Mark Naison & Melissa Castillo-Garsow 
Pure Bronx 

PURE BRONX is a story about the vast diversity of people who make the Bronx what it is—hustlers, gang bangers, immigrants, and the working poor and the powerful interests trying to make money off its struggling people. And it’s about love—what you sacrifice, and what you accept for a chance at real happiness.


Set in the first year of Barack Obama’s presidency, Pure Bronx is a love story about a young couple from the South Bronx. Khalil and Rasheeda are trying to make it out of the ghetto, and taste what middle-class America takes for granted. Born and raised in Patterson Houses, Khalil is a 21-year-old hustler, who is the main provider for his family. Beautiful and sexy, 19-year old Rasheeda is a dancer at a strip club. She lives in Mitchell Houses with her mother and younger brother, attends college, and is also the main provider for family. Rasheeda is struggling to make ends meet. Khalil meets and falls in love with Rasheeda. Things go good for a while, but facing crisis after crisis, Rasheeda breaks down in front of Khalil. He takes her seriously when she jokingly suggests kidnapping her richest client, and one of the wealthiest men on Wall Street, Robert Seidman. Khalil enlists the help of his two trusted friends, and hatches a plan to kidnap Seidman.


Things go awry when the kidnappers discover that Seidman has his own financial problems. They resort to Plan B and this involves Seidman’s wife, who feels betrayed. Will she bite? Read Pure Bronx and find out why this action packed, drama filled story is more potent than just any coming-of-age tale from the hood. Packed with more drama than straphangers on the 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 trains at rush hour, Pure Bronx is a page-turner that’ll make you cheer, bringing tears, and laughter.

About the author

Mark Naison Mark Naison is Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University. He is the author of four books and over 200 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture and education policy. Dr. Naison is the Principal Investigator of the Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community based oral history projects in the nation and has begun work on an book of oral histories from the BAAHP, with Robert Gumbs, entitled Before the Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1030’s to the 1960’s. His articles about Bronx music and Bronx culture have been published in German, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese as well as English. He has two books coming out this year, a novel Pure Bronx, written with Melissa Castillo Garsow, and a book of writings on education and youth activism, Badass Teachers Unite, to be published by Haymarket Press.

When not doing historical research, Naison likes to play tennis and golf, post commentary on his blog, “With a Brooklyn Accent, ” and make periodic forays into the media. During the last five years, he has begun presenting historical “raps” in Bronx schools under the nickname of “Notorious Phd” and has been the subject of stories about his use of hip hop in teaching in the The Daily News, Bronx 12 Cablevision, and Fox Business. He also comments regularly on education issues through his blog and on LA Progressive, History News Network and The Washington Post “Answer Sheet, and is one of the founders of three education activist sites on Facebook -“Dump Duncan, ” “Occupy Teach for America” and the wildly successful “Badass Teachers Association.” However, some know him best for his appearance on the Chappelle Show, where his “performance” has been preserved on that show’s Second Year DVD.


Melissa Castillo-Garsow is a Mexican-American writer, journalist, and scholar currently pursuing a Ph D in American Studies and African American Studies at Yale University. Her short stories and poetry have been published in various journals including The Acentos Review, La Bloga, Hispanic Culture Review, Hinchas de Poesia and The 2River View.

Melissa completed her Master’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing at Fordham University in 2011 where she was a graduate assistant for the American Studies Program. Prior to that she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from New York University summa cum laude with a double major in Journalism and Latin American Studies. A former employee of NBC News, El Diario/ La Prensa and Launch Radio Networks, Melissa has had articles and reviews published in a wide variety of forums including CNN.com, Latin Beat Magazine, Washington Square News, University Wire, El Diario/La Prensa, Women’s Studies, Words. Beats. Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture, and The Bilingual Review.