A poignant tale of growing up in 1960's Camden, New Jersey, Soup City Blues is the story of four young Black men and their struggle to survive the streets of the ghetto while defining their own rites of passage.In his striking debut novel, Richard Brown, Jr., introduces us to Allen, Robert, Gordon and Preach -- each unique, each a true friend to the others. They skip rocks, pull pranks, talk about life -- typical boys. But these boys are growing up Black in poverty-stricken Camden. And as they become young men, everything changes...It is a coming-of-age novel that addresses the plight and the promise of young African American men.