The Corner

A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood

By: David Simon, Edward Burns

Narrated by: Dion Graham, David Simon

The crime-infested intersection of West Fayette and Monroe Streets is well-known--and cautiously avoided--by most of Baltimore. But this notorious corner's 24-hour open-air drug market provides the economic fuel for a dying neighborhood. David Simon, an award-winning author and crime reporter, and Edward Burns, a 20-year veteran of the urban drug war, tell the chilling story of this desolate crossroad.

Through the eyes of one broken family--two drug-addicted adults and their smart, vulnerable 15-year-old son, DeAndre McCollough, Simon and Burns examine the sinister realities of inner cities across the country and unflinchingly assess why law enforcement policies, moral crusades, and the welfare system have accomplished so little. This extraordinary book is a crucial look at the price of the drug culture and the poignant scenes of hope, caring, and love that astonishingly rise in the midst of a place America has abandoned.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Corner:

"The Corner is an intimate, intense dispatch from the broken heart of urban America. It is impossible to read these pages and not feel stunned at the high price, in human potential, in thwarted aspirations, that simple survival on the streets of West Baltimore demands of its citizens. An important document, as devastating as it is lucid."
--Richard Price, author of Clockers

"The Corner is a remarkable book--very tough, very demanding, very rewarding. Some of it is brutal and all of it is heartbreaking. As a reporter, I can only stand back and admire David Simon and Edward Burns for an amazing piece of reportage. To be there for an entire year, to make sense of random events and a list of characters long enough to make Charles Dickens envious, and to write coherently--it's a breathtaking achievement. And they manage to make West Baltimore as much a character as any of the flesh-and-blood people in the book."
--Glenn Frankel, author of Beyond the Promised Land

"If you want to understand street-corner life in the inner city, you should read The Corner, an amazingly intimate, detailed work of reporting that makes human and vivid a world that outsiders ordinarily are forced to learn about through statistics, sound bites, and stereotypes."
--Nicholas Lemann, author of The Promised Land

Great read

Great read! Weaving the the characters into the story was masterfully done. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and have recommended it to others.

Profound

More than 20 years after writing this book remains a poignant view of American Cities

Raw, Real, Heartbreaking

Powerful, engrossing book of journalism that tracks the lives of families trying to survive and thrive in a slum neighborhood in Baltimore. It shattered the narratives that I heard from condescending politicians and opened my mind to the realities of growing up and living poor amidst a very active drug trade and addiction. I strongly recommend the audiobook version. I will not soon forget the voices of hope, despair, suffering, and survival. Prepare to have some preconceptions challenged.

Deep dive into the streets

This is an epic book. The details are amazing. Author had to have spent years following these characters. So well done. Highly recommend.

The Real Hurts Sometimes

A web of stories filled with tragedy, triumph, despair and pain. David Simon is a writer who understands the nuances and art of immersing one’s self in his subjects and it shows beautifully in his words. RIP to the Boyd and McCullough loses and to the many others so sadly casualties to the corner.