The Summer of '72: What It Was

If there were a poet laureate of D. C. crime writing, that honor would have to go to George Pelecanos. Each of the Washington native's 18 novels have taken readers through the darker sides of D. C.'s streets, sounds, bars, stores, and people. In fact, many say that if you truly want to learn about the real Washington that exists outside of  the White House and Capitol Hill, the best way is to turn to Pelecanos' pages.

Tonight, the author appeared before an appreciative crowd at Busboys and Poets to celebrate the paperback publication of his novel The Cut and to read from and discuss his latest effort What It Was.

Pelecanos said What It Was was an outgrowth of his research into Cadillac Smith, a larger-than-life D. C. gangster from the 1970s. In his book, Pelecanos changed his main character's name to Red Jones and Jones' fictionalized tale is recounted by Derek Strange, a recurring Pelecanos character.

"This book is a response to the people who said I was getting soft," Pelecanos joked. "It's just a straight-up, kick-ass crime novel."

In the passage Pelecanos read, Jones, whose street name is Red Fury, walks into the Soul House bar on 14th Street (the same street as the present day Busboys and Poets) and calmly guns down a drug dealer in front of the horrified bar crowd.

During the killing, Jones is creating a 70s guitar-driven Superfly-like funk song in his head with the lyrics "Red Fury he's the man. Try to stop him if you can."

Music has always been an integral part of Pelecanos' work. Indeed, it is the old song "In the Rain" by the Dramatics that prompts Strange to begin recounting the tale of Jones and the Summer of 1972 he knew as a young policeman. "I try to make the music organic to the books. Music has been a big part of my life," Pelecanos said. "I'm always listening to music and I'm still searching music out, especially old largely forgotten R&B and 70s soul. I have a real love for that."

After his reading, Pelecanos spent about 30 minutes discussing his writing. He talked about the individual nature of his novels and his collective work on the HBO TV shows The Wire (which many critics contend was the best series ever aired) and Treme, whose 3rd season will air next fall.

Pelecanos said he always tries to "frontload" his research for a new book. His study often sends him pedaling through the streets on his bicycle where he captures pictures and notes on his iPhone. For a historical piece such as What It Was, Pelecanos says he employs "library time and memory work."

Listening to the stories and tales of D. C. residents also provides Pelecanos with fresh material. He first fell in love with the streets of Washington as an 11-year-old boy delivering meals from his father's diner. "All my life living here I've listened to the people talk," Pelecanos said. With the success of The Wire, members of both sides of the law have become more eager to do that. Pelecanos says. "I've always had a good relationship with the street cops, but homicide detectives were different," he said. "But (on The Wire) we were always sticking it to the brass and they loved that." Criminal offenders, meanwhile, appreciating that The Wire took the time to show all facets of their often difficult lives, have taken to contacting Pelecanos and offering ideas..

When it finally comes time to write, Pelecanos says he writes 7 days a week until the book is finished. "It's very difficult to get back in the tunnel that you're in if you take a break," he explained. Pelecanos says his writing days are relatively routine. He writes in the morning, takes a break for physical activity such as biking or kayaking in the afternoon, and then, in the evening, edits what he had written earlier.  "That way I'm all ready for the next day," Pelecanos said. "I'm secluded and being socially retarded, but then I spend 6 months on a TV set with hundreds of people and that gets me back to my social side."

Like all long-time D. C. residents, Pelecanos has seen Washington change. "To see all the changes, they've been both good and bad," he said. "I miss Chocolate City (D. C..'s nickname because of its overwhelmingly large black population). That's the city I was raised in. But to see lights now on in H Street, that means people are working and that's good. And I don't miss all the vacant houses and abandoned storefronts."

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
For someone who loves to read, one of the perks of living in the D.C. area is seeing, hearing, and, many times, briefly chatting with favorite authors. This was the 2nd time I've had a chance to hear Pelecanos, who shares my favorite crime writer designation with New Orleans writer James Lee Burke.  Earlier this month I had a 2nd similar opportunity with my favorite contemporary history  writer Douglas Brinkley. And tonight, we're headed to the Newseum to hear Bob Woodward of the Woodward/Bernstein team talk about Watergate. For a reader, that goes to make a great month.