8-21-2026 4:51am

Local Author Laments

Fleeing Baltimore' fast-tracked at Baltimore County Public Library following high demand

Author Jeannette Belliveau and Beau Monde Press are pleased to announce that the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) system has fast-tracked the acquisition of her newest book, Fleeing Baltimore: A ringside seat at the collapse of a city.

Due to local interest, the book has skipped traditional wait times and is now prominently featured on the New Book shelves across Baltimore County branches.

Fleeing Baltimore details Belliveau’s journey from her initial delight moving to charming Fells Point in 1987 to her ultimate departure in 2020. The memoir captures the surreal, tragicomic and heartbreaking realities of changes near her front steps, including:

The bizarre neighbors: The author lived next door to an eccentric Mega Millions winner who paid top dollar for multiple mansions in Phoenix, Md., and an Animal House-style group of Under Armour designers who brought uproar to the block. A posse of characters — Baby Boy, Rick, Ginger and Erica — ran the corner of Ann and Pratt streets with a verve somewhere between Hairspray and The Wire.
The breaking point: Being driven out in 2020 after four carjackings on her immediate block, two execution-style slayings and a chilling phenomenon: while most Baltimore homicides have been criminal on criminal, a new and brutal street code targeted non-criminals, particularly robbery victims, for fatal violence.
The human cost: Most cities have one or two “Outlier” homicides of non-criminals. Baltimore has an incredible 44. These include some of the region's brightest and most innovative residents —including space economist Molly Macauley, cancer researcher Stephen Pitcairn, financial analyst Zach Sowers, tech CEO Pava LaPere and auditory researcher Peter Marvit.
The Baltimore County connection: The book honors local victims with deep county roots, including Henri Jones and Joel Lee, with direct ties to Towson University, as well as five Morgan State students and four Johns Hopkins affiliates.

Fleeing Baltimore is available now. Readers can find it in the New Book section of their local BCPL branch or check live availability across the county system via the BCPL Catalog at https://catalog.bcpl.lib.md.us/polaris/