Excellent Brixton writing....

[editor]

I really enjoyed this short story based in Brixton, "Bring on the Martians, kid (http://www.pulp.net/fiction/stories/04/bring-on-the-martians-kid.html)

Here's a snippet to whet your appetite....
They pass under the flyover where it says Sanders goldsmiths, silversmiths, clockmakers, watchmakers, and move towards Brixton station which is held together by scaffolding and temporary walls of blue wood connecting it to the street. There the homeless have left their little nests – piles of blankets and clothes moulded, smelling high, crawling with lice and bugs while the owners stagger in circles, their cans of Special Brew held like consolation prizes. They raise their suncrusted faces with the cuts and scabs and medieval sores, and see the marchers heading their way.

What do you reckon?

(And I'll eat my hat if it doesn't get hatboy's seal of approval!

If I had a hat, of course)

[Anna Key]

"a plaque that says Brixton Community Law Centre where a bird has shat for all its worth over the word law..."

"from his front door he sees all the lights of the estate, like a million TV sets plugged in and showing their own sad films."

The only other good stuff I've read set in Brixton is by Mark Timlin.* Hard boiled no-nonsense thrillers about a Streatham-based private dick.

* A six foot six former T Rex roadie.

[IntoStella]

The only other good stuff I've read set in Brixton is by Mark Timlin.* Hard boiled no-nonsense thrillers about a Streatham-based private dick.
* A six foot six former T Rex roadie. Isn't that <sniff> wretched pop music ?? :p

Anyway, Geoff Dyer's The Colour of Memory is highy regarded, as are Martin Millar's tales of Brixton squatter lowlife.
;)

[hatboy]

I can't make the link work. Don't know why. Could you paste it up here or email me it as a Word doc Mike please? Yes, it looks great from the excerpt :)

[IntoStella]

I can't make the link work. Don't know why. Could you paste it up here or email me it as a Word doc Mike please? Yes, it looks great from the excerpt :) Try this, HB - it's the online PDF version :) . (http://www.pulp.net/fiction/pdfs/bring-on-jj-amaworo-wilson.pdf)

[hatboy]

Read it now, nice, seems realistic. Like the stuff about the tube spewing misfits or something.

A bit like "East of Acre Lane". Never heard of "Broadbar St", where's that? Its about the Movement for Justice march yeah?

:)

[pooka]

Certainly well written and observant, with energy and rythm. The contrast between the harshness of the confrontation and the gentle relationship between father and son works too.

But politically, it seems to be conflating the present day (the tube etc.,) with 1981 (indeed, there are echoes of East of Acre Lane - especially in terms of policing. I wasn't here then, but people who were tell me things have moved on. :confused:

[hatboy]

I was confused about the time it's set too. I thought Movement for Justice (was that 2001?) or the fairly small 1995 riot. Slightly confusing.

Some police haven't moved on you know. Many have and they are more accountable, but some are still shits, especially if they think you are powerless and have no come back.

The next thing that has to happen is that the Police complaints procedure has to become TOTALLY independent. It's outrageous that they investigate themselves then let themselves off.

[pooka]

Independent Police Complaints Commission (http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/)