Fordham Professor Co-Writes Hip Hop Lit

Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of African and African-American Studies, has teamed up with Yale University graduate student Melissa Castillo-Garsow to write a new novel, “Pure Bronx” (Augustus Publishing, 2013).

The book, which will be available on October 13, provides intimate perspectives on life in the Bronx, in much the same way lyrics from hip-hop songs often expose the underbelly of urban life.

The plot features characters such as a drug dealer with a heart of gold and an ambitious woman forced to strip for financial support.

In an interview with the Washington Square News, Naison said he hopes the book will make people look more closely at poorer or working class neighborhoods.

“It shows some of the difficulties that young people from such areas may have to face in order to survive," he said.

"Sometimes the bad choices they make are the necessary choices.”

—Patrick Verel