join local author & former Washington Post reporter Ruben Castaneda in Bloomingdale to discuss his S Street Rising book -- Sunday, 09-14-2014

Join local author and former Washington Post reporter Ruben Castaneda for a discussion about his riveting new book S Street Rising in Bloomingdale this Sunday, Sept. 14, 10:00 am-12:00 noon outside Big Bear Cafe. Here's what Publisher's Weekly says about the book:

During the height of the crack epidemic that decimated the streets of D.C., Ruben Castaneda covered the crime beat for the Washington Post. But his apparent success masked a devastating secret: he was a crack addict. Even as he covered the drug-fueled violence that was destroying the city, he was prowling S Street, a 24/7 open-air crack market, during his off hours, looking for his next fix. 

S Street Rising is more than a memoir; it’s a portrait of a city in crisis. It’s the story of Castaneda’s friendship with an exceptional police homicide commander whose career was derailed when he ran afoul of Mayor Marion Barry and his political cronies. And it’s a study of the city itself as it tried to rise above the bloody crack epidemic and the corrosive politics of the Barry era. S Street Rising is The Wire meets the Oscar-winning movie Crash. And it’s all true.

This must-read book will be available with inscriptions by the author. Join the discussion Sept. 14 10:00-12:00 noon at 1st and R outside Big Bear Cafe.