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[1 of 5 - Groups A, B, C & E] Long Division, Book One, pages 1-49, Book Two, pages 166-172, by Kiese Laymon (2013)
Author: Kiese Laymon
Laymon, Kiese. “Book One, Pages 1-49, Book Two, Pages 166-172.” Long Division, Scribner Book Company, 2013, 2021.
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“Twice upon a time, there was a boy who died and lived happily ever after, but that’s another chapter.” —ANDRÉ BENJAMIN, “AQUEMINI”
“I don’t wanna time travel no more…” —Erykah Badu, “Window Seat”
“Twice upon a time, there was a boy who died and lived happily ever after, but that’s another chapter.” —ANDRÉ BENJAMIN, “AQUEMINI”
“I don’t wanna time travel no more…” —Erykah Badu, “Window Seat”
—ANDRÉ BENJAMIN, “AQUEMINI”
BOOK ONE
ONE SENTENCE.
(BOOK ONE, pages 1 – 11)
LaVander Peeler cares too much what white folks think about him.
Last quarter, instead of voting for me for ninth-grade CF (Class Favorite), he wrote on the back of his ballot, “All things considered, I shall withhold my CF vote rather than support Toni Whitaker, Jimmy Wallace, or The White Homeless Fat Homosexual.”
He actually capitalized all five words when he wrote the sentence, too.
You would expect more from the only boy at Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet School with blue-black patent-leather Adidas and an ellipsis tattoo on the inside of his wrist, wouldn’t you?
The tattoo and the Adidas are the only reason he gets away with using sentences with “all things considered” and the word “shall” an average of fourteen times a day.
LaVander Peeler hates me.
Therefore (I know Principal Reeves said that we should never write the “n-word” if we are writing paragraphs that white folks might be reading, but…), I hate that goofy nigga, too.
My name is City.
I’m not white, homeless, or homosexual, but if I’m going to be honest, I guess you should also know that LaVander Peeler smells so good that sometimes you can’t help but wonder if a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re too close to him.
It’s not just me, either.
I’ve watched Toni Whitaker, Octavia Whittington, and Jimmy Wallace sneak and sniff their own breath around LaVander Peeler, too.
If you actually watched the 2013 Can You Use That Word in a Sentence finals on good cable last night, or if you’ve seen the clip on YouTube, you already know I hate LaVander Peeler.
The Can You Use That Word in a Sentence contest was started in the spring of 2006 after states in the Deep South, Midwest, and Southwest complained that the Scripps Spelling Bee was geographically biased.
Each contestant has two minutes to use a given word in a “dynamic” sentence.
The winner of the contest gets $75,000 toward college tuition if they decide to go to college.
All three judges in the contest, who are also from the South, Midwest, or Southwest, must agree on a contestant’s “correct sentence usage, appropriateness, and dynamism” for you to advance.
New Mexico and Oklahoma won the last four contests, but this year LaVander Peeler and I were supposed to bring the title to Mississippi.
Anyway, LaVander Peeler has way too much space between his eyes and his fade doesn’t really fade right.
Nothing really fades into anything, to tell you the truth.
Whenever I feel dumb around him I call him “Lavender” or “Fade Don’t Fade.”
Whenever I do anything at all, he calls me “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” or “Fat Homosexual” for short because he claims that my “house” is a rich white lady’s garage, that I’m fatter than Sean Kingston at his fattest, and that I like to watch boys piss without saying, “Kindly pause.”
LaVander Peeler invented saying “Kindly pause” in the bathroom last year at the end of eighth grade.
If you were pissing and another dude just walked in the bathroom and you wondered who was walking in the bathroom, or if you walked in the bathroom and just looked a little bit toward a dude already at a urinal, you had to say “Kindly pause.”
If I sound tight, it’s because I used to love going to the bathroom at Hamer.
They just renovated the bathrooms for the first time in fifteen years and these rectangular tiles behind the urinal are now this deep dark blue that makes you know that falling down and floating up are the same thing, even if you have severe constipation.
Nowadays, you can never get lost in anything because you’re too busy trying to keep your neck straight.
Plus, it’s annoying because dudes say “Kindly pause” as soon as they walk in the bathroom.
And if one dude starts it, you have to keep saying it until you have both feet completely out of the bathroom.
But I don’t say “Kindly pause,” and it’s not because I think I’m slightly homosexual.
I just don’t want to use some wack catchphrase created by LaVander Peeler, and folks don’t give me a hard time for it because I’ve got the best waves of anyone in the history of Hamer.
I’m also the second-best rebounder in the school and a two-time reigning CW (Class Wittiest).
Toni said I could win the SWDGF (Student Who Don’t Give a Fuck) every year if we voted on that, too, but no one created that yet.
Anyway, it helps that everybody in the whole school hates LaVander Peeler at least a little bit, even our janitor and Principal Reeves.
When LaVander Peeler and I tied at the state Can You Use that Word in a Sentence contest, the cameras showed us walking off the stage in slow motion.
I felt like Weezy F. Baby getting out of a limo, steady strolling into the backdoor of hell.
In the backdrop of us walking were old images of folks in New Orleans, knee-deep in toxic water.
Those pictures shifted to shots of Trayvon Martin in a loose football uniform, then oil off the coast drowning ignorant ducks.
Then they finally replayed that footage of James Anderson being run over by those white boys off of Ellis Avenue.
The last shots were black-and-whites of dusty-looking teenagers from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee holding up picket signs that said “Freedom Schools Now” and “Black is not a vice.
Nor is segregation a virtue.”
The next day at school, after lunch, LaVander Peeler, me, and half the ninth graders including Toni Whitaker, Jimmy Wallace, and strange Octavia Whittington walked out to the middle of the basketball court where the new Mexican seventh graders like to play soccer.
There are eight Mexican students at Hamer and they all started school this semester.
