false 4386518 1 <B>A candid, colorful memoir about a nerd from the Brooklyn projects who made it big</B><BR><BR> Nelson 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.<BR><BR> <I>City Kid</I> 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.<BR><BR> 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. 4434552 2 4 2009 City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success total:17|5:4|4:8|3:4|2:1|1:0| 17 66 42 4 4 0 false false Thu Jul 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 06:07:56 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 16 06:20:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Oct 07 21:42:09 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 09 14:37:09 -0800 2009
You may not care. This is a book with a choir it preaches to. I am in ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Apr 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 16:19:37 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 09:00:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 03:36:14 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 03:36:50 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Oct 26 09:04:28 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 09:04:35 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 08 12:46:03 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 12:46:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Oct 02 13:06:50 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 13:04:45 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 03 15:00:08 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Sep 20 16:14:07 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 16:14:07 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Sep 13 07:42:22 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 07:42:22 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Sep 09 16:10:16 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 16:10:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Aug 20 12:29:23 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 20 12:29:23 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Aug 19 19:28:36 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 19:28:36 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Aug 14 17:07:22 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 17:07:22 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 09 17:48:06 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 17:48:06 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jul 23 15:22:23 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 23 15:22:23 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jul 20 18:46:41 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 18:47:04 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 17 15:31:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 15:31:00 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Jul 15 22:30:23 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 18 20:27:45 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jul 08 14:29:59 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 14:29:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Jul 07 11:35:21 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 11:35:21 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=4386518