Book Signing Saturday

Plainfield’s own urban fiction literary success, J.M. Benjamin, will be joined with colleagues from across the nation Saturday at the book signing for his new volume, “Ride or Die Chick.”

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Music N Motion, 204 E. Front St.

Benjamin called the event “one big networking thing” that has arisen out of his newfound acclaim as an award-winning author.

Formerly a drug dealer who served time in state and federal prisons, Benjamin is using his experiences to portray the ultimate consequences of getting caught up in the drug trade.

Benjamin rattled off dozens of cities where authors of the genre will be leaving to join the celebration in Plainfield. He said he has received phone calls from all over the world as excitement about his writing has built.

Most recently, his work was the subject of a New York Times article that added to the ripple effect of appreciation.

Whatever one’s literary bent, urban fiction is territory worth charting, according to librarians who have noted the explosion of interest in the genre.

--Bernice Paglia