Principal Reeves tried to make them feel accepted by having a taco/burrito lunch option three times a week and a Mexican Awareness Week twice each quarter.
After the second quarter, it made most of us respect their Mexican struggle, but it didn’t do much for helping us really distinguish names from faces.
We still call all five of the boys “Sergio” at least twice a quarter.
LaVander Peeler says being racist is fun.
It kinda is.
Anyway, everyone formed a circle around LaVander Peeler and me, like they did every day after lunch, and LaVander Peeler tried to snatch my heart out of my chest with his sentences.
“All things considered, Fat Homosexual,” LaVander Peeler started.
“This is just a sample of the ass-whupping you shall be getting tonight at the contest.”
He cleared his throat.
“African Americans are generally a lot more ignorant than white Americans, and if you’re an African-American boy and you beat not only African-American girls but white American boys and white American girls, who are, all things considered, less ignorant than you by nature—in something like making sentences, in a white American state like Mississippi—you are, all things considered, a special African-American boy destined for riches, unless you’re a homeless white fat homosexual African-American boy with mommy issues, and City, you are indeed the white fat homosexual African-American boy with mommy issues who I shall beat like a knock-kneed slave tonight at the nationals.”
Then he got closer to me and whispered, “One sentence, Homosexual.
I shall not be fucked with.”
LaVander Peeler backed up and looked at the crowd, some of whom were pumping their fists, covering their mouths, and laughing to themselves.
Then he kissed the ellipsis tattoo on his wrist and pointed toward the sky.
I took out my brush and got to brushing the waves on the back of my head.
It’s true that LaVander Peeler has mastered the comma, the dash, and the long “if-then” sentence.
I’m not saying he’s better than me, though.
We just have different sentence styles.
I don’t think he understands what the sentences he be using really mean.
He’s always praising white people in his sentences, but then he’ll turn around and call me “white” in the same sentence like it’s a diss.
And I’m not trying to hate, but all his sentences could be shorter and more dynamic, too.
The whole school year, even before we went to the state finals, LaVander Peeler tried to intimidate me by using long sentences in the middle of the basketball court after lunch, but Grandma and Uncle Relle told me that winning any championship takes mental warfare and a gigantic sack.
Uncle Relle was the type of uncle who, when he wasn’t sleeping at some woman’s house and eating up all the Pop-Tarts she bought for her kids, was in jail or sleeping in a red X-Men sleeping bag at my grandma’s house.
What Uncle Relle lacked in money, he made up for in the way he talked and taught the ratchet gospels.
The sound of his voice made everything he said seem right.
When he opened his mouth, it sounded like big old flat tires rolling over jagged gravel.
And he had these red, webbed eyeballs that poked out a lot even when he was sleeping.
I could tell you crazy stories about Uncle Relle’s eyeballs, his voice, and his sagging V-neck T-shirts, but that would be a waste of time, especially since the detail you just couldn’t forget about, other than his voice, was his right hand.
The day after he got back from Afghanistan, Uncle Relle lost the tips of three fingers in a car accident with our cousin Pig Mo.
Now, he had three nubs, a pinky, and a thumb.
You would think that if you had three nubs, a pinky, and a thumb, you would keep your hand in your pocket, right?
Uncle Relle always had his right hand out pointing at folk or asking for stuff he didn’t need or messing around with weed and prepaid cell phones.
He told everyone outside the family that he lost the tips in Afghanistan.
Grandma said Uncle Relle lied about his nubs because he wanted everyone to know he was a damn survivor.
In private, she said, “A real survivor ain’t got to show no one that they done survived.”
Grandma was always saying stuff you would read in a book.
“Lavender Peeler,” I told him while brushing the sides of my head and looking at his creased khakis, “Oh, Lavender Peeler, my uncle and grandma thought you would say something white like that.
Look, I don’t have to consider all things to know you ain’t special because you know ‘plagiarize’ is spelled with two ‘a’s,’ two ‘i’s’, and a ‘z,’ not an ‘s,’ especially since if you train them XXL cockroaches in your locker, the ones that be the cousins of the ones chilling in prison with your old thieving-ass brother, Kwame, they could spell ‘plagiarize’ with ummm”—I started to forget the lines of my mental warfare—“the crumbs of a Popeyes buttermilk biscuit, which are white buttery crumbs that stay falling out of your halitosis-having daddy’s mouth when he tells you every morning, ‘Lavender, that boy, City, with all those wonderful waves in his head, is everything me and your dead mama wished you and your incarcerated brother could be.’ ” I stepped closer to him, tugged on my sack, and looked at Octavia Whittington out of the corner of my eye.
“That’s one sentence, too, nigga, with an embedded quotation up in there.”
“So.”
“And your fade still don’t fade quite right.”
Without even looking at me, LaVander Peeler just said, “Roaches cannot spell, so that sentence doesn’t make any sense.”
Everyone around us was laughing and trying to give me some love.
And I should have stopped there, but I kept going and kept brushing and looked directly at the crowd.
“Shid.
Lavender Peeler can be the first African American to win the title all he wants, y’all,” I told them.
“But me, I’m striving for legendary, you feel me?
Shid.”
Even the seventh-grade Mexicans were dying laughing at LaVander Peeler, who was closest to me.
He was flipping through one of those pocket thesauruses, acting like he was in deep conversation with himself.
“Shid,” I said to the crowd.
“I’m ’bout to be the first one of us with a head full of waves to win nationals in anything that ain’t related to sports or cheerleading, you feel me?”
Toni Whitaker, Octavia Whittington, and Jimmy Wallace stopped laughing and stared at each other.
Then they looked at both of us.
“He ain’t lying about that,” Toni said.
Octavia Whittington just nodded her head up and down and kept smiling.
The bell rang.
As we walked back to class, LaVander Peeler tapped me on the shoulder and looked me directly in my eye.
He flicked his nose with his thumb, opened his cheap flip phone, and started recording himself talking to me.
