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Zebratown: The True Story of a Black Ex-Con and a White Single Mother in Small-Town America
Eight years in the making, this edgy, in-depth account follows a black felon’s attempt to find a new life for himself with a white woman in a small-town neighborhood where—as the book’s title implies—such relationships are common. A remarkably intense read, Zebratown reveals a rhythm of life spiked with violence, betrayal, sex, and the emotional dangers created by passionate love.
Greg Donaldson’s Zebratown follows the life of Kevin Davis, an ex-con from Brownsville, Brooklyn, who, after his release from prison, moves to Elmira, New York, and takes up with Karen, a young woman with a six-year-old daughter. Kevin is seemingly the embodiment of hip-hop gangsterism—a heavily muscled, feared thug who has beaten a murder rap. And yet, as Donaldson’s stunning reportage reveals, Kevin has survived on the streets and in prison with a sharp intelligence and a rigid code of practical morality and physical fitness while yearning to make a better life for himself and be a better man.
Month by month and year by year, Donaldson follows Kevin and Karen’s attempt to make a home together, a quest made harder by Kevin’s difficulty finding legal employment. The dangerous lures of the street remain for him, both in New York City and in Zebratown, and he is not always successful at avoiding them. Meanwhile, as Kevin and Karen struggle, the reader comes to care for them, even as they act in ways that society may not condone. Theirs is a complex story with many moments of drama, suffering, desire, and revelation—a story that is frequently astonishing and unforgettable to the end.
Like Adrian Nicole LeBlanc in Random Family, Donaldson explores a largely hidden world; such immersion journalism is difficult to achieve but uniquely powerful to read. In addition to spending long periods with Kevin and Karen, Donaldson interviews policemen, judges, family members, and others in Kevin and Karen’s orbit, providing a remarkably panoramic account of their lives.
Relationships between white women and black men have long been a hot issue in American culture. Even years after the 2008 presidential election, when society has in some ways seemingly moved on to a "postracial" perspective, people still have a lot to say about interracial relationships. Zebratown takes us into the heart of one and offers the paradoxical truth that while race is rarely not an issue in such relationships, in the end, what transpires between a couple is intensely individual.
Meanwhile, the difficulty that ex-cons have successfully reentering society is an ongoing problem—for them, their families, and the communities where they live. Zebratown makes this struggle real, as Kevin Davis confronts not only his criminal record and his poor formal education but the cruelties of the postindustrial economy. Both his and Karen’s stories resonate powerfully with twenty-first-century American reality, and in telling them, Greg Donaldson confirms his position as one of the most intrepid journalists at work today.
Greg Donaldson’s Zebratown follows the life of Kevin Davis, an ex-con from Brownsville, Brooklyn, who, after his release from prison, moves to Elmira, New York, and takes up with Karen, a young woman with a six-year-old daughter. Kevin is seemingly the embodiment of hip-hop gangsterism—a heavily muscled, feared thug who has beaten a murder rap. And yet, as Donaldson’s stunning reportage reveals, Kevin has survived on the streets and in prison with a sharp intelligence and a rigid code of practical morality and physical fitness while yearning to make a better life for himself and be a better man.
Month by month and year by year, Donaldson follows Kevin and Karen’s attempt to make a home together, a quest made harder by Kevin’s difficulty finding legal employment. The dangerous lures of the street remain for him, both in New York City and in Zebratown, and he is not always successful at avoiding them. Meanwhile, as Kevin and Karen struggle, the reader comes to care for them, even as they act in ways that society may not condone. Theirs is a complex story with many moments of drama, suffering, desire, and revelation—a story that is frequently astonishing and unforgettable to the end.
Like Adrian Nicole LeBlanc in Random Family, Donaldson explores a largely hidden world; such immersion journalism is difficult to achieve but uniquely powerful to read. In addition to spending long periods with Kevin and Karen, Donaldson interviews policemen, judges, family members, and others in Kevin and Karen’s orbit, providing a remarkably panoramic account of their lives.
