Visitor Guide Spring/Summer 2021 | Page 19

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Get to know our unconventional characters , gritty side streets and distinctive stories — all without leaving home . Read on to discover a classic Baltimore novel or nonfiction book by an author with Charm City roots .
The Accidental Tourist
BY ANNE TYLER
Anne Tyler creates characters so vivid and nuanced that they feel familiar , even if you ’ ve never met them . Such is the case with The Accidental Tourist , a story about a downand-out writer whose quirky friends and home life embody that of Baltimore dwellers .
Baltimore Blues
BY LAURA LIPPMAN
A native Baltimorean herself , Laura Lippman writes with a local ’ s perspective . Baltimore Blues is the first novel of Lippman ’ s series following Tess Monaghan , a former reporter setting out to uncover the dark secrets lurking in the city ’ s shadows .
The Baltimore Book of the Dead
BY MARION WINIK
Don ’ t be misled by the title — this book is sure to surprise you . In The Baltimore Book of the Dead , University of Baltimore professor Marion Winik recounts death by celebrating life through a series of warm , poignant ( 400- word ) portraits that draw you in and leave you wanting more .
The Baltimore Rowhouse
BY MARY ELLEN HAYWARD & CHARLES BELFOURE
Unlike many other American cities , rowhouses live on in Baltimore . They ’ re a quintessential Charm City symbol , lining the streets and making up countless blocks throughout our neighborhoods . This book tells the story of their rich history and architecture .
The Beautiful Struggle
BY TA-NEHISI COATES
Ta-Nehisi Coates brilliantly portrays his youth in this coming-of-age tale about father and son . Baltimore served as the enigmatic backdrop for Paul Coates and his seven children ; each of them stumbling to find their way in an urban environment that was working against them .
The Cook Up
BY D . WATKINS
For riveting storytelling that brings you right into Baltimore , look no further than D . Watkins . Watkins was raised in East Baltimore , surrounded by drugs , violence and death . The Cook Up tells his terrifying , inspiring redemption story in a uniquely charming voice that can only belong to D . Watkins .
Hummingbirds in the Trenches
BY KONDWANI FIDEL
As Baltimore ’ s unofficial poet laureate , Kondwani Fidel beautifully writes about the city — most notably in his feature poem , Beneath the Shell , an ode comparing Baltimore to a crab . Hummingbirds in the Trenches is a moving , eye-opening work about the young Black experience in America that will leave its mark .
If You Love Baltimore , It Will Love You Back
BY RON CASSIE
Ron Cassie , senior editor of Baltimore magazine , introduces readers to the most unknown but noteworthy parts of Baltimore in this eccentric series of vignettes . Roaming Charm City for a decade with nothing but a pen and notebook , Cassie captures Baltimore ’ s wit , grit and everything in between .
The Raven
BY EDGAR ALLAN POE
Sound familiar ? That ’ s because Baltimore ’ s NFL team , the Ravens , is named after this iconic Baltimore figure ’ s poem . Poe ’ s legacy is cemented all over the city through his favorite bar , his grave and even his home on North Amity Street .
JUSTIN TSUCALAS
BALTIMORE . ORG 17