative artists," including experiences with greed, crime, artistic communities, nightlife, and drugs. Some of the most common cities in 20th-century urban fiction include New York City, especially areas like Greenwich Village, Times Square, and Harlem; Chicago; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.

The Beat Generation was a group of writers in New York City who had a major influence on urban fiction. William S. Burroughs’ book Junky is a story based on his own life, describing heroin addiction in New York, New Orleans, and Mexico City. It is considered an important work of New York urban fiction. The book is known for using slang from the time, which is typical in urban literature. Will Self wrote that Burroughs’ descriptions of places where drug users live "show how people feel lonely and disconnected in cities." His characters are often described as invisible or without substance, reflecting the idea of being left behind when the soul is lost. Stories about drug use and feeling disconnected are also common in modern and recent urban fiction.

The Harlem Renaissance was an important step toward today’s African American urban fiction. Langston Hughes was a key writer in early urban literature, and his poem The Ballad of the Landlord is seen as an early example of urban poetry. The poem was inspired by life in Harlem, New York City, during the 1930s. It shows how angry and frustrated tenants felt when landlords refused to fix basic problems in their homes. The poem follows the rhythm of a traditional blues song until the final part, where the rhythm changes. Sabrina Nixon wrote that "instead of being overwhelmed by the challenges of living in poor areas, Hughes used those experiences to create powerful art."

Emergence of contemporary urban fiction

As the people living in cities changed, so did the stories written about them. Today, urban fiction is mostly written by African Americans. In the research paper "Urban Underworlds: A geography of twentieth-century American literature and culture," Thomas Heise explains how stories set in cities often show "negative stereotypes and scary ideas" and why American cities are sometimes chosen as "urban underworlds" in these stories.

In the 1970s, at the end of the Black Power movement, a Black man who was in jail used the name Iceberg Slim and wrote a book called Pimp. This book told a story about the tough and difficult life in the inner-city underworld. While the book included ideas from the Black Power movement, it was most famous for its honest and detailed description of street life. Iceberg Slim wrote many other books and became famous around the world. Some of the words he used in his books became part of the language spoken by many Black people.

Hip hop

During the 1980s and early 1990s, urban fiction in print became less popular. By 2009, modern hip-hop literature had become a popular and growing genre. Many non-fiction books written by people in the hip-hop world, such as Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, LL Cool J, and FUBU founder Daymond John, were widely included in publications. Authors like Karrine Steffans and radio host Wendy Williams wrote very successful books for this audience. Both Steffans and rapper 50 Cent achieved such success with their books that they received their own publishing companies to help bring in other authors, such as G-Unit Books, which was created by 50 Cent.

Contemporary street literature

In the late 1990s, urban fiction became popular again because more people wanted to read stories that showed real life in cities. New ways for writers to publish their work made it easier for new authors to share their stories with readers and libraries. The first writer in this new wave was Omar Tyree, who wrote Flyy Girl in 1996. This book was reprinted in 1999.

In 1999, Sister Souljah’s book The Coldest Winter Ever became a bestseller. Around the same time, Teri Woods published True to the Game, which became a model for how urban fiction was published and shared. These three books—The Coldest Winter Ever, True to the Game, and Flyy Girl—helped urban fiction grow in popularity and are now seen as important works in the genre’s revival.

Sister Souljah explained that urban fiction had not been widely accepted before because of stereotypes. One example of urban fiction that reached a large audience is Push by Sapphire. This book tells the story of a 16-year-old mother dealing with abuse, poverty, and other challenges. It sold hundreds of thousands of copies and later became a film called Precious.

In less than ten years, urban fiction grew rapidly, with thousands of books being published. New types of urban fiction, like Devil’s Mambo by Jerry Rodriguez and Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera, began to appear.

Important writers in urban fiction today include Wahida Clark, Kole Black, Vickie Stringer, Nikki Turner, K’wan Foye, Toy Styles, Roy Glenn, and Kwame Teague, who some believe wrote Teri Woods’ Dutch. Other writers are Treasure E. Blue and the writing team Meesha Mink & De’Nesha Diamond.

A new type of urban fiction called hip-hop fiction and street lit also grew. Sister Souljah helped start this movement. Authors like Saul Williams, Abiola Abrams, and Felicia Pride write books that use literary techniques like metaphors and symbols. These books are sometimes used in schools or for social programs while still celebrating hip-hop culture.

The internet helped urban fiction grow by letting authors and publishers reach readers more easily. Many self-published writers, like Rasheed Clark, became well-known because of online promotion. Clark’s books, Stories I Wouldn’t Tell Nobody But God and Cold Summer Afternoon, became bestsellers and earned him many award nominations.

Authors like K’wan Foye, Nikki Turner, and Toy Styles brought music promotion methods, such as street teams, to book marketing. Some writers, like those who worked with 50 Cent, wrote about real-life stories of musicians.

In 2010, the music label Cash Money Records started a publishing company called Cash Money Content. Their last book, Animal 3, was published in 2014.

Vickie Stringer is a writer and the founder of Triple Crown Publications, a publishing company that released 45 books and worked with 35 authors by 2008.

Websites like AALBC help track the growth of urban fiction.

At first, some people criticized street lit because books were not always well-edited. However, mainstream publishers began working with street lit authors, leading to better-quality books. Treasure E. Blue, for example, sold 65,000 copies before signing with Random House Publishing.

Today, urban fiction is widely read by young people. Researchers study how it affects literacy, especially among teenage girls. Some teachers in suburban schools include urban fiction in their lessons, calling it “multicultural young adult literature” to help students learn about real-life urban experiences.

Research articles

• Morris, V. I. (2011). The Street Lit Author and the Inner-City Teen. Journal of Young Adult Library Service, 10(1), pages 21–24.
• Morris, V.I. (2010). Street Lit: Before you recommend it, you have to understand it. In Urban Teens in the Library: Research and Practice (pages 53–66). Chicago: American Library Association.
• Brooks, W. & Savage, L. (2009). Critiques and Controversies of Street Literature: An Important Type of Writing. The ALAN Review, 37(3), pages 48–55.
• Hill, M.L., Perez, B., & Irby, D. (2008). Street fiction: What is it and what does it mean for English teachers? English Journal, 97(3), pages 76–81.
• Morris, V. I., Hughes-Hassell, S., Agosto, D. E., & Cottman, D. T. (2006). Street Lit: Flying off teen fiction bookshelves in Philadelphia public libraries. Young Adult Library Services, 5(1), pages 16–23.
• Triplett, L. (2018). Urban Fiction Novels: Az We Ride We Die Series (1) Grant Street, (2) The Search Continues, (3) Friends to the End. Available for free online reading on Amazon.

Books

• Morris, Vanessa Irvin (2011). The Readers' Advisory Guide to Street Literature. Published by the American Library Association. ISBN 0838911102.
• Honig, Megan (2010). Urban Grit: A Guide to Street Lit. Published by Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 159158857X.
• Ratner, Andrew (2009). Street Lit: Teaching and Reading Fiction in Urban Schools. Published by McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0073378437.