Word Hustle is the first scholarly treatment of fiction writer Donald Goines, and thereby the first serious consideration of what has been termed "street literature," "ghetto literature," "street fiction," or "urban fiction." By examining Goines, one of street literature''s most prolific founders, this collection seeks to begin a legitimate study of the genre and its authors. In illuminating the layers of Goines''s novels, the contributors engage topics such as Black Power politics