In the following essay excerpt, Schulz examines symbolism in the psychological relationship between Gunther and his father in "Brazzaville Teenager," asserting that Gunther is "risking sacrificial self-destruction as a way of realizing a closer blood union with his father."

Friedman's second collection of short stories, Black Angels, appeared in 1966. All but one of its sixteen stories had been published the preceding four years and most showed a marked improvement over those of Far from the City of Class. These stories in the second collection neatly divide into fantasy and realism. Friedman is basically a social critic, as indicated by his articles in Esquire and The Saturday Evening Post on such subjects as Raquel Welch and the definitive chickie, Joe Frazier in his training camp, Adam Clayton Powell on Bimini, the Philadelphia disc jockey Jerry Blavat at a dance session, and the Chicago detectives Valesares and Sullivan on...