In his debut novel, Jabari Asim explores urban life in the first years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, using the intertwined stories of a retired “leg breaker,” an aging kingpin, an altruistic pediatrician, and a foster child turned college student. Set against the grim backdrop of a deteriorating neighborhood, Only the Strong features strong characters, whose stories are deeply rooted in the book’s time and place.
Jabari Asim is the author of many works of fiction, nonfiction, essays, poetry, and drama. He is the executive editor of The Crisis, and is an associate professor of creative writing at Emerson College.
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Recorded On: Wednesday, June 17, 2015