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Stateway's Garden: Stories
Before being torn down in 2007, the Stateway Gardens public housing projects on Chicago’s South Side were ridden with deprivation and crime. But for some, like Tracy, the shy, intelligent young boy at the center of this enthralling collection of linked stories, they are simply home. Set in the mid-1980s and taking readers up to the point of the destruction of the infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects—a set of buildings similar in design to Stateway Gardens to the south—this collection gives an intimate look at the hopes, dreams, failures, and fortunes of a group of people growing up with the deck always stacked against them. Through Jasmon Drain’s sensitive and often playful prose, we see another side of what we have come to know as “the projects.”
Stateway’s Garden is a coming-of-age story told in short stories, through the lens of a childhood made rough by the crush of poverty and violence, with the crack epidemic a looming specter ahead. And yet, through the experiences and ambitions of Tracy and other young characters, Drain reveals a vibrant community that creates its own ecosystem, all set in a series of massive, seemingly soulless concrete buildings. Not shying away from the darkness of life for his characters, Drain shows the full complexity of their human experiences.
Exquisitely detailed and novelistic in scope, this collection of stories will linger in your mind long after you have turned the final page.
Stateway’s Garden is a coming-of-age story told in short stories, through the lens of a childhood made rough by the crush of poverty and violence, with the crack epidemic a looming specter ahead. And yet, through the experiences and ambitions of Tracy and other young characters, Drain reveals a vibrant community that creates its own ecosystem, all set in a series of massive, seemingly soulless concrete buildings. Not shying away from the darkness of life for his characters, Drain shows the full complexity of their human experiences.
Exquisitely detailed and novelistic in scope, this collection of stories will linger in your mind long after you have turned the final page.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 20, 2020
All of the stories revolve around or are somehow related to Tracy and Jacob, two brothers growing up in the Stateway Gardens.
Tracey and his older brother, Jacob, know nothing other than growing up in Chicago’s building project the Stateway Gardens. Surrounded by crime and poverty, Tracy holds on tight to his dreams of a bright future. While some see the building as a symbol of failure, Tracy remembers it as his only home.
Initially, the stories were hard to get into it. I had a hard time reading the first part of this book; it felt choppy and I felt removed from the characters because of the narration style. The only story in the beginning that I liked was "Solane". I didn't like any stories again until after halfway. Admittedly, the last few stories were hard to put down. At that point, both Tracy and Jacob were older and no longer children. Things then began to come to life. In the end, I was all in my emotions and completely invested the characters. I wish the entire book had been that way so I could have gotten to know them better during their childhood.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
More about the Stateway Gardens:
Click here to read short accounts as told by the residents who lived there.
A view of April's kitchen in her Stateway Gardens apartment, click here to read April's full story.
Shown above is a "drug dealers’ place of work “up under” a building at Stateway Gardens."
Stateway Gardens 1st Floor
Tracey and his older brother, Jacob, know nothing other than growing up in Chicago’s building project the Stateway Gardens. Surrounded by crime and poverty, Tracy holds on tight to his dreams of a bright future. While some see the building as a symbol of failure, Tracy remembers it as his only home.
Initially, the stories were hard to get into it. I had a hard time reading the first part of this book; it felt choppy and I felt removed from the characters because of the narration style. The only story in the beginning that I liked was "Solane". I didn't like any stories again until after halfway. Admittedly, the last few stories were hard to put down. At that point, both Tracy and Jacob were older and no longer children. Things then began to come to life. In the end, I was all in my emotions and completely invested the characters. I wish the entire book had been that way so I could have gotten to know them better during their childhood.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
More about the Stateway Gardens:
Click here to read short accounts as told by the residents who lived there.
A view of April's kitchen in her Stateway Gardens apartment, click here to read April's full story.
Shown above is a "drug dealers’ place of work “up under” a building at Stateway Gardens."
Stateway Gardens 1st Floor
November 30, 2021
We expect certain things to take place in "hood" stories, because of books that often get published and movies that are greenlit in Hollywood. You probably expect some violence, some gang shit, a bunch of trauma, You know... The usual, stereotypical soup. Stateway, is a refreshing take on life in the projects.
