Crooked Out of Compton illuminates the lives of people Frank O’ Connor called “ submerged population groups.” The book serves as a reminder in this era of retrograde discourse that many American institutions have failed to live up to their promises, and the plot will thicken once basic protections and service levels are curtailed or eliminated together by the threat of autocratic regimes. Many Americans oppose hard reality and seek to escape it by any means, including but not limited to conspiracy theories, alcohol, and other drugs. Stories in Crooked will remind the reader of work still undone and point to some consequences when society denies or obfuscates the goal of freedom for all.