“I shall not stomp yo fat ass into the ground because I don’t want to be suspended today, but this right here will be on YouTube in the morning just in case your fat homosexual ass forgets,” LaVander Peeler told me.
“I do feel you, City.
I can’t help but feel you.
I feel that all your sentences rely on magic.
All things considered, I feel like there’s nothing real in your sentences because you aren’t real.
But do you feel that a certain fat homosexual is supposed to be riding to nationals tonight in my ‘halitosis-having daddy’s’ van?
I do.
All things considered, I guess his mama don’t even care enough to come see him lose, does she?”
LaVander Peeler got even closer to me.
I smelled fried tomatoes, buttered corn bread, and peppermint.
I held my arms tight to my body and counted these twelve shiny black hairs looking like burnt curly fries curling their way out of his chin.
I scratched my chin and kept my hand there as he tilted his fade-don’t-fade down and whispered in my ear, “You know the real difference between me and you, City?”
“What?”
“Sweat and piss,” he told me.
“I’m sweat.
All things considered, sweat and piss ain’t the same thing at all.
Even your mama knows that, and she might know enough to teach at a community college in Mississippi, but she ain’t even smart enough to keep a man, not even a homeless man who just got off probation for touching three little girls over in Pearl.”
LaVander Peeler closed his flip phone.
“One sentence,” he said, and just walked off.
“All things considered.”
ALL CLEAN.
(BOOK ONE, pages 12 – 20)
Turns out LaVander Peeler commenced to tell our principal, old loose-skin Ms. Lara Reeves, that I called him a “nigger”—not “nigga,” “negroid,” “Negro,” “African American,” or “colored.”
I figured it was just LaVander Peeler’s retaliation for someone turning him in two months ago for calling me an “f-word.”
I know who snitched on LaVander Peeler, and it wasn’t me, but after he got in trouble for calling me an “f-word” he started calling me a “homosexual,” because he knew Principal Reeves couldn’t punish him for using that word without seeming like she thought there was something wrong with being a homosexual in the first place.
I guess you should also know that no one else at Hamer or in the world ever called me an “f-word” or “homosexual” except for LaVander Peeler.
I’m not trying to make you think I’ve gotten nice with lots of girls or anything because I haven’t.
I felt on Toni’s bra in a dark closet in Art and she twerked on my thighs a few times after school.
And I guess I talked nasty with a few people who claimed they were girls on this website called WhatYouGotOnMyFreak.com, but really that was it.
Truth is my sack stayed dry as hell, but I don’t think you’re supposed to feel remedial about sex unless you make it through tenth grade with a dry sack.
The point is that even if LaVander Peeler caught you watching him piss once, I don’t think that should really qualify you as a homosexual.
Anyway, I sat in Principal Reeves’s office waiting to tell her that I didn’t call him a “nigger,” but that I did bring my wave brush out after lunch by mistake.
In Principal Reeves’s office, next to her bookshelf, was a poster with a quote from Maya Angelou.
The backdrop of the poster was the sun and in bolded red letters were the sentences, “Bitterness is like cancer.
It eats upon the host.
But anger is like fire.
It burns it all clean.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
I hated sentences that told me that my emotions were like something that wasn’t emotional, but I loved how those red words looked like they were coming right out of the sun, red hot.
Ms. Lara Reeves had been a teacher since way back in the ’80s and she became the principal at Hamer about four years ago.
The worst part of her being the principal was that she was also my mama’s friend.
My mama was known for having friends you wouldn’t think she’d have.
Mama had me when she was a sophomore at Jackson State fourteen years ago.
She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.
Mama taught over at Madison Community College and Principal Reeves took a politics course from her.
When I first heard that my principal was my mama’s student, I thought I’d get away with everything.
But it was actually harder for me to get away with anything since whenever Principal Reeves didn’t do her homework or answered questions wrong, she liked to talk to my mama about how I was acting a fool in school.
On Principal Reeves’s desk, you saw all kinds of papers flooding the bottoms of two big pictures of her husband, who disappeared a few years ago.
No one knows what happened to him.
Supposedly, he went to work one morning and just never came back.
If you looked at pictures of Principal Reeves back in the day, you’d be surprised, because she looked exactly the same.
She had the same curl at sixty-two that she had at thirty-one, except now the curl had tiny rays of gray.
Principal Reeves also kept a real record player in her office.
In the corner underneath the table were all these Aretha Franklin records.
Mama loved Aretha Franklin, too, but she only had greatest-hits CDs, which she’d play every time she picked me up.
I invented calling Principal Reeves “Ms. Kanye” behind her back because even though she asked a lot of questions, you really still couldn’t tell her nothing.
She asked questions just to set up her next point.
And her next point was always tied to teaching us how we were practically farting on the chests of the teenagers on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee if we didn’t conduct ourselves with dignity.
Before Principal Reeves stepped her foot in the door of her office, she was saying my name.
“Citoyen…”
“Yes ma’am.”
“I’d like you to start this test,” she said, and handed me a piece of paper.
“It might take you the rest of the year to complete it but we have plenty of time.
Don’t look at me with those sad red eyes.”
At Hamer, they were always experimenting with different styles of punishment ever since they stopped whupping ass a few years ago.
The new style was to give you a true/false test with a bonus that would take you damn near a whole year to do if you messed up.
And the test had to be tailored to what they thought you did wrong and what you needed to learn to not mess up again.
The craziest thing is that it was usually harder understanding what the test had to do with what you did wrong than taking the actual test itself.
I was shaking my head at that bonus question, thinking about how many months it would take me to write those three stories, when Principal Reeves got all serious.
“Citoyen, do you know who the great Brenda Travis is?” she asked me.
“Umm…”
“No.
You do not know.
Brenda Travis was a fifteen-year-old high school student from right up the road in McComb,” Principal Reeves said.
“That young lady canvassed these same streets with the SNCC voter-registration workers fifty years ago.