Relationships between white women and black men have long been a hot issue in American culture. Even years after the 2008 presidential election, when society has in some ways seemingly moved on to a "postracial" perspective, people still have a lot to say about interracial relationships. Zebratown takes us into the heart of one and offers the paradoxical truth that while race is rarely not an issue in such relationships, in the end, what transpires between a couple is intensely individual.
Meanwhile, the difficulty that ex-cons have successfully reentering society is an ongoing problem—for them, their families, and the communities where they live. Zebratown makes this struggle real, as Kevin Davis confronts not only his criminal record and his poor formal education but the cruelties of the postindustrial economy. Both his and Karen’s stories resonate powerfully with twenty-first-century American reality, and in telling them, Greg Donaldson confirms his position as one of the most intrepid journalists at work today.
- GenresNonfictionSociology
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2010
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55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 10, 2014
I'm really not sure how to describe my feelings on this book.
I read it really honestly wanting to learn about this phenomenon occurring in Elmira. I live in this area and it's definitely very prevalent (although I know it's also happening in Binghamton, and probably other cities too). I have personal experience seeing the (abusive, violent) results of this type of situation involving a family member, and I wanted to know if there were aspects I wasn't taking into account.
Sadly, this book just confirmed rather than busted my theories. I don't have any problem with the subject of this book because he is black, or because he's an ex-con trying to make his way in the world. What makes me absolutely crazy is the serious misogyny and tendency toward violence, both of which seem to be a product of upbringing and environment. That means that it's not an individual thing so much as a cultural set of values for people in his environment, and that scares the heck out of me.
We see stabbings and shootings in this area with increasing regularity - a 22-year-old man was just shot to death in an Elmira apartment complex a couple of days ago - and I think the violent, arrogant mentality is being perpetuated here.
I don't know what the answer is, and maybe there isn't one, because it's each person's choice and right to think this way... but it still scares me.
One tiny thing that bothered me - I think Greg Donaldson refers to Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) as Lake Seneca. I have lived in this area for 34 years and have never heard anyone refer to it in that way. Funnily enough, this is exactly the same issue that pulled me out of The Horse Whisperer - when the author mentioned "Lake Cayuga." Where are they getting this from??
I read it really honestly wanting to learn about this phenomenon occurring in Elmira. I live in this area and it's definitely very prevalent (although I know it's also happening in Binghamton, and probably other cities too). I have personal experience seeing the (abusive, violent) results of this type of situation involving a family member, and I wanted to know if there were aspects I wasn't taking into account.
Sadly, this book just confirmed rather than busted my theories. I don't have any problem with the subject of this book because he is black, or because he's an ex-con trying to make his way in the world. What makes me absolutely crazy is the serious misogyny and tendency toward violence, both of which seem to be a product of upbringing and environment. That means that it's not an individual thing so much as a cultural set of values for people in his environment, and that scares the heck out of me.
We see stabbings and shootings in this area with increasing regularity - a 22-year-old man was just shot to death in an Elmira apartment complex a couple of days ago - and I think the violent, arrogant mentality is being perpetuated here.
I don't know what the answer is, and maybe there isn't one, because it's each person's choice and right to think this way... but it still scares me.
One tiny thing that bothered me - I think Greg Donaldson refers to Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) as Lake Seneca. I have lived in this area for 34 years and have never heard anyone refer to it in that way. Funnily enough, this is exactly the same issue that pulled me out of The Horse Whisperer - when the author mentioned "Lake Cayuga." Where are they getting this from??
October 27, 2012
I give one star only because no stars make it look like I forgot to rate it.
Poorly written, rife with inaccuracies and glorifies a small percentage of the population of Elmira as somehow smarter and better than the locals, especially law enforcement. Multiple chapters dragged. Overall it was poorly written.
Poorly written, rife with inaccuracies and glorifies a small percentage of the population of Elmira as somehow smarter and better than the locals, especially law enforcement. Multiple chapters dragged. Overall it was poorly written.
October 16, 2011
Random Families is one of my favorite books... this one is even better. Well written, well observed, fully relatable...
