Three new books with Philly themes worth reading
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
These writers either lived in Philly or their main subjects live here.
The Removers
by Andrew Meredith
(Scribner, July 15)
Andrew Meredith’s father’s career as a literature professor is destroyed after unspecified allegations of sexual misconduct and his dad winds up as a remover, taking away the bodies of people who die at home. A father/son rift develops. When Andrew’s life later veers off course, he goes to work alongside his father. This coming-of-age memoir tells the story of the work and its impact on their relationship. The author grew up in the Northeast, where the story takes place, and currently lives in Los Angeles. He has been awarded several writing fellowships and holds an M.F.A. from UNC-Greensboro. This is his first book.
Endangered
by Jean Love Cush
(HarperCollins, July 1)
The provocative plot of this novel involves an African-American teenager accused of a crime and his mother’s fight to save him. She agrees to allow lawyers to use a controversial defense on his behalf. The story speaks to race, class and justice in America. Jean Love Cush, a Philadelphia native, worked for the city District Attorney’s office directly out of law school. She now lives in Illinois.
Cosby: His Life and Times
by Mark Whitaker
(Simon & Schuster, Sept. 16)
This is a major biography of Philly icon Bill Cosby. Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with Cosby and more than 60 friends and associates, the book provides a frank account of Cosby’s life and legacy. The book is timed to the 30th anniversary of The Cosby Show premiere and the 50th anniversary of Cosby’s album I Started Out as a Child, which won him his first Grammy Award. Mark Whitaker is author of the memoir My Long Trip Home, and formerly worked for CNN Worldwide, NBC News and Newsweek, where he rose to become the first African-American leader of a national newsweekly.
