Unicorns don't come to Black People: and Other Urban Fairy Tales

"I'm not here to dissuade people of color from seeking out the American dream and moving to the suburbs and trying to improve their lot in life, but after you hear what happened to me, I'm not sure you won't just try and stay where you are and make do. Maybe you'll consider renovating or a bathroom remodel. . ." ---- "The Black Girl and the Beast."Unicorns Don't Come to Black People is a collection of semi-autobiographical fairy tales based on the author's experience of growing up in the "Ghetto." From talking roaches, story-telling mice, #metoo princes, and black unicorns, Ms. Spears' stories repurpose the old to express the beauty and brutalities of ghetto life. The themes of language, duality, and hope weave their way through each narrative like a golden thread.There are deep betrayals and horrible scars that compete with laughter and love in each of the stories. The love/hate relationship with the ghetto, the foundation and crucible of each tale, is apparent. There are battles, as there are in all fairy tales, between good and evil, hope and despair, which the author captures like a butterfly with burned wings and holds out to us, daring us to see the horror and beauty of Ghetto life.