Chapters (31)
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Room in the Dark I
- Fawns of the Diaspora Court Liliane in Paris, While Tabou Combo Whispers “Coq Qualité” in Her Ears
- Room in the Dark II
- “I Usedta Drink, Smoke and Do the Hoochie-Koo,” or What’s a Girl to Do When Her Mother Looks Like Ruth Brown
- Room in the Dark III
- “El Bochinche” es que only Fe Cortijo Knows or All the LeBron Brothers Know If Victor-Jésus María Sang Lili to Her Freedom
- Room in the Dark IV
- And Where Is Garnett Mimms?
- Room in the Dark V
- I Know Where Kansas City Is, But Did Wilbert Harrison Ever Get There?
- Room in the Dark VI
- Zoom Went the Strings of Liliane’s Heart, But Arsenio Rodriguez Could Have Told Her the Music Sounds Just as Sweet When We’re Blind and Still We See
- Room in the Dark VII
- I Know Where the E Train Stops But I’m “Sendin’ Out an S.O.S.” and I’m Not Edwin Starr Either
- Room in the Dark VIII
- “Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby” or Wouldn’t It Be Great If the Lead Singer of The Crests Wasn’t a White Boy and I Could Be My Mother?
- Room in the Dark IX
- Every Time My Lil World Seems Blue, I Just Haveta Look at You and Learn Eye-Hand Coordination
- Room in the Dark X
- “That’s Why I Love Her So and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I Want to Know” or Why Jackie Wilson Died in Silence
- Room in the Dark XI
- There’s No Use Cryin’ “Forever” or Hyacinthe Returns from a Very Blue Holiday for Real B(l)ack at Ya
- Room in the Dark XII
- Lollie Struts Her Stuff Thru “The Sea of Love” or the Brides of Frankenstein Catch the Bouquet
- By Ntozake Shange
- Acknowledgments
- Copyright
——— Not only too tired to talk, but too tired, apparently, to get here on time or to pay her bills on time.
——— I still owe you money? I thought I paid money last week.
——— That was three weeks ago and that was “some” money, not the amount owed.
——— Oh.
——— Well, what are you going to do about all this?
——— All this?
——— Yes, you’ve been late for the last five sessions; tired; and fairly unengaged as well.
——— Oh, so now I must be perky and smiling as well as witty and perceptive? Fuck you. [She throws her hat at him.]
——— Liliane, you must never do that again. Only verbal exchanges are permitted: no acting out; no physicality.
——— Gee, I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t want to do anything but work. I don’t wanta eat, fuck, come here or anywhere else.
——— Then, you should be able to pay your bills, if you are working so much.
——— Damn. You are having a real hard time with this, aren’t you?
——— No, I’m having a hard time understanding you right now. You are giving me very little to work with.
——— Welcome to the club.
——— Lili, isn’t this a bit melodramatic?
——— If you say so. I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of defending myself, believe whatever the fuck you want, okay? You want me to go?
——— No, and I want you to pay me. And I want you to acknowledge who you are angry with and why you are coming late to do our work and refusing to pay me.
——— What in the hell are you talking about?
——— We are talking about this episode of acting out that you’re doing.
——— Oh, I see.
——— Do you really, Lili?
——— Well, no, not exactly. I don’t really understand.
——— Well, let’s review a bit…. You started being late with regularity when we discovered the connection between your mother and Roxie.
——— I did?
——— Yes, you did. I didn’t mention it then, because you were very intent on remembering everything you could.
——— And now you think I’m running away?
——— What do you think?
——— I told you. I’ve been working myself to death, that’s what. Look, look, see what I’ve been doing. I’ve been working and trying to understand, I have. I swear, my whole being is involved in this. [She pulls out a small book.] This is our book, me and Mommy, I mean, Sunday Bliss. She wrote me some letters that I never told you about cause I wanted to make them something, anything I could hold, before I shared her with anybody. She’s my mother. I love her. I want some of her for myself, that’s all.
——— That does not explain being late or failure to pay…unless since you’re growing close to S. Bliss again, your fury at her so-called death is directed at me.
——— You are out of your mind, you know that?