Queen of Southgate

The shorter version of The Queen of Southgate, entitled simply "Southgate" is available on Lulu.com for $6.96.

Bold, Riveting, and Compelling, November 24, 2006
By Richard R. Blake (Bridgman, Michigan) - See all my reviews


This review is from: Queen of Southgate (Paperback)
This is a story of homeless people, prostitutes, pimps, dealers, and hustlers. Sperling asks the tough questions: How do these people survive? How do they avoid arrest? And, how do we prevent the next child from becoming one of the street people?

After reading a newspaper account of a local fire, in which three year old Tyler suffocated, Dale Sperling became consumed with the question of what really happened. As he researched news reports and internet records of the three adults sleeping in the house, at the time of the fire, he found himself drawn into to a tangled web of deceit, crime, and the human drama of life on the streets of the Southgate District.

Dale decided to find an individual who had experienced drug and alcohol abuse, prostituted their body, and risen above this life to choose personal growth and fulfillment. He then wanted to write their story. Tammy James (TJ) was approached to become the "success" of his book. The book, and Tammy James, became a passion as Dale interviewed dozens of street people, dealers, and prostitutes. He soon became involved in an unusual, intricate relationship with Tammy as friend, protector, and benefactor.

As he traces the steps of Tammy's spiraling descent into the use of crack cocaine Sperling describes in detail the risks of street life. He shows profound insights into Tammy's personality. "I was beginning to understand her motivation better now. TJ wanted the same things we all want: acceptance, friendship, and respect. She also wanted her independence and the chance to express herself. At Southgate, she had all, that she felt, she needed to be happy."

"The more I learned, the more I came to realize that I could not help Tammy. To seek recovery was a decision she had to make on her own. I became an observer and expanded my research to include the total environment."

The environment, pleasure and values of a person influence the risk of addiction. As Dale continued to write he concluded that being a street prostitute was not all about money, nor was it all about drugs. "There was something far more sinister at work in these women's lives."

As work on the book progressed, Sperling continued the focus of alerting others to the dangers caused by using illegal drugs, abusing alcohol and of the effect this has on others, family, friends, and relationships. He reiterates how your influence on others impacts the direction of their lives. This thought provoking account is haunting and heartbreaking. It is a reminder that the choices we make have long range consequences.

Sperling demonstrated spiritual understanding and compassion as he sacrificed of himself to bring this story to fruition. It is a remarkable work well worth reading and passing along to others facing these issues personally or through loved ones caught up in a web of crime and degradation.