Charles L. Chatmon
Author & Black Literary Essayist documenting Black life, history, and community in South Los Angeles.
A 1971 South Los Angeles Story
The World is a Ghetto
Junior never escaped the streets, he was born in them. Mouse keeps him grounded. Odessa loves him fiercely. Ray teaches him how to move through danger. But a new gang is tightening its grip, twisting South L.A. into something meaner, colder, and far less forgiving.
Explore Charles's Worlds
Explore Charles's books filled with stories, reflections, and poetic moments that illuminate everyday life. Explore the journey, find something that resonates, and stay close as new stories take shape.
Featured Interviews & Press Highlights
Read Charles’s featured interviews on VoyageLA, CanvasRebel, and the Writing While Black podcast discussing Black literature, urban fiction, and South L.A. history.
Thoughts on the issues of the day on Substack
Beyond the books, Charles writes regularly about the world as he sees it – culture, community, writing and the everyday details most of us walk past. New essays land on Substack, free to read and easy to follow.