She led students like you on a sit-in and for the crime of ordering a hamburger from a white restaurant, the girl was sentenced to a year in the state juvenile prison.”
“Just a regular hamburger?”
I asked her.
“Not even a fish sammich or a grilled cheese?
That’s crazy.”
“That contraption holding your teeth in place, that’s the problem.”
Principal Reeves sat at her desk and started riffling through the tests.
“I don’t get it,” I told her.
“Today is the biggest day of your life, Citoyen.
You want to waste it calling your brother LaVander Peeler a ‘nigger’ and using a wave brush on school property?”
The problem was that at Hamer, you used to be able to use your wave brush until the second bell at 8:05, but ever since Jimmy Wallace beat the bile out of this cockeyed new kid with a Pine wave brush during lunch, you could be suspended for something as simple as having a wave brush on school property.
“LaVander Peeler ain’t my brother,” I told her, “and I didn’t think I was wasting it.
I’m ready.
You’ll see.”
Principal Reeves just looked at me.
I tried to look away toward the bookshelf so I wouldn’t have to look at her face.
“What’s that?”
I asked her.
“That’s so crazy.”
“It’s just a book,” she said.
“I thought you said we were never supposed to say ‘just a book’ about a book.”
Principal Reeves made that rule up last year.
She had every book in her bookshelf placed in alphabetical order, but on the floor underneath the shelf was a book called Long Division.
There wasn’t an author’s name on the cover or the spine.
I couldn’t tell from looking at it if it was fiction or a real story.
The cover had the words “Long Division” written in a thick white marker over what looked like a black background with all these pointy blues, some wave brush bristles, a thin slice of watermelon, a cat sitting real regal, some clean Nikes I’d never even seen, and some sticker bushes.
The three dots that generally sit on top of the “i’s” in “division” were missing, but there were three dots under the word instead.
“Who wrote that book?”
Principal Reeves ignored my question and just looked at me.
“Please stop looking at me, Principal Reeves.”
“I’ll stop looking at you when you start looking at you.
You’ve got to respect yourself and the folks who came before you, Citoyen.
You.”
She paused.
“Didn’t your mother, you, and I sit right here before the state competition and talk about this?
What did your mother tell you?”
“She said, ‘Your foolishness impacts not only Black folks today, but Black folks yet to be born.’
But see, I don’t agree with my mama…”
“There are no buts, Citoyen,” Principal Reeves said.
“You are history.
Kids right around your age died changing history so you could go to school, so you could compete in that contest tonight, and here you are acting a fool.
The day of?”
“Is that a question?”
“Fifty-one years ago, Black students took responsibility for the morality and future of this country,” she said.
She was so serious.
“They organized.
They restrained themselves.
They put themselves in the crosshairs of evil.
They bled.
And when the cameras were on, they were scared.
But they stepped up and fought nonviolently with dignity and excellence, didn’t they?”
I just kept looking down at Long Division and started to smell the french fries coming from the cafeteria.
NNever mind that book, Citoyen.
Is it too much to ask of you to respect those students today?” she asked.
“Look at me.
Those that are still alive are watching.
You know that, don’t you?”
“You mean tonight?”
I took my eyes off the book and looked at Principal Reeves.
“Tonight, they’ll be watching?”
“Yes.
Tonight they’ll be watching, along with the world.
But they’re always watching, so you must behave and compete accordingly.
This is just another test.
I’m not gonna suspend you or tell your mother.
However, if you act a fool one more time this semester and fail to complete the test, I have no choice but to reach out.”
I hated when folks used the word “however” in regular conversation.
You knew that the person you were talking to was so much wacker than you thought as soon as you heard that word.
“I know,” I told her.
“One more thing,” she said and closed the office door.
“Two things, actually.
First, I don’t want you to come back to school until you finish the test.
Second, I hear from LaVander Peeler and a few other teachers that you’re spending a lot of time alone in the bathroom stalls.”
I looked down at the wet stains on my shoes.
“Have you been—”
“What?”
“Touching yourself inappropriately at lunchtime?”
“Lunchtime?”
“Yes.
I’ve heard that after many of the boys go into the bathroom to yell ‘Kindly pause,’ you have a tendency to… listen.
We don’t want to halt natural human functions at Fannie Lou Hamer, but that activity might be better suited for home, possibly before you go to sleep or maybe even when you wake up.”
I raised my eyes to Principal Reeves.
“I’m good,” I told Principal Reeves.
“You’re telling me not to get nice with myself on school property.
I hear you.”
I started walking out of her office, then turned around.
“Wait.
Can I borrow that book?
I’ll bring it back tomorrow.
I just never really seen a book with a cool title like that and no author before.”
Principal Reeves slowly reached down and handed me the book.
“I haven’t finished it yet,” she told me.
“Be careful with that, Citoyen.”
“Why?”
“Just be careful,” she said.
“See if it can help you with your test.
If not, leave it alone.
Some books can completely change how we see ourselves and everything else in the world.
Keep your eyes on the prize.”
“I’m good,” I told her before walking out, folding up my test, and placing it inside Long Division.
“Don’t worry about my eyes.
And that prize is minessss, with all the ‘s’s.’ ”
At 3:15, LaVander Peeler and I waited on the curb for his father to pick us up.
I had Long Division in my hands.
LaVander Peeler had on these fake Louis Vuitton shades and he kept looking down at my book.
“What you looking at?”
I asked him.
He asked me if I had figured out the difference yet between sweat and piss.
I looked up at LaVander Peeler and noticed two continent-sized clouds easing their way through the sky behind his fade that didn’t fade.
I thought to myself that a lot of times when you looked up at the sky, you’d see nothing but bluish-gray shine, and a few seconds later continent-sized clouds would slowly glide up and take every last bit of shine out of the sky.
