Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Urban Fiction: Zane

Urban Fiction, Street Lit, Hip Hop Literature...but what is it? If you’ve never heard of Urban Fiction, it’s defined as, “a literary genre set in a city landscape; however, the genre is as much defined by the socio-economic realities and culture of its characters as the urban setting. The tone for urban fiction is usually dark, focusing on the underside of city living.” The majority of the stories take place in largely industrial urban settings such as Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia and New Orleans, to name a few. The settings are gritty and the characters are tough, ready to survive by any means necessary. You may know the stories, but what about the authors who write them? What inspired them? Let's take a deeper look at six different authors and offer you a peek inside their lives!

May Spotlight: Zane

1. Zane isn’t really Zane at all. Zane is a pseudonym for her given name, Kristina Laferne Roberts. She was born in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
2. If that’s not her real name...Where did the name Zane come from? Zane had a very typical mid 90’s creation to her name...as a screename in an AOL chat room. Why did she pick it? Well, “It was a total accident. It is kind of cool. But it wasn’t intentional,” she says. She notes an unintended consequence, “I’m on the bottom of all the bookshelves.” 
3. Zane didn’t originally set out to be a writer, she actually studied to be something much different than the novels she writes. Ms. Roberts, as she was known years ago, attended Howard University and was set on becoming a chemical engineer. 
4. Zane’s Father was esteemed Theologian, J. Deotis Roberts, one of the founders of The Black Theology Movement.
5. She was part of photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sander’s portrait project, “The Blacklist,” that was featured in the Smithsonian in 2012. The Blacklist project's goal was to, “create an entirely new kind of black list—a visual "who's who" of African American men and women whose intelligence, talent, and determination have propelled them to prominence in disciplines as diverse as religion, performing arts, medicine, sports, art, literature, and politics.” Zane was among the likes of Toni Morrison, Al Sharpton and Colin Powell.

To read more about Zane, check out one of her many novels, available at the Greenburgh Public Library. Come in and visit the Urban Fiction section on the second floor! 

References:

• https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/erotic-author-zane-is-famous-but-anonymous/
• http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/blacklist/index.html
• http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Zane/269527