Book excerpt: With the release of Gus Edwards' Lifetimes on the Streets, published here along with his most recent collection, Portraits in Black, black monologues have finally found their place on the international stage. Together, these sets of monologues are a vital resource for actors and actresses looking for honest and vibrant material. The characters range in age from fifteen to fifty. Among them: a woman on her way to the hairdresser, who enters into a strange relationship with a painter when he invites her to join him for a cup of tea; the Common Man, who warns that Harlem is entering a new ice age; a businessman who, on the death of a homosexual friend, wanders into a porn movie and is forced to confront his own discomfort and lack of confidence.