There is considerable emphasis, in this novel, on empathy and on fostering relationships that are supportive, not exploitive. Tamar stresses the necessity of balance for harmonious community, and concedes that while opposites often attract, compatibility reigns.

Just as improvisational jazz is born of assonance and dissonance, the conflicts and convergences in this narrative create a "complete" composition.

With her penchant for realistic portrayal of young adult experience, Tamar addresses sensitive topics in Blues for Silk Garcia. On one occasion, Linda Ann and her friends obtain fake I.D.s. They visit a jazz club, and while there, drink alcohol, though not to excess. At another juncture, the text implies that Linda and Michael have sex.

Although the expression of these behaviors may concern some readers, it does lend the text a sense of authenticity.

Authentic, too, is the representation of social deviance, or pathology, through the...