Stateway's Garden is a linked short story collection (something that seems to be happening more and more). Linked mainly through the narrator of most of our stories; Tracy. He, the smart brother, & his older brother, Jacob, the pretty one, are the stars of this collection, set in the 1980s on the South side of Chicago's Stateway Gardens neighborhood.
Some familiar themes show up in this collection such as racism, colorism (which is presented a little more subtle than usual), poverty & de facto segregation, among other topics, but it feels different here. Partly because Drain adds necessary layers of complexity to his subjects.
Take Joanne, Tracy's & Jacob's mother as an example. In the first story "B. B. Sauce" she tells Jacob that "life is about money, not fun," when he complains after she tries to get him to come to work with her.
I use this example to show that Drain writes authentic people. Not characters who are meant to impress us. He writes those that are focused on their goals and dreams, making it to a better life, characters who can afford only to do better in life as oppose to being woke.
That example is important because it reflects the ambition that drives most of SG's characters. SG gives us people who want to move out of the hood, people who want to be the man in the hood, people who want to marry, who want nothing more than to hop on the L to go spend some time on a college campus since that will be their only summer vacation, people whose imagination is minimized in large part due to "de facto segregation."
Jasmon Drain also plays the role of historian with Stateway's Garden since he is a Chicago native writing about buildings that were torn down in 2007 due to gentrification. Making this work invaluable.
Thank you to Random House for sending me this finished copy.
------------------------------------------------
This is book #3 for the #10Books10Decades Challenge. I used this for the 2020s.
More information on this challenge can be found in the link below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yyRMdg2ya/
Stateway's Garden is a linked short story collection (something that seems to be happening more and more). Linked mainly through the narrator of most of our stories; Tracy. He, the smart brother, & his older brother, Jacob, the pretty one, are the stars of this collection, set in the 1980s on the South side of Chicago's Stateway Gardens neighborhood.
Some familiar themes show up in this collection such as racism, colorism (which is presented a little more subtle than usual), poverty & de facto segregation, among other topics, but it feels different here. Partly because Drain adds necessary layers of complexity to his subjects.
Take Joanne, Tracy's & Jacob's mother as an example. In the first story "B. B. Sauce" she tells Jacob that "life is about money, not fun," when he complains after she tries to get him to come to work with her.
I use this example to show that Drain writes authentic people. Not characters who are meant to impress us. He writes those that are focused on their goals and dreams, making it to a better life, characters who can afford only to do better in life as oppose to being woke.
That example is important because it reflects the ambition that drives most of SG's characters. SG gives us people who want to move out of the hood, people who want to be the man in the hood, people who want to marry, who want nothing more than to hop on the L to go spend some time on a college campus since that will be their only summer vacation, people whose imagination is minimized in large part due to "de facto segregation."
Jasmon Drain also plays the role of historian with Stateway's Garden since he is a Chicago native writing about buildings that were torn down in 2007 due to gentrification. Making this work invaluable.
Thank you to Random House for sending me this finished copy.
------------------------------------------------
This is book #3 for the #10Books10Decades Challenge. I used this for the 2020s.
More information on this challenge can be found in the link below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yyRMdg2ya/
February 29, 2020
This debut work, Stateway’s Garden, is a coming of age story of two black boys growing up in the projects of the same name on the South Side of Chicago. Tracy and his brother Jacob are the central characters in this series of linked short stories set in this melancholic community. Each story depicts the harsh reality for blacks living in these public housing projects. Jasmon Drain’s writing is full of lively dialogue and in depth stories of meaningful characters placed in situations ranging from trite to dire. The pacing of the book is slightly off on the first 25% of the book but don’t let that stop you from enjoying Drain’s brilliant writing. Short stories that link within a collection are usually a win for me, since short story collections often lose their meaning in half the stories, in my opinion. Stateway’s Garden happily doesn’t do that. Despite Drains descriptions of rats, drugs, filth, graffiti, and neglect of this community, he defends the humanity, souls, and rights of each of his characters. This short story collection has glimmers of brilliance and I can’t wait to see what Jasmon Drain writes next. I highly recommend it.
