Swamp Man

by Donald Goines

Overview

By turns gritty and heartbreaking, this bold novel from legendary author Donald Goines, the OG Master of Urban Lit, tells the story of a young man awakened to vengeance in the aftermath of a brutal crime against his sister . . .

George Jackson was a “Swamp Man,” born and bred in the dark, watery woods of Mississippi. He was a gentle young soul—until he saw what four hill boys did to his sister. Then George turned as deadly as a water moccasin snake.

The boys had caught his sister soon after she got off the bus home from her first year of college. When they were through with her, she let her mind shut down, fearing the memory. Slipping through the swamps like a ghost, George stalked them, one by one, two by two . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496750037
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	10/28/2025
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Donald Goines was born in Detroit, Michigan. He joined the U.S. Air Force instead of going into his family's drycleaning business. Following his service, he entered into a life of drug addiction and crime. He received seven prison sentences, serving a total of over six years. While he was in prison, Goines wrote his first two novels, Dopefiend: The Story of a Black Junkie and Whoreson: The Story of a Ghetto Pimp. Goines was shot to death in 1974.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Donald Goines:

"Machiavelli was my tutor, Donald Goines my father figure." —Tupac Shakur

"The voice of the ghetto itself." —The Village Voice

“Donald Goines, a brilliant writer of street literature captures the pain of addiction perfectly.” —Black Enterprise, The 18 Best Books of All Time on Dopefiend

“Goines’ influence on hip-hop, pulp-fiction, movies, and scores of authors deserves as much praise as a James Baldwin or Richard Wright, who also wrote about Black life in the ghetto.” —Darryl Robertson, Hip hop journalist

“A true master at depicting street life in it rawest, most authentic form, Mr. Goines mastered the art of storytelling from the darkest corner of America: the ghetto. His brilliance still shines through and touches the soul of modern black culture.” —JaQuavis Coleman, New York Times bestselling author

“Donald Goines is the most iconic voice in urban fiction. His masterful pen is timeless.” —Ashley Antoinette, New York Times bestselling author

"I learned to read on Donald Goines. His books are classics." —Carl Weber, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Urban Books

"A timeless writer, Donald Goines laid the foundation for all who came after. Fifty years later, his novels continue to inspire urban fiction from one generation to the next.” —Wahida Clark, New York Times bestselling author

“He lived by the code of the streets and his books vividly recreated the street jungle and its predators.” —New Jersey Voice

“Donald Goines is one of Hip Hop’s Greatest Inspirations.” —The Source Magazine

"The godfather of black pulp fiction." —Salon.com

“Goines put you right there in the action.” —AllHipHop.com

“Donald Goines was for the streets [in the 70s] what the rappers are today...He was in the streets, of the streets and spoke for the streets.” —Chaz Williams, CEO of Black Hand Entertainment

“Donald Goines has become, decades after his death, one of the most influential African-American authors in the African-American literary canon.” —Thumpers Corner

From the Publisher