The Wire : Truth Be Told

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Summary: Gritty Sociology and Political Economy of Urban Crime
Review: Anyone interested in seeing what a group of creative and compassionate writers bound by little network interference can do with a subject matter and a place caught in the throes of globalization, deindustrialization, and mounting despair and hopelessness for a large segment of the population need go no further than this book. More penetrating and revealing than dry scholarly tomes on these subjects, the writers of this book divulge the often painful tensions of producing, writing, and filming "The Wire," arguably the best dramatic series on television. Precisely because it grows out of the knowledge and life experiences of the producers, writers, and actors who have lived in this city, the series has a ring of authenticity and pathos that past commercial crime series for the most part lacked. Building upon the critical acclaim of "Homicide," the producers and writers led by David Simon and the late Bob Colesberry take "The Wire" to a new level of quality, realism, and art. The discerning watcher is rewarded with complex character sketches, twisting and demanding plots, and stunning filming that almost literally keep the viewer glued to the screen. In addition, the series puts a spotlight on both the irrationalities of the contemporary drug war and the humanity and moral complexity of even the most hardened criminal or drug kingpin. Humor, tragedy, callousness, and irony. Love, sex, drugs, and rock'n roll. Compassion, despair, hope, and avarice. All these ingredients combine into an extended annual series that peels open a layer of the city of Baltimore through stories that tell us much of the hellish possibilities and tender and healing moments of urban America slouching into the first decade of the new Millennium. This is a book with chapters by many of the series' principal contributors. It is a work that deepens one's appreciation for the series' creativity and genius, as well as its profound tragic sense of life and unrelieved tensions. Covering the first two seasons of the program, the book enhances the true fan's knowledge of the series with delightful vignettes, juicy tidbits and nuggets, and honest portraits of the characters who populate the series and the actors who inhabit those characters. Once started, the avid viewer will not be able to put it down. Guaranteed!

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Summary: Rafael Alvarez
Review: I need to get in touch with the writers of this book and of the series