Legitimizing Street Lit in the Classroom: Essays on Critical Connections of Zora Neale Hurston, Ann Petry and Sister Souljah

Street Literature. Urban Fiction. Thug Drama. Hip Hop Lit. The genre with many names has seen a surge in popularity in recent decades. For many hesitant readers, street literature is a gateway to canonical text. Yet, its reception in academic classrooms has yet to reflect the demand for this type of fiction.

Street Literature: A Reader is a collection of essays that will aid teachers in broaching traditional literary topics in a diverse and representative manner. Instructors will find this reader to be a great supplemental text as the essays provide departure points along with student-led prompts.

Teachers can use this reader with a canonical text of one’s choice and a street literature excerpt to help students bridge the gap between canonical and contemporary. Classroom discussions become more engaging with questions such as: “How do characters in Winter Santiaga’s ’hood model the American Dream in comparison to the depictions in The Great Gatsby?” “What does Zora Neale Hurston’s work have in common with Sister Souljah’s?”