December 28, 2019
These linked stories bring the reader right into the lives of the inhabitants of a housing project located in the South Side, a housing project built with lofty expectations, post WWII, in which many who experienced the Great Migration attempted to set up futures. As the inevitable happened, drugs and gang warfare, the apartments were eventually razed. The stories are well told, varied in approach, and Jasmon Drain who has apparently lived most if not all his life on the South Side, breathes life into his characters, even the projects themselves.
March 15, 2020
Not sure why there wasn't more buzz about this one.
April 23, 2020
Stateway's Garden is a collection of linked short stories, mostly about 2 brothers growing up in projects in the south side of Chicago . Drain doesn't shy away from the rough parts of living there, and those challenges are certainly a part of his story -- but what really drives this collection for me is the sense of community and friendship that is also present.
February 28, 2020
I learned about this book from a brief write up in the Chicago Tribune. This was an excellent short story collection set in a near South Side housing project, in the 80's. This book has no unbelievable plot twists or stereotypical characters. It just has great, interconnected vignettes that really develop interesting characters that rarely make it into fiction. I highly recommend this.
February 21, 2020
This is a collection of tightly linked short stories about a curious, intelligent boy named Tracy, growing up in a Chicago housing project with his older brother and his mother. Stateway Gardens is both a trap and a community. A place with fantastic views of Lake Michigan and Comiskey Park that segregates its residents from the city around them. In these stories, Tracy follows his brother around, skips school and endures his first bus ride to a new, more academically challenging school. His brother loves his high school girlfriend, but can't quite get up the courage to leave familiar surroundings. His mother works more than one job, always waiting for the promised raise, the letter that will let them move out of there, the man who will stay.
Jasmon Drain's debut is a work that examines life in a place that no longer exists and is peopled with very human characters. It's such a lame cliché to claim that a place is a central character, but Drain fills his stories with such vivid descriptions of the stairways and apartments, the particular scant brown grass, the sounds that filter through Tracy's bedroom window, and which he will later desperately miss, that the comparison becomes unavoidable.
While this debut sometimes felt like a first novel, the writing was solid and there is something to it. I'm eager to see what this author writes next.
Jasmon Drain's debut is a work that examines life in a place that no longer exists and is peopled with very human characters. It's such a lame cliché to claim that a place is a central character, but Drain fills his stories with such vivid descriptions of the stairways and apartments, the particular scant brown grass, the sounds that filter through Tracy's bedroom window, and which he will later desperately miss, that the comparison becomes unavoidable.
While this debut sometimes felt like a first novel, the writing was solid and there is something to it. I'm eager to see what this author writes next.
December 19, 2020
stateway gardens, cabrini-green or robert taylor homes all share a similar story in their foundation. public housing intentionally created to house white, middle-class, lower-middle-class families.
but as the story goes black folks were steered into institutional living in which they had no opportunity for ownership and were thus denied a path followed. and as Jasmon Drain does in Stateway's Garden he tells the stories of the lives within those walls.
Drain's ability to write solely about the lives of a mother, her two sons Tracy and Jacob, sisters Sloane and Stephanie was pleasing. their struggle with desiring a live outside of poverty, dreaming of getting away and battle with a sense of belonging was evident. nothing traumatic or devastating happens in this book which was refreshing especially regarding black life. but at times I wanted the stories to be pushed further. i wanted more of Sloane!
but in conclusion this was beautiful read, one that is definitely flying under the radar.
but as the story goes black folks were steered into institutional living in which they had no opportunity for ownership and were thus denied a path followed. and as Jasmon Drain does in Stateway's Garden he tells the stories of the lives within those walls.
Drain's ability to write solely about the lives of a mother, her two sons Tracy and Jacob, sisters Sloane and Stephanie was pleasing. their struggle with desiring a live outside of poverty, dreaming of getting away and battle with a sense of belonging was evident. nothing traumatic or devastating happens in this book which was refreshing especially regarding black life. but at times I wanted the stories to be pushed further. i wanted more of Sloane!
but in conclusion this was beautiful read, one that is definitely flying under the radar.
November 15, 2019
A life told in a series of short stories, seen through the eyes of residents of Stateway Gardens. A public housing project situated adjacent to the expressway in South Side Chicago.
