The
definition of urban that I am working with is a positive one, although some
believe it to have negative connotations as a code word of sorts to “mask”
discussion of Black culture. Rooted in its literal meaning being “of the city,”
I believe urban (in terms of fiction) is reflective of a style of culture:
music, clothing, attitude, and a mentality of the streets … be they hard
impoverished streets, or the trendy city streets of a bustling metropolis. The
commonality being its link to urban popular culture, its ideologies, codes of
conduct, values . . .and yes, more often than not it is a reflection of
Black/African-American/Caribbean-Canadian culture. Given the demographics of
Toronto and our diverse living proximity and sharing of cultural activities, we
can also throw a variety of other cultures into the mix of what makes Canada
“urban.”
Now,
this may not be the same for our counterparts south of the border. Just as
their culture is unique, so is the way they present it, and celebrate it. So
while Urban Fiction in American may be more on the “street” side than the
“Caribbean culture” side … it is still rooted in the need to depict a
particular community authentically, and keep the writing and the characters
true to their origin.
In
the Canadian context, Canadian Urban Fiction is just as relatively new as urban
culture. Just like music, clothing lines, and radio licensing, we have
witnessed the emergence of a lucrative and internationally powerful recognition
of our status. Add a successful basketball team, chart-topping recording
artists, successful choreographers and videographers, and there’s an industry
that has been steadily on the rise for the past 20 years, and quickly reaching
domination in various categories.
Black-
African- and Caribbean-Canadian writers have been winning awards, topping
bestseller lists, and making noise in the Canadian literary scene for decades.
Greats like Dionne Brand, Lawrence Hill, and Austin Clarke have cemented their
place as voices and historians of the Black Canadian culture through their
words, storytelling, and artistic talents. To define their writing by race
alone would be an injustice to the universal nature of their stories their
words, and craftsmanship.
In
the emergence of Canadian Urban Fiction, I would not classify the works of a[a1] ‘George Elliott Clarke’, of an ‘Afua Cooper’, or of a ‘Rosemary Sadlier’
as “urban” or of that genre. I believe their legacy is that of an inaugural
nature, and of foundation. It is beyond classification, by these narrow
confines.
It
is the generation just following these legends that were raised by the “urban
culture” of the nineties and beyond, that Kya Publishing is capturing almost
specifically: the generation that birthed the term urban, and was exposed to
the emergence of the “BET (Black Entertainment Television)” culture, the change
and monetizing of hip-hop culture, and the diversification of its racial
impact.
I
cannot personally speak for the American tone, or the British tone to urban
writing, but I will claim that the Canadian tone is infused with an American
influence, Caribbean and African presence, and a multicultural awareness that
only Toronto/Canada can bring. It is less gangster, more cultural; less street,
and more city; less explicit, and more authentic. I will claim the Canadian
interpretation of Urban Fiction to be gritty, real, raw, and a familiar interpretation
of our various ethnicities and cultural values.
As
a publisher, I strive to be a communicator and supporter of urban literary content,
through ensuring that we as writers are all like-minded in our descriptions and
creations of the urban Toronto/Canadian caricatures that will stand the test of
literary time and permanency.
Historically,
Urban Fiction has been popular with teens and twenty-somethings, as a gritty
introduction to literature and real life experience, much like youth-focused
television programming, music, and magazines. It made the reading experience so
personal, that the very life they were living, music they were listening to,
clothing, and speech patterns they were familiar with, found themselves into
literature.
Not
unlike most books, the experiences reflect reality. However, it wasn’t until
the introduction of Robert Beck aka Iceberg Slim, that the realities of the
“streets” and the urban underworld of sorts, were celebrated in literature.
This manifested as urban pulp fiction in the 1970s, and while widely
circulated, it is difficult to find professional reviews of this content and
its originators.
Other
literature of the time by African-American authors focused more on culture,
racism, slavery, and striving for equality…featured autobiographies, and less
about drugs, gangs, and street as the urban pulp fiction was highlighting.
Writers
like W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T Washington, and Frederick Douglass spoke to the
meaning of the Black American presence, and issues of people of African descent
living in the U.S. Political in nature, and rooted in change and awareness,
there was another movement of writing in the 70s that was more mainstream than
the gritty street literature of the inaugural Urban Fiction writers.
This
was not the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s-1940s … this was a different tone
altogether, with a high appeal to otherwise reluctant readers. These books were
defined by socio-economic realities, and very culturally specific.
Neighbourhood specific. This was not speaking about the plights of
African-Americans everywhere … this was talking about the life of a particular ‘hood
at a particular time. This was refuting the dominant, intellectual literature
culture. This was Urban Fiction, and it began to stand as a genre on its own.
There
was no mainstream acceptance, and arguably still isn’t. Urban Fiction authors
became accustomed to self-publishing their words, and independently marketing
their efforts.
While
the 1990s did see a surge in popularity with writers like Omar Tyree, Terry
McMillan, and the likes … their books soon transcended the urban framework, and
became staples of African-American literature, much like their predecessors.
Today’s
Urban Fiction authors came up with a different hustle to the game--an urgency
to publish these tales by-any-means-necessary to keep the texts current, and frequent.
In their own communities, Urban Fiction writers and publishers have built and
sustained a thriving industry of hundreds of novels, authors, and its own
infrastructure.
Through
the Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction[a2] ,
we will continue to explore this genre of writing, the historical and future impact,
and the writers that are dedicated to its growth.
Stacey Marie Robinson is the founder of Kya Publishing, a writer, and
communications specialist. Contact Stacey at: stacey@kyapublishing.com.
