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A review by foureyebooks
South Central Noir by Desiree Zamorano, Gary Phillips, Steph Cha, Gar Anthony Haywood, Penny Mickelbury, Roberto Lovato, Naomi Hirahara, Jeri Westerson, Emory Holmes II, Jervey Tervalon, Eric Stone, Tananarive Due, Larry Fondation, Nikolas Charles
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
General Thoughts
The Noir Series published by Akashic Books is one of my favorite series and have released over 100 collections that span the globe from Alabama to Zagreb. Their latest is South Central Noir (2022), set in the South-Central neighborhood of Los Angeles California. What makes Noir series special is that the authors they choose have an intimate knowledge of the city. They either grew up or lived in the area for a significant time. This makes all the difference in authentic storytelling. Even if you haven't visited the place, it feels you are there. At the beginning of every story, the author lists location in which the story takes place. After reading each story I would Google the location to get a visual of the places and without fail, what was presented is true to life. From Watts Towers to the historic Dunbar Hotel, each is a location vital to the history and identity the neighborhood. Every story gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of the resilient, caring people of the city who are just trying to achieve the "American Dream". Even though they are not meant to take place in the same story universe, they feel they do. Each story is a thread that weaves itself into the beautiful and complex tapestry that is South Central Los Angeles. I highly recommend you check out this collection and this series. Even if you are not a fan of mysteries or "noir" stories you will find something to enjoy.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Trajectory
Every noir collection is broken up into three to four different sections based on a thematic concept that will drive the narrative. In this collection you have: Always and Forever, Cold Sweat, and The World is a Ghetto. It is challenging to write about this collection because each one was a glimpse into the life of the city. However, the following three stories remained with me for weeks after I finished:
All Luck by Steph Cha: This is the opening story of the collection and sets the tone of the collection. Set in the wake of the Los Angeles Rios in 1992, It is about a shop owner trying to get insurance money for his burned down shop.
Haint in the Window by Tananarive Due: A haunting about a black owned bookstore fighting against gentrification.
Sabor a Mi by Roberto Lovato: A detective story about a Guatemalan refugee turned Private Investigator , who has to go deep into his past to solve the mystery of a murdered friend.
Themes
South Central Noir has one of the strongest identities all the collections that I have read so far. In the introduction editor Gary Phillips succinctly lays out the goals for this book. He wants readers to get to know the people and the history of South Central, go beyond the stereotypes that have been portrayed in pop culture for decades and give people what it feels like to live in South Central. Even though the stories are fiction, they rooted in history. There are several themes emerged through these stories, but there was one that stood was a narrative thread through all of them. That is the myth of the American Dream. A core belief of the American Mythology in the United States is that if you work hard enough and pull yourself up by your bootstraps you can get the dream job, the perfect house etc. However, as we know myth and reality are two different things. There are larger systemic barriers including racism, classism, and sexism that can make it almost impossible to succeed. Even then after you have done everything that you think you should do, the rug still could get pulled right from under you. In order to move forward one must learn to be resourceful and build community. These stories present characters who despite their circumstances will do whatever they have to do to find meaning, achieve success, and protect the ones they love.
The Noir Series published by Akashic Books is one of my favorite series and have released over 100 collections that span the globe from Alabama to Zagreb. Their latest is South Central Noir (2022), set in the South-Central neighborhood of Los Angeles California. What makes Noir series special is that the authors they choose have an intimate knowledge of the city. They either grew up or lived in the area for a significant time. This makes all the difference in authentic storytelling. Even if you haven't visited the place, it feels you are there. At the beginning of every story, the author lists location in which the story takes place. After reading each story I would Google the location to get a visual of the places and without fail, what was presented is true to life. From Watts Towers to the historic Dunbar Hotel, each is a location vital to the history and identity the neighborhood. Every story gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of the resilient, caring people of the city who are just trying to achieve the "American Dream". Even though they are not meant to take place in the same story universe, they feel they do. Each story is a thread that weaves itself into the beautiful and complex tapestry that is South Central Los Angeles. I highly recommend you check out this collection and this series. Even if you are not a fan of mysteries or "noir" stories you will find something to enjoy.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Trajectory
Every noir collection is broken up into three to four different sections based on a thematic concept that will drive the narrative. In this collection you have: Always and Forever, Cold Sweat, and The World is a Ghetto. It is challenging to write about this collection because each one was a glimpse into the life of the city. However, the following three stories remained with me for weeks after I finished:
All Luck by Steph Cha: This is the opening story of the collection and sets the tone of the collection. Set in the wake of the Los Angeles Rios in 1992, It is about a shop owner trying to get insurance money for his burned down shop.
Haint in the Window by Tananarive Due: A haunting about a black owned bookstore fighting against gentrification.
Sabor a Mi by Roberto Lovato: A detective story about a Guatemalan refugee turned Private Investigator , who has to go deep into his past to solve the mystery of a murdered friend.
Themes
South Central Noir has one of the strongest identities all the collections that I have read so far. In the introduction editor Gary Phillips succinctly lays out the goals for this book. He wants readers to get to know the people and the history of South Central, go beyond the stereotypes that have been portrayed in pop culture for decades and give people what it feels like to live in South Central. Even though the stories are fiction, they rooted in history. There are several themes emerged through these stories, but there was one that stood was a narrative thread through all of them. That is the myth of the American Dream. A core belief of the American Mythology in the United States is that if you work hard enough and pull yourself up by your bootstraps you can get the dream job, the perfect house etc. However, as we know myth and reality are two different things. There are larger systemic barriers including racism, classism, and sexism that can make it almost impossible to succeed. Even then after you have done everything that you think you should do, the rug still could get pulled right from under you. In order to move forward one must learn to be resourceful and build community. These stories present characters who despite their circumstances will do whatever they have to do to find meaning, achieve success, and protect the ones they love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual violence