I don't know how I feel about this book.
There were times when I felt extremely in touch with a character and then a few pages later I would feel completely detached.I felt as though I never really got to know any of them and it made it difficult to see the world through their eyes.
This may be the format of the book. It was as though I never got the whole story, just small glimpses at a time, and then before I knew it, the chapter was over and we had moved on.
This book was well written, I guess I just wanted a little bit more.
I don't know how I feel about this book.
There were times when I felt extremely in touch with a character and then a few pages later I would feel completely detached.I felt as though I never really got to know any of them and it made it difficult to see the world through their eyes.
This may be the format of the book. It was as though I never got the whole story, just small glimpses at a time, and then before I knew it, the chapter was over and we had moved on.
This book was well written, I guess I just wanted a little bit more.
July 14, 2020
*3.75 stars.
"Said he saw stupid people doing stupid-people things while trying to teach him stupider lessons" (4).
His breath smelled like he smoked three cigarettes at a time" (97).
"...a large Fender speaker with various cords dangling like tentacles" (98).
"He sat in a position you wouldn't believe a man with testicles could in such a cramped space..." (99).
"Iowa wind felt different from anything I'd experienced in Chicago. It didn't maintain a consistent force, nor was it even strong enough to blow papers away. It was almost charming, blowing softly into your ear like it was whispering a secret" (101).
"She wasn't the complimenting type; you had to drink all you could while the faucet was running" (110).
"...but came home as infrequently as a Midwestern truck driver (183).
"Her small, fat fingered-fist landed against my jaw with the authority of a fifth-grade boy: off target but point taken" (233).
"Said he saw stupid people doing stupid-people things while trying to teach him stupider lessons" (4).
His breath smelled like he smoked three cigarettes at a time" (97).
"...a large Fender speaker with various cords dangling like tentacles" (98).
"He sat in a position you wouldn't believe a man with testicles could in such a cramped space..." (99).
"Iowa wind felt different from anything I'd experienced in Chicago. It didn't maintain a consistent force, nor was it even strong enough to blow papers away. It was almost charming, blowing softly into your ear like it was whispering a secret" (101).
"She wasn't the complimenting type; you had to drink all you could while the faucet was running" (110).
"...but came home as infrequently as a Midwestern truck driver (183).
"Her small, fat fingered-fist landed against my jaw with the authority of a fifth-grade boy: off target but point taken" (233).
May 13, 2021
Colleen says: This book of related short stories takes place in and around the Stateway Gardens housing projects on the near south side. Most of the stories are told from the point of view of a young boy who lives with his mom and brother. The last story is told from the building's point of view as the complex was being torn down to make way for gentrification. I really liked this book. The author is from Chicago and I'm pretty sure he lived a lot of what happens in these stories.
July 16, 2020
Read this. Superb debut. A new favorite. I hope jasmon keeps writing because I love his voice !!
August 6, 2020
Engaging fictional stories centered around two brothers growing up in Chicago's Stateway Gardens before it was demolished in 2007. Easy to read and a fine debut novel by Chicago resident Jasmon Drain focusing on black lives chasing broken dreams, creating friendships and family and getting into mischief. Even when these characters move away from Stateway Gardens, their minds and hearts seem to gravitate towards their past lives in the youth growing up in this one complex. Loved this book!
November 30, 2019
thank you to Random House and Goodreads Giveaways for this ARC. definitely not the kind of book i'd usually pick up, i found the episodic style made it really hard for me to get into this one. ultimately i had to push myself to keep reading it, not because i didn't like it but because i found it boring. each chapter is a separate story that is linked to all the others but there was no sense of a "story" about this book for me.
January 26, 2020
A wonderful, interconnected short story collection set in the projects on Chicago's South Side.
December 5, 2020
The epilogue in this book describes how Stateway’s Garden, a violent poverty-stricken housing development in Chicago, was going to be demolished. It tried to show how camaraderie and a sense of community led to many residents fighting against the demolition. That was interesting, since the rest of the book offered no such images of anyone living in the housing development having such affection for it or each other. (Online articles can be found about such individuals, however.) This novel, which is focused on the 1980s, is mostly a look at the lives of four characters—brothers Tracy and Jacob and sisters Solane and Stephanie. Their stories are told in choppy, mostly grim chapters.
