Criminal Minded
Page 29
it’s where true playas wheel and deal
Let’s take a look at the Wild, Wild West …
West Brighton’s name is so true
It’s like the classic shoot-em-up movies,
but 5/0 gets shot up, too
It’s where the Markham Homes stand guard on the edge of Richmond Terrace
Where the good die young and the old reminisce on the loved ones that they
cherished
There’s a bird’s-eye view of the dawn in Now Born;
New Brighton gets all its props
All the residents chase dead presidents
and they all rep Sandy Brock
Stapleton never sleeps—
People creep each day from dawn to dusk
Broad Street took some from rags to riches;
small fortunes in a rush
Within each ‘hood I’ve listed be
Shaolin’s true untold legacy
And let me not forget to mention
Arlington, the Berries, South Beach, and Port Richmond
’Cause you can’t say you’ve seen Staten Island till when
You’ve visited all of the Slums of Shaolin
ALSO BY TRACY BROWN
Black
Dime Piece
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to thank God. I could never have done any of this without You. I know that I’m far from perfect, that I sometimes fall short of what’s right. But, You know my heart and You know that I’m a work in progress. Thank You for loving me and blessing me anyway.
My Colleagues:
Thank you to all of the folks at St. Martin’s Press. Special thanks to Monique Patterson. I appreciate your patience and your understanding. (And stop laughing at me about my confusion over the editing process. *smile* I’m learning!) To my girl, Vickie Stringer—agent extraordinaire! Thanks for all the long talks, the great advice, and for your support. I appreciate you having my back in my career and I am so grateful for the friendly “girlfriend to girlfriend” way you have of steering me in the right direction. You are such an inspiration. Shannon Holmes … what can I say? You have a career of your own, but you are never too busy to talk to me. Thank you for being a real friend and for always telling me your honest opinion, straight no chaser. You deserve every ounce of your success. K’wan, my right-hand man. Thanks for making me laugh during every book tour. Thanks for being someone who I can always call when I need to vent or to ask your opinion. I am in awe of your gift, and I am so proud to call you my colleague and my friend. (Where the brotherhood at?) Triple Crown Publications, you guys are a great team to work with. Tammy Fournier, keep doing the damn thing. You’re the best! To my fellow authors—Danielle Santiago (I am so proud of you and so happy for you!), Mark Anthony, Nikki Turner (Black Pearls!), Trustice, Kashamba Williams, TN Baker (Tasty, Nigga!), Joy Lynn, and asha bandele—thanks for your encouragement and your friendship. All the street vendors, magazines (especially Don Diva, The Source, Vibe, and Black Elegance), radio (especially The Wendy Williams Experience), Ed Lover, Monie Love, and DJ Kut from Power 105.1 in NY), and bookstores, thank you endlessly.
My Favorite Lawyers:
Thanks to Willie Dennis, Harvey Newkirk, and Shawn Grant for all your help. All the fine print has been analyzed, all the Is dotted and Ts crossed, and I thank you tremendously for your help in getting that done. It will not be forgotten. You’re all terrific!
My Family:
To my parents, I am so grateful for your support. I know how proud of me you both are, and I am happy that you got the chance to see me turn my troubled life into a triumphant one.
To my children: Ashley, you’re a beautiful young lady with a big, bright future ahead of you. I’m so proud of you, princess. Remember that. Quaviel, I love your style. You are so laid-back, so cool and so sincere. Every mother should be lucky enough to have a son just like you. Justin, you have such a magnetic personality and your smile melts my heart every time. You have a brilliant mind for such a young man—and your walk is mean! I love all of you so much. Stay focused.
My Friends:
Tanara and Ann, thanks for holding me down. What would I do without you? You two motivate me when I don’t feel like writing, you give me honest opinions about everything, and you listen whenever I have a broken heart or a weary spirit. You are both heavensent. I am so grateful that you are my friends. Arthur Smith, thank you for being you, for all the ways you go the extra mile for me. You are appreciated. (And you’re almost as smooth as “Pimpalicious.” Keep working on it.) T’wana Denard, you are the best! Thanks so much for giving my book to Oprah when you could have focused solely on the fact that you were there to meet Usher Raymond! Thanks, girl, for being that unselfish. I love you for it, and I will never forget it. Don’t ever change (because you are hysterical!). Tamara Walker, thanks for your dedication and for your persistence. I appreciate all of your help.
My Readers:
I had never met so many amazing people until I started writing. You readers are funny, you’re honest, you’re thorough, you’re encouraging, and you are all fabulous! Nothing beats walking into a store and seeing so many of you waiting to meet me, to hug me, to get your books signed, or just waiting to say “hi.” Thank you for reading my books, for spreading the word, and for posting your comments on the Internet. I love getting your e-mails, cards, and notes, and I thank you for taking the time to contact me. It makes all this writing worthwhile! Thank you so very much. I love y’all!
And finally …
To my native borough of Staten Island, New York. Thank you all for encouraging and inspiring me and supporting my books. Whenever you see me on the street and let me know you’re proud of me or that you loved a story I wrote, it makes me smile inside and out. Thanks for all your support! I hope to continue to make you proud.
CRIMINAL MINDED. Copyright © 2005 by Tracy Brown. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN 9781429993395
First eBook Edition : March 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brown, Tracy, 1974—
Criminal minded / Tracy Brown.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-312-33646-2
EAN 978-0312-33646-2
1. African American criminals—Fiction. 2. Staten Island (New York, N.Y.)—Fiction. 3. African American men—Fiction. 4. Male friendship—Fiction. 5. Drug traffic—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.R723C75 2005
813’.6—dc22
2004065826