The Real World (Boston Globe)

Teens say they’re reading urban fiction because it reflects life in the city. Should parents be concerned?

The genre is not new: Authors such as Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim began writing about the world of pimps, gangsters, and drug dealers in the 1970s. But recently a younger generation of writers such as Teri Woods, Carl Weber, and Nikki Turner have begun delving into urban fiction. Some started as self-published authors who sold their books from the trunks of their cars. The books quickly won great acclaim among readers, allowing the new authors to establish independent book companies and ultimately sign deals with major publishers. In the past few years, the genre has exploded in popularity. According to Nielsen BookScan, only 4,000 urban fiction novels were sold in 2005, representing 0.2 percent of adult fiction book sales. In 2007, urban fiction accounted for 4 percent of the adult fiction market, with 82,000 copies sold. Continued…>>