NYC Stories of Classic Grit and Millennial Realism (Down These Mean Streets and The Birthparents)

Episode 59: I discuss two books set in New York City, DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS by Piri Thomas and THE BIRTHPARENTS by Frank Santo. Thomas's memoir, a classic from 1967, passionately portrays life in Spanish Harlem, touching on identity, delinquency, and heroin addiction with a unique urban voice and emotional depth. Santo's novel, published in 2023, follows a burnt-out white caseworker navigating the Bronx foster care system, offering a different perspective with strong storytelling and his own bold and distinctive vision of contemporary urban challenges.

0:00 Two Authentic NY Stories
1:47 Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas
6:12 Reading from Down These Mean Streets
7:52 The Birthparents by Frank Santo
10:02 Plotting and Perspective from Frank Santo
13:27 Two Versions of the Mean Streets

Books mentioned:
Down These Mean Streets, by Piri Thomas (1967)
The Birthparents, by Frank Santo, published by Tortoise Books (fall, 2023)
Last Exit to Brooklyn, by Hubert Selby Jr. (1964)

#pirithomas #franksanto #newyorkstories