The End of Chiraq: A Literary Mixtape

"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
"How do you reclaim what is holy from a bullet riddled name? Who has the right to hold a city in their mouth? The End of Chiraq is a salve for Chicago from those who live, love, and thrive against the flat narrative of this great city. These poets, scholars, and lyricists transport the reader to Chicago summer juke parties, family barbecues, and raise the joy that refuses to die in the face of political neglect and social violence. Unflinching and unmoved, The End of Chiraq stares back into the reader's eyes, past the murder headlines, and demands respect before you call a beloved home out its name." --Amanda Johnston, author of Another Way to Say Enter and cofounder of Black Poets Speak Out

"The violence regularly experienced by young Chicagoans is harnessed here to transform the potential and richness via rhythm, slang, hip-hop, scholarship, imagination, and documentation. It's an important book encapsulating the feelings and experiences of the black community in Chicago, a city under siege. These are stunning voices in rap, story, interviews, never put together like this before... This is a powerful encyclopedia of human progress though creativity." --Grace Cavalieiri, Washington Independent Review of Books
"Put this book in the hands of anyone who keeps Chicago name in their mouth, those who call it home and outsiders alike. The poems, prose, and lyrics on this mixtape are bops and ballads, love songs, diss tracks, dirges, and hymns that sing of Chicago to my outsider ear songs like the right way. Made clear here is that legendary love folks from Chicago have for their city continues to be translated into sharp criticism, impressive lyrics, and stellar poetry by emergent scribes of Chicago's current artistic renaissance. Play this book loud! Let it bang in your classroom, blast it at the bookstore. The End of Chiraq points to a bright and urgent future for a city in the capable hands of its young people, and they would also like to remind you to watch your mouth." --Danez Smith, author of Don't Call Us Dead and [insert] boy

"I want to see unconditional love and the end of Chiraq. If you feel the same way, my one 'answer' would be to read this book." --Cody Lee, NewPages