The literary contents of Something to Live For’s 122 pages consist of a variety of works by a single author that includes poems, short stories, and a small bio. Positioned towards the middle of the book are the meaningful twenty-one poems with several of them having the ability to touch any reader’s heart. Starting off is the poem, Remember Me?, a simple dedication to LaTasha Harlins, a young African-American teen killed during the post-L.A. riots of the early 90’s; another memorable poem would be, The Rent is Too Damn High, the humorous poetic play on the phrase by Jimmy McMillan III, the political activist and Vietnam War veteran in Brooklyn, New York.
The short stories have the same purpose as the poems, and that is to entertain, enlighten, and provoke thought but they are longer! Beginning after the bio and completing the end of the book are the ‘meat and potatoes’, the eighteen imagination capturing short stories that are quite moving at times and are sure to stay in one’s mind. Each story has its own character overcoming circumstances and situations to prevail and inspire. LaTasha’s Song is another dedication to the slain Ms. Harlins of Los Angeles, it shows the family struggle of a teen girl with the ability to sing and trying to keep herself together along with school and family life through music; in Baby Girl, another inspiring story of a teen girl dealing with having a baby and getting married at an early a≥ and with Lawson’s Rule, there is the tale of an African-American governor taking matters into her own hands after her city explodes into violence during her election term.
Overall, Something to Live For is an exceptional work of fiction that has the capability to become a classic over time and there is the possibility of several short stories having the potential to be transformed into novels by themselves or into short films if scripted properly.