I didn’t like the drippy ache in my chest that I was starting to feel, so I opened up Long Division and read the first chapter while LaVander Peeler and I waited for his father, LaVander Peeler Sr., to drive us to the Coliseum.
BOOK TWO
SPECIAL GAME
(BOOK TWO, 166 – 172)
I didn’t have a girlfriend from kindergarten all the way through the first half of ninth grade and it wasn’t because the whole high school heard Principal Jankins whispering to his wife, Ms. Dawsin-Jankins, that my hairline was shaped like the top of a Smurf house.
I never had a girlfriend because I loved this funky girl named Shalaya Crump.
The last time Shalaya Crump and I really talked, she told me, “City, I could love you if you helped me change the future dot-dot-dot in a special way.”
Shalaya Crump was always saying stuff like that, stuff you’d only imagine kids saying in a dream or on those R-rated movies starring spoiled teenagers on HBO.
If any other girl in 1985 said, “the future dot-dot-dot,” she would have meant 1986 or maybe 1990 at the latest.
But not Shalaya Crump.
I knew she meant somewhere way in the future that no one other than scientists and dope fiends had ever thought of before.
Shalaya Crump lived down in Melahatchie, Mississippi, across the road from Mama Lara’s house.
A year ago, before we moved to Chicago from Jackson, she convinced me that plenty of high school girls would like me even though my hips were way wider than a JET centerfold’s, and the smell of deodorant made me throw up.
The thing was that none of the ninth-grade girls who liked me wore fake Air Jordans with low socks, or knew how to be funny in church while everyone else was praying, or had those sleepy, sunken eyes like Shalaya Crump.
Plus, you never really knew what Shalaya Crump was going to say and she always looked like she knew more than everybody around her, even more than the rickety grown folks who wanted other rickety grown folks to think they knew more than Yoda.
It’s hard to ever really know why you love a girl, but all I know is that Shalaya Crump made me feel like it was okay not to know everything.
You could feel good around Shalaya Crump just by knowing enough to get by.
That’s what I loved about her most.
Sometimes, she asked these hard questions about the future, but she didn’t treat you like chunky vomit when you didn’t get the answer right.
It’s hard to explain if you never been around a girl like that.
It’s just that no other girl in my whole life made me feel like it was okay not to know stuff like Shalaya Crump did.
The worst part of it is that I still have no proof that I ever made Shalaya Crump feel anything other than guilty for leaving me with Baize Shephard.
I’m not just saying that to sound like a brokenhearted white boy from New York City in a dumb novel in tenth-grade English.
If you want me to be honest, everything I’m telling you is only half of what made the story of Shalaya Crump, Baize Shephard, Jewish Evan Altshuler, and me the saddest story in the history of Mississippi.
And it’s really hard to have the saddest story in the history of a state like Mississippi, where there are even more sad stories than there are hungry mosquitoes and sticker bushes.
It really is.
Shalaya Crump claimed she could love me three months ago, depending on how you count.
It was January 4, 1985, the last day of my Christmas break.
I was about to leave Melahatchie and head back to Chicago.
We were sitting under a magnolia tree in a forest we called the Night Time Woods, sharing the last bit of a can of sardines.
I was just tired of not saying all of what I wanted to say to her, so I licked the sardine juice off my fingers, picked up my sweat rag, and asked her what I’d been waiting to ask her the whole break.
“Shalaya Crump!” | said.
“Can you break it down for me one more time.
What I gotta do to make you love me?”
Shalaya Crump laughed and started digging into the red dirt with her dark bony thumbs that were covered in these Ring Pop rings.
Right there is when Shalaya Crump wiped her greasy mouth with the collar of her purple Gumby T-shirt and said, “Why you gotta be so green light lately, City?”
“Green light?”
“Yeah, you never stop.
All you do is spit game about ‘love this’ and ‘love that.’
I already told you that I could love you if you found a way to be…” Shalaya Crump stopped talking, looked me right in the eyes, and grabbed my fingertips.
“City, just listen,” she said.
“Look, if we could take a spaceship to the future, and we ain’t know if we’d ever come back, would you go with me?”
Shalaya Crump was always changing the subject to the future at the craziest times.
I swear I tried to come up with something smart, something that would make her think I could be the skinniest, smartest boy she’d ever want to spend the rest of her life with.
“Girl, in the future,” I told Shalaya Crump, “when we take that spaceship, first thing is I think that Eddie Murphy is gonna do a PG movie.
And umm, I think that Michael Jackson and New Edition are gonna come together and sing a song at our wedding, but ain’t nobody at the wedding gonna care because everyone at the wedding is gonna finally know.”
“Uh, finally know what?”
She stopped and let go of my wrists.
“Finally know, you know, what that real love looks like, baby.”
“City!
Why you gotta get all Vienna sausage school bus when you start trying to spit game?”
She paused and actually waited for an answer.
I didn’t have one, so she kept going.
“Just stop.
You stuck on talking about love but I’m talking about the future.
Can we just talk about that?
What happened to you?
One day you were just regular and we were playing Atari and hitting each other in the face with pine cones.
Then, just like that, you get to stealing Bibles to impress me and wearing clean clothes and talking about love and getting jealous of Willis whenever we watch Diff’rent Strokes and asking me all these questions about which senior I have a crush on.
Can’t you just be yourself?”
“I am being myself,” I told her.
“I don’t like how you look at Willis.” | knew that making Shalaya Crump love me wasn’t going to be easy, so I didn’t let her little speech throw me off.
“You talk all that mess about me, but you the one who didn’t always talk about the future like you do now.” | looked in her eyes, but she was looking at the ground.
“No offense, girl, but you talk about the future way more than I talk about love.”
“But I’m not just talking.”
She wiped sardine grease off my lip.
“That’s the difference.
I’m asking about what you’d do with me in the future, like in 2013.
For real!
Would you come with me if I could get us there?”
