Dolan Cummings of Culture Wars has written the best review of my book. I don’t mean the most positive review (though I’m very glad he liked my book); I mean the best written review. They sure writes good with that there English language in England. Along with being the first to juxtapose me, Venkatesh, Homicide, and The Wire (which is…
Tag: cop in the hood
“I do miss working with people willing to risk their lives for me”
There’s another profile of me, this time in the Financial Times of London. Like the Wall Street Journal, this is another big conservative economic paper I don’t read. Hopefully it will have some of the same impact as the Wall Street Journal review, which has been by far the best publicity to date. It’s funny to read an “as told…
Prop Joe? He Dead.
That’s a Wirereference, if you don’t know. There’s a short Q & A about me in Vanity Fair titled “The Ivy Leaguer Who Took on Prop Joe.” The art cracks me up: While ace writer Jordan “slugger” Heller’s text makes me sound so rough and blue-collar, the art just captures my naturally effeminate and pompous persona perfectly. Hmmm, yes, indeed,…
CUNY Podcast
Enjoy CUNY radio’s podcast interview of me. “Book Beat.” What a good name for a show that features a book about police. (CUNY, pronounced Quny, stands for the City University of New York, of which John Jay College is a part)
Real Police
I just received this email. It’s an interesting take on on the concept of being “real police.” “Real police” is both a concept and a compliment. It’s what in the NYPD they call a “cop’s cop.” Also, when you actually say “real police,” you have to stress “real” and the first syllable of “police.” Otherwise it doesn’t make sense. I…
Inform the public
I got this in a email from a Baltimore Police Officer. I couldn’t say it better myself: At the end of the day, I hope more officers will see your book as a vehicle to inform the academic community and public about the many challenges of policing in a poor urban environment. I think the average police officer will view…
A voice of reason
I was starting to think I was the only sane person in a crazy world. Then another email flew in over the transom: I read the “real” first edition of your book, before the publisher recalled it for typographical errors. I mention this not because it confers upon me any particular credibility, but to highlight the point that I read…
More crusty outrage
I received an email from a former commander of the Eastern District (he retired before I was there). He too refuses to read my book [everything below is edited and cut for length from the original emails]: Your apparent motivation for writing your book would indicate that it was successful, you have your new profession, that of college professor; but…
Good stuff!
I received this email a while back from a Baltimore Cop who transferred elsewhere. I’m protected his identity (of course) by blocking out a few details with ****. (By the way, I think the “proper” spelling of “screet” is with a K, but that’s a minor issue.) This is good stuff. perhaps even better than my book: Much like a…