Sonny's Blues

He turned back to the window, looking out. 'All that hatred down there,' he said, 'all that hatred and misery and love. It's a wonder it doesn't blow the avenue apart.

This small book contains three short stories of African-American life in New York, one each from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. "Sonny's Blues" is a teacher's tale about his brother, a jazz pianist and heroin addict. "The Rockpile" is about the conflicts within a preacher's family and "Previous Condition" is about a New Jersey-born actor, who finds himself feeling out of place everywhere he goes, including Harlem. ( )