Description: An anthology of poetry, lyrics, artwork, and essays from Chicago youth that explores the origins and meanings of the name "Chiraq."
Review Quotes:
"This is no ordinary anthology. It's a multigenre compilation, curated by Johnson, a professor of African American studies, and poet Coval (A People's History of Chicago, 2017), cofounder of Chicago's Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry festival, and it reflects the editors' kaleidoscopic approach to literary work in one of the most diverse--and one of the most segregated--cities in the U.S. By turns academic and artistic, the collection includes interviews with community activists (like Uptown's Elephant Rebellion), essays on Black Lives Matter and against Spike Lee's Chi-Raq, and an artists' round-table discussion on Afrofuturism. But at its heart are poems, produced primarily through Young Chicago Authors, and they are some of the most fiery, fiercely intelligent, wickedly funny verses brought together in one place." --Booklist
"Because this book focuses on the lived experiences of Black and Brown Chicagoans, it draws on the voices, literary cues, and artist expressions that are part of their lives. As a Black Chicagoan, I was thrilled to see the rhythms and use of Chicago slang (tha' go and Chiraq) used in this book. It captures a unique voice, which readers (especially Chicago readers) will find compelling." --Rashad Shabazz, Associate Professor, Social Sciences at Arizona State University "The End of Chiraq is a necessary and impassioned recovery of a set of histories, images, and a soul of Chicago that is often rendered absent in traditional demographic studies. This collection is hip-hop, once again, finding ways to give voice and power to young people." --Anthony S. Blacksher, Associate Publisher, San Diego Poetry Annual