Book cover of The New Noir

Book description

The expansion of the Black American middle class and the unprecedented increase in the number of Black immigrants since the 1960s have transformed the cultural landscape of New York.

In The New Noir, Orly Clerge explores the richly complex worlds of an extraordinary generation of Black middle class adults who…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The New Noir as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book helped me to understand the cultural complexity of my family—my father is a Jamaican immigrant, and my mother is a native-born African American—and the cultural richness of my neighborhood, Harlem, in New York City.

Like Lacy, Clerge centers her research in suburbia, not in a city. And Clerge explains how cultural distinctions across Caribbean and African American communities offer a rich tapestry of expression, and ways of being and belonging.

She reveals how cultural differentiation shapes and is shaped by class variation and strategies for navigating White domination and anti-Black racism. Clerge also discusses the implications for solidaristic…

If you love The New Noir...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The New Noir?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The New Noir.

Browse books like The New Noir

Book cover of Black Picket Fences
Book cover of Blue-Chip Black
Book cover of Black Power in the Suburbs

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

167

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The New Noir, you might also like...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of In This Together: Connecting with Your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis

In This Together by Marianne E. Krasny,

In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…

5 book lists we think you will like!