I just looked at Shalaya Crump and wondered how she could say I was being all Vienna sausage school bus and all green light when, seriously, she was the one always wondering about life in 2013.
No kid in 1985 admitted to thinking about life in the ’90s, and definitely not in 2013, not even while we were watching The Jetsons.
“Never mind,” she said.
“You don’t get it.”
“I do get it,” I told her.
“I get that I might not be the one for you.
In 2013, I’ma be like forty-three.
When I’m forty-three, you’ll still think my hairline is too crooked and my sweat’ll still stink like gas station toilets.” | looked up and hoped she would interrupt me.
She didn’t.
“Anyway.
You could never love me even if I was the skinniest, smartest boy in the South.
I truly know that now.”
Shalaya Crump finally laughed and looked me right in my mouth.
“City, I’ma ask you one more time to stop being so Young and the Restless.
Don’t never ever say ‘truly’ around me again.
Never!”
Shalaya Crump was the queen of taking a show or a person, place, or thing and using it like an adjective.
No one else in Jackson or Chicago or Melahatchie or on TV could do it like her.
If she told you not to ever use a word around her, you knew it was a word that should never have come out of your mouth in the first place.
Shalaya Crump took her eyes off my mouth and started looking at my hips.
“Look, City,” she said.
“I could love you the way you want me to, really.
I could if you found a way to help me change the future in, I don’t know dot-dot-dot a special way.”
“Dot-dot-dot?
I thought you were done with that read-your-punctuation style.
You don’t think you played that out last summer?”
“Just listen.
I need to know if you’d come with me, even if we couldn’t ever come back.”
Shalaya Crump was always saying weird stuff like that and trying to create new slang.
One day, she called me on the phone long-distance during the school year and said, “City comma I realized today that I hate Ronald Reagan.
When I’m president comma I wanna make it so you never have to be in a classroom with more than ten other kids from Head Start all the way through twelfth grade.
I think I might wanna make it illegal for parents to leave their kids with their grandma in Melahatchie for more than three days at a time if the grandma don’t have cable or good air.
What you think?”
I waited for her to laugh after saying that, since my ma was always sending me to stay with my Mama Lara for weeks at a time.
Mama Lara didn’t have good cable or air either, and neither did her grandma, but Shalaya Crump didn’t laugh, so I fake-laughed for her and said, “You love you some English and civics classes, don’t you?”
A few seconds later, when no one was saying a word, she started laughing all late into the phone.
Only Shalaya Crump could laugh all late into the phone and not care about using up her grandma’s long distance to talk about hating Ronald Reagan.
It was stuff like calling me long distance and telling me stuff that didn’t make sense and laughing all late at my jokes that made me think I could tongue kiss Shalaya Crump.
Anyway, I had a lot of questions about how to change the future and be special to Shalaya Crump, but my Mama Lara drove in front of her trailer right after she said that thing about coming to the future with her.
Mama Lara told me that it was time to take the bus back up to Chicago.
I left Shalaya Crump that Christmas break without a kiss, a hug, or any-thing, but I did tell her, “I’m coming back to fly to the future with you for spring break, baby.
And when I do, you better love me.
Or at least like me a lot.”
“I already like vou a lot.” she told me as I got in the car.
“Don’t call me baby no more, though.
Just be yourself and come back in March.
Please.
I need you, City.”
I promised myself right then and there that I’d never call Shalaya Crump “baby” if it meant that she’d be my girl, and that I’d find a way to be special and change the future when I came back down to Mississippi for spring break.
In the meantime, no matter where I was in my dreams, I always found a way to kiss Shalaya Crump.
Sometimes I’d be in a blue jungle or a raggedy glass airplane, but there would always be a phone hanging out of a tree or underneath a seat.
I’d find a phone and dial 1-4-1-1.
When the operator answered, it was always Shalaya Crump and she always gave me the best directions to get to her.
Once I got to where she was, every single time we kissed with a little tongue and pressed our fronts together until I woke up sore.
In real life, between January and March, I thought of all kinds of ways to show Shalaya Crump I was special.
I wrote every plan down in this thick college-lined notebook I should have been using to take notes in English class.
The notebook was called GAME in bold capital letters.
Sometimes I would think I had the perfect plan, but after a few days, I knew that whatever GAME I came up with wouldn’t be good enough for her.
Then, on the first day back down to Melahatchie for spring break, I got lucky.
GAME found me…
BOOK ONE
CHITLIN CITY
(BOOK ONE, pages 21 – 31)
“Sphincter,” LaVander Peeler’s father said from the driver’s seat.
“Use it.”
“Sphincter,” LaVander Peeler started.
“A tightened sphincter can be a sign of_”
The Astro van started veering over to the side of I-55 and LaVander Peeler Sr. clicked the emergency lights on.
“Boy, what I tell you?”
He smacked LaVander Peeler right below his heart and grabbed a fistful of Izod.
“Don’t matter if you think you know the word.
That’s what the white folks think you supposed to do.
Don’t be too doggone eager.
Act like you got some sense.”
LaVander Peeler cut his wet eyes to me in the back seat.
“Don’t worry ’bout that boy,” he told him.
“Y’all play too much.
This is bigger than both of y’all.
I want you to do exactly like them winners.”
LaVander Peeler Sr. sat back in the driver’s seat and placed his hand on his son’s knee.
“Ask for the pronunciation.
Ask for the etymology just like the Indians do.
Say the word back to them as proper as you can.
Say, ‘I am going to use “sphincter” in a sentence now.’
No gon’ or gonna.
You are ‘going to’ or you ‘shall.’
And then you say the sentence as slowly as you can.
I’m talking about a whole second in between each word, LP.
“Smile, too.
If you wanna talk with the doggone judges, don’t break no verbs.
Just say, ‘Well, all things considered,’ then say what you got to say.
Toss some composure and thoughtfulness at they ass, too.
And hold your doggone head up.”
He grabbed LaVander Peeler by the chin and tilted it up.