With the exception of Solane, most of the females in the story are presented in an extremely negative light, too. They tended to be vain and overly interested in sex. Or they are “responsible” females who tended to be not very attractive. Mr. Drain simply spends way too much time describing the looks of his characters, both female and male. Doing so makes an author seem shallow. All in all, this novel is not a good one for anyone looking for a broad view of Stateway’s Garden and its residents, in my opinion. It is also not a good one for anyone looking for interesting, complex characters, since all the characters in it are easily forgettable . . . once again, in my opinion.
(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)
With the exception of Solane, most of the females in the story are presented in an extremely negative light, too. They tended to be vain and overly interested in sex. Or they are “responsible” females who tended to be not very attractive. Mr. Drain simply spends way too much time describing the looks of his characters, both female and male. Doing so makes an author seem shallow. All in all, this novel is not a good one for anyone looking for a broad view of Stateway’s Garden and its residents, in my opinion. It is also not a good one for anyone looking for interesting, complex characters, since all the characters in it are easily forgettable . . . once again, in my opinion.
(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)
April 18, 2020
Our mothers take credit, but in Stateway we raised ourselves.”
The author of this book is a Pushcart award winner which is an award given to short story writers. This book isn’t a novel. It’s a series of short story writers about a group of characters growing up in Stateway’s Gardens, a Chicago public housing project. The stories aren’t linear. They go back and forth in time and the main characters interact in various ways.
We meet the main characters as children as they go to the local community college that they see as their summer resort, a place where grass grows and summer breezes blow gently. They are at home in the projects. In one of the stories, Tracy, one of the main characters, is living with his mother in a suburban apartment. He wants to be back in the projects. The kids in his suburb don’t skip school, there’s no trash in the streets. It’s just boring.
Tracy and his brother, Jacob, are half brothers. Neither of their fathers are involved in their lives and their mother works two jobs. At the age of seven Tracy is told he is old enough to be on his own. It’s heartbreaking and too real.
Mr. Drain is a talented writer. I hope to read more of his stories.
March 3, 2021
This is a highly underrated and gorgeously written short story collection.
Set in a Chicago housing project, these linked stories take you through the trials and tribulations of two young brothers, and pays homage to lives and dreams of the Black residents that called Stateway home.
In the 1950’s the city of Chicago viewed housing developments like Stateway as the future of living, but political machinery and racism are a constant thread in US history, so when the vision died the city made the decision to move residents out and tear the buildings down. The land was too valuable and there was a new vision.
Stateway is brought to life, and functions as a third character, as we follow the coming-of-age tales of Tracy and Jacob. Drain brings depth and beauty to his characters and I found myself fully engrossed in every story. I didn’t expect each story to build on the previous, and once I realized what was happening, I had to keep reading to see what would happen next.
There is one story that takes place on Chicago’s Dan Ryan expressway and my heart was *racing*. This book was an entire experience and know that Drain will pull you in. Whatever the character is feeling, you’ll be feeling! Tension, insecurities, fear, hope, excitement… it’s all there and this makes for a fabulous read.
Highly recommend.
Set in a Chicago housing project, these linked stories take you through the trials and tribulations of two young brothers, and pays homage to lives and dreams of the Black residents that called Stateway home.
In the 1950’s the city of Chicago viewed housing developments like Stateway as the future of living, but political machinery and racism are a constant thread in US history, so when the vision died the city made the decision to move residents out and tear the buildings down. The land was too valuable and there was a new vision.
Stateway is brought to life, and functions as a third character, as we follow the coming-of-age tales of Tracy and Jacob. Drain brings depth and beauty to his characters and I found myself fully engrossed in every story. I didn’t expect each story to build on the previous, and once I realized what was happening, I had to keep reading to see what would happen next.
There is one story that takes place on Chicago’s Dan Ryan expressway and my heart was *racing*. This book was an entire experience and know that Drain will pull you in. Whatever the character is feeling, you’ll be feeling! Tension, insecurities, fear, hope, excitement… it’s all there and this makes for a fabulous read.
