Chapters (21)
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Bright Young Things campus of Clarkwell College, graduation in the town of Clarksville, somewhere upstate, 1990
- Cool Days open mike night at Kafka-fe, after band "2 Much" plays, 1991
- New on the Scene utside in front of Club Hush, for a film screening party of Kill Fee, 1993 o
- Single in the City at a French bistro, 1995
- Hangover brunch, the morning after, 1995
- Natural Health a chance meeting at Jasper’s Yoga Studio, 1996
- The Fat Flush ’90s in the foyer of a friend’s renovated brownstone, 1997
- Art Stars at Bonwyck Gallery, 1998
- Inner Odyssey the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, 1999
- Life After Death facedown in the dirt of the desert, next morning, 1999
- Loyal Companions catching up at the dog run, 2000 catching up at the dog run, 2000
- In the Real World a run-in at the ShopShape magazine launch party sponsored by Senor Strawberry Liqueur, early 2001
- Wartime spotted at Kinko's, late 2001
- Office Job in the cafeteria of the Conde Nast building, 2003
- Settling a yard sale on an obscure block in the outer borough, 2003
- Starting Over in a remote village tavern on the farmlands of New Zealand, 2004
- Epilogue a gathering of friends
His name is Nicholas. He's, well, he's a lot of things. A teacher for Teach for America, he went to Harvard for American Studies but right now he's trying to get his helicopter license. But primarily he's an international DJ. He's remixing Sade's album right now. I'm so proud of him. He grew up in Southeast DC, in a disenfranchised community, and has really made something of himself. So I have been traveling around a lot with him. He lives in Harlem, and I stay there on the weekends. Getting into the beats and vibe where it originated, you know? He's been working on his own music, getting a demo together. But I don't need to tell you how hard the music industry is! Well, if you think it's hard for you, imagine how hard it is for a Person of Color!
Excuse me, can I see your pass? You don't have one? I'm just kidding, Mr. Lynch . . .It's me! Ha! Yeah, coffee soon . . .
Speaking of, have I got a wild story for you. Since I've been hanging in the scene uptown, you know, in Biggie's
studio, or just chillin' with Chuck D, I've had a chance to open up to them in ways I never thought I could with other peeps. A lot of my friends up there: Rza and Jay-Z and Busta, they say there is something about me, that actually I may be black. So I started doing research and found out that my grandmother on my dad's side was a prominent Native American Leader so I'm a sixteenth Cherokee (which explains my strangely prominent cheekbones I guess) and then I found out that my great-grandfather on my mom's side was a freed slave. So they were right! I am a Person of Color!
It makes so much sense. Not only because of my incredibly curly thick hair and a good sense of balance and beat, but I mean there's just this special connection I feel like I have with a more tribally truthful way of living. And since I'm half black, you know, now I really get to explore the sides of me that have been oppressed by the culture and media industries. But I miss all of them. I've been traveling so much.
God . . . look at all these people standing outside trying to get in. It's so weird. Freaks me out. Just the palpable difference between the Haves and Have-nots.