“LP, listen to what I’m telling you.
They think you were lucky to get here.
Both of y’all.”
LaVander Peeler Sr. looked at me like I said something wrong.
“These folks think they so slick, trying to decorate the contest with a little color.
You didn’t come here to lose, son,” he said.
“You are better and more prepared than all these folks put together because you had to be.
Listen to what I’m telling you.
This is bigger than you.
You understand?”
LaVander Peeler didn’t answer.
I closed Long Division and watched still water flood the gutters of LaVander Peeler’s eyes.
The trip to the Coliseum took about twenty minutes and all twenty minutes, except for LaVander Peeler Sr. nicely greeting me, were filled with him testing LaVander Peeler and getting mad at every little thing he did wrong.
But it wasn’t hateful mean.
It really wasn’t.
It was loving mean, at least to me.
If Mama drove me to the contest, it’s exactly the loving mean I would have wanted her to share with me, just not in front of LaVander Peeler.
That would’ve been too shameful.
“You left your brush,” LaVander Peeler Sr. said as I got out of the van.
He handed it to me and shook his hand side to side.
I told him thank you and felt sorry that I had to crush his son in front of millions.
But I also felt something else as I walked into the Coliseum.
There was something wrong with Long Division, the book I’d borrowed from Principal Reeves’s office.
Even though the book was set in 1985, I didn’t know what to do with the fact that the narrator was Black like me, stout like me, in the ninth grade like me, and had the same first name as me.
Plus, you hardly ever read books that were written like you actually thought.
I had never read the words “chunky vomit” in the first chapter of a book, for example, but when I thought about how I’d most not want to be treated, I thought about chunky vomit.
I’m not saying the City in that book was exactly like me.
I hadn’t read enough of Long Division to know for sure.
Still, though, I just loved and feared so much about the first chapter of that book.
For example, I loved that someone with the last name “Crump” was in a book.
Sounds dumb, but I knew so many Crumps in Mississippi in my real life, but I had never seen one Crump in anything I’d read.
And you know what the scariest part of the book was?
Near the beginning of the first chapter, the name “Baize Shephard” appeared.
A girl named Baize Shephard lived right next to my grandma’s house in Melahatchie, Mississippi, and she had gone missing three weeks ago.
Folks made it a big deal because she was an honor student and a wannabe rapper and some folks say she liked girls.
Baize did this rhyme over this Kanye beat about Trayvon Martin and James Anderson called “My Hood to Your Hood,” which got around 18,000 hits.
When Obama visited Mississippi after his reelection, he said we needed to treat all our missing children with the same care and vigilance.
Ever since then, you’d have a Baize Shephard update every day on the news and Grandma and her crew started their own country investigation.
I understood it could have been coincidence that my name and Baize Shephard’s name were in this book with no author, but it still made me feel strange and lightweight afraid to keep reading, especially since my mind should have been on winning that contest.
Walking to the green room in the Coliseum was crazy, just like Uncle Relle said it would be.
Grown white folks were looking at us like we were giving out $400 shopping sprees at the new Super Target by Northpark Mall, and LaVander Peeler was eating it up, saying “All things considered and moving his hands too much when he talked.
When we got to the green room, a lanky woman with an aqua fanny pack around her waist and the name “Cindy” on her left breast came up to us.
“We’ve heard so much about you two and your ordeal with Hurricane Katrina.
And good Lord, all that oil y’all had to deal with on the coast,” she said.
“It was God’s will that you’re here with us and we’re gonna take great care of you.
Eat all the fruit salad and corn bread y’all want before the event.
Get good and full.”
I looked at LaVander Peeler and just started brushing my hair.
Long front strokes.
Short side strokes.
“You know we’re from Jackson, right?”
I asked her.
“Not the coast.
Where you from?”
“Oh, we heard about that.”
She ignored me and pointed at the brush.
“So cute.
But there will be no props beyond this point.”
She held out her hand for my brush.
“We can’t change the rules just for you, no matter how special you gents are.
This might not be the Scripps Spelling Bee, but this is our national competition and we’ve got one shot to do it right.
We will be televised live and seen on digital cable by millions of folks around the globe.
The eyes of the world are upon Mississippi tonight and we can’t have our special kids up there with brushes, can we?”
“I ain’t giving up my brush,” I told Cindy as LaVander Peeler and I walked into our personal dressing room.
When we got into the room, LaVander Peeler just looked at me and didn’t say a word.
He looked and smelled the same, but he wasn’t LaVander Peeler from Hamer any more.
LaVander Peeler looked older, madder, glowier, and–I guess–realer than ever.
“City, I shall keep it one hundred, as you say.
You are embarrassing the fuck out of me,” he said in a tone I’d never heard him use.
“This ain’t school no more.
You are really blowing it.”
“Blowing what?”
I asked him and waited for an answer.
He just stood shaking his head side to side.
“Why can’t you ever just bust jokes like everybody else at school?
Why you gotta be so serious and try so hard to bully people?”
“Me?
I don’t bully nobody.
You’re the bully.”
“How am I the bully?”
I asked him.
“And what am I blowing?”
“Everything.
You blowing everything, but that’s what I expected.”
He started lotioning up his neck.
“All things considered, it just would have been nice if you placed in the top ten.
I’m winning this shit with or without you, though.
I will not lose.’
“Then what?”
“Then I’ma beat them in whatever else they put in my way,” he said.
“Everything.
All things consid-ered, I will never lose to these people.
Ever.
They need to know that.
When I’m married to Malia Obama and living in the biggest house in their neighborhood, they need to know they will never beat me.”
“Nigga, Malia Obama don’t even know you exist,” I told him.
“What is she gonna want with a goofy with a fucked-up fade, who talks fake-proper all the time?”
“Whatever,” he said.
“All things considered, I don’t expect you to understand.
These people just need to know.”