Highly recommend.
March 23, 2022
I chose this book because I am passionate about Chicago. Even though I never lived there, I have lots of family that lived or currently live there. Growing up my dad took us to Chicago on school breaks. I have always been fascinated by the rise and decline of the Chicago housing projects. I remember seeing them as a child when we drove into the city.
I loved how this book switched around from first person to second person to third person with the last chapter being from the perspective of the building. The building itself is almost its own character and the center of the whole story. I also liked how the book is a collection of stories not in chronological order but switches between time periods. Because there are only a few characters it is easy for the reader to figure out the time period and how the plots are intertwined. It really paints a picture of the issues of poverty in Chicago, racism, drugs, homelessness, crime, but also community.
The only thing I did not like is two of the chapters read slow and I was waiting for the plot to pick up. Other than that it was a great read.
I loved how this book switched around from first person to second person to third person with the last chapter being from the perspective of the building. The building itself is almost its own character and the center of the whole story. I also liked how the book is a collection of stories not in chronological order but switches between time periods. Because there are only a few characters it is easy for the reader to figure out the time period and how the plots are intertwined. It really paints a picture of the issues of poverty in Chicago, racism, drugs, homelessness, crime, but also community.
The only thing I did not like is two of the chapters read slow and I was waiting for the plot to pick up. Other than that it was a great read.
May 3, 2023
A collection of connected short stories that form a coming-of-age story of two stepbrothers growing up in a Chicago public housing project in the 1980s.
What struck me about these stories was how similar the experiences were to my own, growing up white in a working middle class suburb in NJ twenty years earlier. One story describes an expedition by train to reach a community college the boys viewed as a resort, because of its natural appeal and how it exemplifies a "better life". The trip involves daring, train jumping, the younger brother naturally becomes a drag on the older. I could distinctly remember my own adventures by bus and train into 1970s NYC, what my friend's and I viewed as our own imaginarium playground, an other world we dared to visit.
A poignant theme throughout the stories is how children interpret the struggles and concerns of their parents, and how the parent's and various adults attempt to both conceal and express these concerns.
This book is a thoughtful depiction of the author's experience, unique but told with enough depth to be universal.
What struck me about these stories was how similar the experiences were to my own, growing up white in a working middle class suburb in NJ twenty years earlier. One story describes an expedition by train to reach a community college the boys viewed as a resort, because of its natural appeal and how it exemplifies a "better life". The trip involves daring, train jumping, the younger brother naturally becomes a drag on the older. I could distinctly remember my own adventures by bus and train into 1970s NYC, what my friend's and I viewed as our own imaginarium playground, an other world we dared to visit.
A poignant theme throughout the stories is how children interpret the struggles and concerns of their parents, and how the parent's and various adults attempt to both conceal and express these concerns.
This book is a thoughtful depiction of the author's experience, unique but told with enough depth to be universal.
September 23, 2025
Today, the land that once housed thousands is one normal sized city park and several fenced off lots.
But in the past, it was Stateway Gardens. A Chicago Housing Authority site that was intentionally abandoned by those with power until it fell into disrepair, trapping its residents in cycles of violence and poverty.
This book tells fictionalized stories of a family growing up in Stateway Gardens, and shows the ups and downs of their lives and their struggles to survive. Each chapter is well-written and tackles a different aspect of their lives. My biggest critique is I wish there was more structure to the tale. I felt like I was there with the characters, but I'm not sure I really know where we were headed (beyond a recognition of what people go through).
Still, a short and valuable read about what everyday people went through in the 80s at SG.
But in the past, it was Stateway Gardens. A Chicago Housing Authority site that was intentionally abandoned by those with power until it fell into disrepair, trapping its residents in cycles of violence and poverty.
This book tells fictionalized stories of a family growing up in Stateway Gardens, and shows the ups and downs of their lives and their struggles to survive. Each chapter is well-written and tackles a different aspect of their lives. My biggest critique is I wish there was more structure to the tale. I felt like I was there with the characters, but I'm not sure I really know where we were headed (beyond a recognition of what people go through).
Still, a short and valuable read about what everyday people went through in the 80s at SG.
