{"id":45338,"date":"2026-02-27T14:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T19:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=45338"},"modified":"2026-03-02T18:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T23:10:28","slug":"boston-noir-fiction-qa-with-jay-atkinson","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/boston-noir-fiction-qa-with-jay-atkinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Noir Fiction: Q&#038;A With Jay Atkinson"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin bu-blocks-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-wider has-box has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3130\" height=\"4016\" src=\"\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"A smiling portrait of Jay Atkinson.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson.png 3130w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-496x636.png 496w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-798x1024.png 798w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-768x985.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-1197x1536.png 1197w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-1596x2048.png 1596w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/jay-atkinson-779x1000.png 779w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3130px) 100vw, 3130px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoston noir fiction: Q&amp;A with Jay Atkinson\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-categories\">\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/journalism\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJournalism\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/?bu-legacy-page=about-com\/news-features\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNews\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">February 27, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/authors\/com-staff\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOM Staff\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div style=\"display:none;\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-inner js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t<h4>Share<\/h4>\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-title\">Boston Noir Fiction: Q&#038;A With Jay Atkinson<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-link\">\n\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" value=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/boston-noir-fiction-qa-with-jay-atkinson\/\" readonly>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<label>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Copy URL:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Copy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/label>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Jay Atkinson, a lecturer at Boston University\u2019s College of Communication, has taught writing to COM students for 18 years \u2013 leveraging his experience writing 10 books, both novels such as Caveman Politics and nonfiction such as Legends of Winter Hill, plus dozens of stories for magazines and newspapers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His latest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Storrow-Drive-Jay-Atkinson\/dp\/1604894172\/\">Storrow Drive<\/a>, is work of fiction, but it\u2019s steeped in the deep reporting and research of investigative crime journalism. Named after the avenue running between Boston University\u2019s campus and the Charles River, the book explores an FBI campaign to disrupt street gangs and drug dealing in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COM spoke with Atkinson on the eve of the book\u2019s publication on March 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">with Jay Atkinson<\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">What is the origin of the idea behind Storrow Drive?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I had been writing crime stories related to gang interdiction. I did a magazine piece about how they use confidential informants, and then I got a subpoena while teaching class at another school. So then I was like, hmm, I&#8217;m onto something here. I thought I was doing\u00a0 individual stories about gang interdiction, but there&#8217;s a bigger story here. After more magazine pieces, I realized all the stories that I couldn&#8217;t tell because of the limitation of the magazine story. That&#8217;s a book.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">How did you get the kind of access you needed for a project like this?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Unlike most journalists, I had complete access to the FBI gang task force, because I knew someone\u00a0 in the Boston FBI office. So I got to go see things that most journalists never see. So I had this access which included really funny, profane stuff. There&#8217;s danger. The people are characters in a movie. So said, \u201cThis is a book.\u201d Well, it took three-and-a-half years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">You\u2019ve written both novels and narrative nonfiction. Why treat this story as a novel rather than nonfiction?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I wrote nonfiction on this topic for Commonwealth Magazine, Boston Magazine twice, the (Boston) Globe maybe four or five times. I had already produced 18,000 words of narrative nonfiction. And I thought, now I&#8217;m going to use all the interstitial material, everything that happened, like, off the cuff or whatever, because that&#8217;s gonna be more the territory of a novel.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Storrow Drive is steeped in Boston imagery and locales. Why is Boston such a fertile setting for this kind of story?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Look at the famous neighborhoods in Boston, Revere, all the rough and tumble neighborhoods. Look at all the crime films that have been shot here. Like, Storrow Drive is sort of a section of the crime history of Boston.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">True crime and gritty crime dramas seem especially popular now. Why do you think that is?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">The thing that makes the modern sort of noir would be the good guys ain&#8217;t all good, and the bad guys are mostly bad, but not always.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">After writing ten books\u2014five nonfiction and five novels\u2014has your approach to teaching changed? What are you emphasizing with students today?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Jay Atkinson:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I split my career with novels and narrative non-fiction. So I&#8217;ve had a double, life as a writer. But one of the things you learn from journalism is that the best stories are told in brief, simple and clear prose. And if you look at Storrow Drive compared to some of my other work, it\u2019s sort of terse, like noir. Reminds me of watching masons down at Marsh Chapel. They exhume these broken pieces of slate after a storm, then they would have to replace them. They would put one on the ground, and stand back, and they would look at it. Just study the grain, putting the broken pieces together by sight and feel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jay Atkinson, a lecturer at Boston University\u2019s College of Communication, has taught writing to COM students for 18 years \u2013&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25826,"featured_media":45353,"template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[100,1816],"bu-publication":[],"discipline-type":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45338"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25826"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45369,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45338\/revisions\/45369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45338"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=45338"},{"taxonomy":"discipline-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline-type?post=45338"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=45338"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=45338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}