June 30, 2020
Upsetting
This book is set in my town. It alleges that our police are corrupt. The judicial system is rigged. Having worked with some nnatives of. Zebratown I can attest that people of color are seen as second rate. Keep in mind that many white women do indeed seek out the bad boys from on the hill. Lots of factual stuff in this book, but I wonder if all the narrative can be taken as gospel. If the author were from Elmira he would be more believable. Still biases are biases, and they are real.
This book is set in my town. It alleges that our police are corrupt. The judicial system is rigged. Having worked with some nnatives of. Zebratown I can attest that people of color are seen as second rate. Keep in mind that many white women do indeed seek out the bad boys from on the hill. Lots of factual stuff in this book, but I wonder if all the narrative can be taken as gospel. If the author were from Elmira he would be more believable. Still biases are biases, and they are real.
August 31, 2010
The subtitle sums it all up, doesn't it? Charles is an ex-con from Brooklyn who spent quite a bit of time in the prison system. While in the Elmira facility he would look out the window at the town of Elmira and imagine it as a perfect place to settle upon his release. He hopes that it will be easier to stay out of trouble there than back home in Brooklyn.
Kathy, his soon to be girlfriend, is like a lot of young, white women in Elmira and the surrounding areas. They struggle to build good lives for themselves and their children, but at the same time they are drawn to the mystery and danger that surround the young Black men that move to the area.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
This isn't an attempt to solve a problem or teach a lesson. It just follows two people as they try to overcome the obstacles that life gives them. Very clear and interesting. Like watching a documentary.
WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nothing really. I did dislike some decisions made and some people involved, but that has nothing to do with the writing or the book itself.
Kathy, his soon to be girlfriend, is like a lot of young, white women in Elmira and the surrounding areas. They struggle to build good lives for themselves and their children, but at the same time they are drawn to the mystery and danger that surround the young Black men that move to the area.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
This isn't an attempt to solve a problem or teach a lesson. It just follows two people as they try to overcome the obstacles that life gives them. Very clear and interesting. Like watching a documentary.
WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nothing really. I did dislike some decisions made and some people involved, but that has nothing to do with the writing or the book itself.
February 10, 2011
i liked the book alot not only because it was based on elmira but based on a prisoner and his girlfriend. Some of the events that took place i remembered or actually felt like i was there. If i could read it again i probably would and i would perfer for you or someone to read it if they like good books.
September 17, 2011
A non-fiction work that tells the story of a former prison inmate who relocates from New York City to Elmira. It is the story of his years out of the prison system and the life he tries to build in this town.
I found parts of the book interesting, particularly the historical pieces of the area. Other parts were more disturbing.
I found parts of the book interesting, particularly the historical pieces of the area. Other parts were more disturbing.
June 18, 2013
Elmira, NY is upstate from NYC in beautiful, rolling, quiet, countryside. Having lived near there, I never expected it was densely populated with interracial married couples/families. It is a difficult place to make a living and raise a family. The author does a remarkable job of telling one story about this town and the struggles of the people who choose to live there.
March 23, 2015
This book is the story of two people, and the story of a phenomenon in much of rural America. I do not believe that the author is trying to excuse the sins of the people he is writing about, but that this is just a factual look at the lives of these people, and a telling of their story. Interesting, voyeuristic, and captivating.
January 9, 2011
I didn't think it was particularly well-written, but Zebratown is an interesting look at the culture of my hometown.
I put together some pieces overnight and realized Zebratown is all the more interesting to me in that I know the family of "Joy."
I put together some pieces overnight and realized Zebratown is all the more interesting to me in that I know the family of "Joy."
December 13, 2012
I'm a fan of Greg Donaldson, so I gave the book a try! It's an okay book but I'm not a fan of grown men who like to make excuses and refuse to grow up so I only gave it 2 stars. Some parts dragged and other parts had me glued to the pages...I'll only recommend it with a warning attached to it.
March 25, 2011
A glimpse into the life of one of my current students....couldn"t put it down.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews