Cheekie: A Child Out Of The Desire - Softcover

...A lively, indiscreet, sometimes hilarious, often poignant narrator, who paints a vibrant, emotionally intense picture of his family and neighbors. Nero evokes both the humorous and the more horrific aspects of what it's like to grow up as the child of parents who are only just starting to grow up themselves. -- Christian Science Monitor, June 1998

Honored as ONE OF THE BEST FIRST NOVELS OF 1998 -- Library Journal, October 1998

Nero's account of a young boy's coming into manhood is both witty and refreshing. -- Booklist, January 1998

The mid-1970s decline of a ghetto...comes to life in this highly autobiographical debut. -- Publishers Weekly, March 1998

Written by a promising young African-American author--who successfully maneuvers the story in the first person, using a fast-paced style and impressive dialogue. -- Library Journal, April 1998

Clarence Nero is a native of New Orleans. He grew up in Desire Project, a violent and impoverished community in the Ninth Ward. Nero attended Howard University and wrote his first novel "Cheekie: A Child out of the Desire" at 27 years of age after graduating from Howard. His first novel "Cheekie" was endorsed by the late, Dr. Maya Angelou who said, "Nero is a promising young writer." In 2003, Nero graduated from Louisiana State University MFA Graduate Program. He currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he teaches English at the Baton Rouge Community College.