June 20, 2020
3.5 This is a series of connected stories kind of like House on Mango Street without the poetics, but with each chapter having the option to stand alone, yet being more filled out when read in context together. Tracy, the main narrator is a young boy living in the Stateway Gardens projects with his half-brother Jacob and his single mother who works hard to keep them fed and safe. Tracy is her "smart son" and Jacob is the "pretty one" and this designation by their mother seems to be self-fulfilling prophecy as Tracy takes a more straight and narrow approach and Jacob struggles. Eloquently written and impressive in its honesty of the issues faced in project life in social, economic and racial inequalities. Especially poignant was the description of the harrowing trip to a nearby college where the grass is lush and green and the boys consider themselves on "vacation." Because the plot is not linear, and the time sequence jumps around a bit, I personally had a harder time staying engaged, but was glad I stuck with it.
September 5, 2020
Set in the Stateway Gardens housing projects in the Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville during the mid-1980s, Drain’s collection of short stories about the interconnected lives in these projects is poignant, devastating, and vibrantly human. A coming-of-age story, we see the world of poverty and violence through the lens of childhood. Though the projects are seemingly lifeless, it is the people and their dreams, hopes, and failures that breathe life into them and into the community it houses and creates, as well as Drain’s narrative direction to give the buildings a life as if it were a concrete and steel Gaia. Since the projects were demolished in 2007, Drain’s collection is a call to action to remember the history of Stateway Gardens as a commentary on racial justice.
February 20, 2022
An incisive account of a group of kids growing up in the Stateway Gardens public housing projects in the mid/late 80s. Honestly, I'm generally not a fan of the short story approach. Perhaps I'm a literalist, but I'm frustrated that I didn't get a definitive conclusion to each character's storyline. But maybe this format is fitting for a book that aims to relate the inherent unpredictability and disorder of life in the projects. (If so, that's kind of brilliant on Drain's part). In any case, I found it to be thoughtfully written and enjoyed the compelling, multi-dimensional characters.
"Our buildings were cities within the city. They surrounded you with many of the things that were needed, and more than most of the things you didn't."
"Our buildings were cities within the city. They surrounded you with many of the things that were needed, and more than most of the things you didn't."
July 28, 2020
I loved this book. Jasmon Drain writes about a Chicago housing project with the same incisiveness as August Wilson wrote about Pittsburg. Drain presents Safeway Gardens interlocking stories from the viewpoint of its young, intelligent reporter on the scene, Tracy. He lives in the Gardens with his mother and brother, she, distant and self-obsessed, he, aimless and disenchanted with his life. Drain reminds us that Safeway Gardens was home to people trying to survive, to provide for their children, in other words, a community with hopes and dreams.
May 5, 2020
A coming of age story set in the projects in Chicago. Stateway's Garden is a real place that was eventually torn down. Most of these stories revolve around two brothers, Tracy and Jacob. They are dealing with the ravages of poverty, a mom who is always working and the absent fathers, each mostly unknown to their sons. The dialog is realistic and relatable. The situations are not always relatable but that is the point, I think. The audio is well done by a small cast.
May 31, 2020
Well written short stories. The stories were so closely connected it read more like a novel and sometimes made reading each a little confusing, especially the later ones. That is why the 4 rating and not a 5. At the end wondered why the stories weren’t made into a novel given the main characters were part of almost all the stories. Will be interesting to see what the author does next, novel or short story collection again?
July 10, 2020
Well-written collection of inter-related short stories based on the Chicago Housing Authority's long gone Stateway's Garden project. Most of the collection is narrated by the young resident, Tracy, and features stories of his mother, brother, and their lives in the project. The last story, narrated by Tracy's brother, Jacob, was the most touching.
Be sure to read the epilogue: The Battle of Segregation, 1958-2007.
Be sure to read the epilogue: The Battle of Segregation, 1958-2007.
August 4, 2020
This collection of short stories gives readers an opportunity to experience living in one of Chicago’s most dismal housing projects as an insider—through the experiences, thoughts and feelings of several inhabitants. They are all trying to survive, making compromises, settling, rationalizing, resisting and surrendering. The desperation of their lives is the result of institutionalized racist policies and practices.
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