In the following excerpt from Writers for Young Adults, the author explores Harlem's influence on Myers and Myers's influence on Harlem, poetry, and African-American culture.

The Harlem where Myers grew up, the one he remembers and portrays affectionately in his early novels, was a gentler, happier place than the Harlem generally portrayed in contemporary media. Four of those early novels—Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (1975), Mojo and the Russians (1977), The Young Landlords (1979), and Won't Know Till I Get There (1982)—are humorous accounts of the escapades of groups of young people who get themselves in and out of trouble, support each other when the going is rough, and generally try to do the right thing.

Myers' talent was recognized early in his career. Fast Sam, his first novel, was cited as an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, as was The Young Landlords. Critical response...