2006 ALA Annual Conference

Street Lit
Sunday, June 25
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Fountain Room

Hear from authors of the hottest new genre -- street lit -- aka ghetto fiction, gansta lit. Find out why this lit is expanding reading horizons and bringing new users into the library. A book signing will follow. Barbara Hoffert, Editor of the Book Review, Library Journal, will introduce the authors and moderate the panel discussion. A book signing will follow.

Tracy Brown, author of Criminal Minded
Tracy Brown was born in Staten Island, New York in the 70’s, the youngest in a family of four daughters. She grew up in the projects in the Mariner’s Harbor section of Staten Island. She successfully balanced a career at one of Manhattan’s premier law firms with the demands of raising her three children. Yet, she never lost her passion for writing. Tracy began to perform her poetry as a spoken word performer at some of New York City’s hottest venues. Surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response she got for her poetry performances, she began working on her first novel in 2002, Black, a spellbinding tale of one young lady’s journey toward love and self acceptance.

Deja King, author of Bitch
Deja King attended North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and PaceUniversity where she majored in journalism. In1999, King attended the Lee Strasburg Theater Institute before accepting the job as Director of Hip Hop Artist Relations at Click Radio, where she developed segments featuring the biggest names in Hip Hop. King pushed her department to new levels by producing an outlet that placed hip hop in the forefront of the cyber world. (Photo Credit: Robin Lashawn)

Meta Smith, author of The Rolexxx Club
Méta Smith was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised on the south side of Chicago. Her adventurous spirit took her to Miami on a vacation that turned into a 6-year residency. In Miami she fell in love with the South Beach club scene, and worked a myriad of jobs to support her nightlife addiction including nightclub promoter, exotic dancer and music video model. The latter two positions inspired her to pen, The Rolexxx Club. Smith, a Spelman '94 graduate, lives in Conneaut, OH with her fiancé and son.

Timothy Williams, author of 5 Minutes and 42 Seconds
From a young writer with a raw talent and a compelling voice, 5 Minutes and 42 Seconds is a startling and edgy debut that explores questions of identity and sexuality with a refreshing vigor. A native of Ohio, Timothy Williams is a sophomore at Princeton University. This is his first novel. (Photo Credit: Jared Belinfante Company)