David Simon

For fans of The Wire—which, after the ceaseless praise that’s rained on the edgy cop show in the last couple of years, seems to be almost everyone who owns a TV—there could be few bigger draws than its creator and lead scriptwriter, David Simon.

The Wire was largely based on Simon’s own experiences as a crime reporter in Baltimore, where the show is set – and he has claimed that some characters from the show are drawn directly from life. But before The Wire was conceived. Simon penned a book, recently re-released, about what he discovered: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.

In it he attempted to answer the question, “are America’s inner cities unpoliceable?” Those familiar with his show’s tragic realism might guess Simon’s answer to his own question, but this remains a rare chance to hear the thoughts of an important artist who many think has expanded the possibilities of his medium.

Sat 29/08/2009 - 8:00 PM