“And you winning this competition is gonna show them whatever it is that they need to know?” asked him.
“Fool, forget white people.
Why don’t you try to win this for your real people?
Because that’s what I’m doing.
I’m winning this for all the real chubby poor niggas in Mississippi with tight waves and contentious demeanors.”
He looked at me with lightweight awe in his eyes.
“You like that sentence, right?
And maybe you could win it for all the tall Mississippi niggas with, you know, good breath and flip phones and messed-up fades that don’t quite fade right.
You feel–“
“City,” he cut me off.
“You and I both know you shouldn’t even be here.
That’s what’s so funny about all of this.”
He turned toward me and smirked.
“And you know exactly what I mean,” he said.
“Think about it.
At the school competition, what word did they give you?”
I knew what the word was, but I wasn’t about to say it.
There had been three of us in the finals.
We were all supposed to get five words.
If all of us got every word, our school sent three reps to state.
Everyone knew Toni Whitaker was going to win.
She had the highest GPA in the ninth grade and never made less than 100 percent in English.
Toni got “coup d’etat” for her last word.
We’d all heard the word but had no clue how to use it in what the judges called a dynamic sentence.
LaVander Peeler got “in-fanticide” and I got…
“‘Chitterlings,’ City?”
LaVander Peeler asked.
“‘Chitterlings’?
And you had the nerve to brush your hair while getting all country with it.
I’ll never forget your dumb ass.
You stood up there with no shame, and said, ‘My grandma couldn’t understand why the young siblings from up north refused to eat the wonderful chitterlings upon finding out they came from the magical bowels of a big-eyed hog named Charles.'
”
“I was nervous,” I told him.
“Wait.
I thought I had the hardest word.
How many folks know that ‘chitlins’ and ‘chitterlings’ are the same word?
You didn’t know, did you?”
“They knew,” he said, “and that’s why they gave you that word.
I know you see it.
Everybody else does.
You get them Black words every time the championship is on the line.”
“Black words?”
“All things considered, you can spin your sentences fairly well,” he said.
“You think so?”
I asked him.
“Yeah,” he said, ’cause your dumb ass will say anything.
But you ain’t even on a regional level as far as really spinning these sentences go.
They want you here.
My daddy and Principal Reeves even said it.”
He turned his back to me and started laughing to himself.
“I bet these contest people give you ‘hyper-tension’ for your first word tonight.”
‘Hypertension’?
That’s a Black word?”
That’s all I could come up with.
“Exactly.
It’s so simple and Black,” he said.
“Just like your dumb Black ass.
And, by the way, only simple Black people get ‘hypertension,’ and compared to ‘capriciously,’ they might as well have given you something easy like ‘homosexual,’ because that’s a compound word, too.
And, all things consid-ered, that’s what you are: white homeless fat homosexual City who is going to get hypertension after he loses this competition to LaVander K. Peeler.”
“‘Homosexual’ is a compound word?”
I asked him.
“What’s the ‘K’ stand for?”
LaVander Peeler started laughing and humming the beat to the Piggly Wiggly commercial.
I put my brush down on my bag and gently went over the top of my head with the palm of my hand.
Mama and Uncle Relle had never said anything to me about getting Black words or about how the people at the competition wanted me there.
I couldn’t understand why they needed me if they already had LaVander Peeler.
It didn’t make sense.
“Let me ask you one more question, LaVander.
Let’s say you’re right.
Why would they need me if they already got you?”
LaVander Peeler looked at me like I was crazy.
“What’s wrong with you?
They think it’s all about them, not us.
They feel good about themselves just by having us in the contest.
But they’re in for a surprise.”
“Why?”
“Because, like I said, this exceptional African American is not letting these white folks win this contest.
They messed up when they let me in.
Come along if you want to.
All things considered, I have to get my clothes on and start focusing.”
LaVander Peeler acted like I wasn’t even in the room by stripping out of his clothes and into his outfit for nationals.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, where I was supposed to look.
I glanced up once and saw him butt-booty naked, pulling up his boxers.
I didn’t get why he brought a change of boxers for the contest.
Maybe he was always changing his boxers in the bathroom of Hamer.
Maybe changing his boxers at strange times, not just saying “All things considered,” was really the weirdest thing about LaVander Peeler.
I didn’t want to tell you this, but I think I should.
LaVander Peeler’s pubic hair was some of the nappiest I’d ever seen in my life.
I’m talking about it looked like a black cabbage patch of tight balled-up cabbages.
The truth is that LaVander Peeler was skinnier than me by a good thirty-four pounds, just like every other boy in my grade, but his sack was much rounder, wrinklier, and older-looking, too.
I think I had plenty of width on him in the privacy area, but I couldn’t be sure.
I really couldn’t.
We were both in there writing words on paper and practicing asking for the Latinate when Cindy came in without knocking.
“Gents, turns out you’re right.
City, you can have your brush with you as long as you want.
My boss understands cultural difference and wants to make you as comfortable as possible.
This is going to be a global experience.
So you should wear these, too.
She handed us two Rocawear button-ups.
I looked at LaVander Peeler.
He looked at me.
And for the first time, his look asked me what I thought.
All I could really think about was what he saw when he looked at me.
I know he saw ashy hands and a wave brush.
But I knew in that second that he couldn’t hate me.
He didn’t have to like me, but he definitely couldn’t hate me when there was so much work for both of us to do in the next three hours.
We had to show everyone, including white folks, chubby jokers with tight waves, and skinny jokers with suspect fades, just what was possible.
I reread the first chapter of Long Division until it was time for us to perform.
When we left our dressing room, we walked into the general prep room where some of the competitors walked around, talking with each other and mouthing sentences.
I scanned the room the same way I do when coming into any room where it is obvious most of the people aren’t Black and Southern.
Over in the corner were the two white boy twins from Louisiana.
They had “Katrina’s Finest” airbrushed in brown block letters on the back of these tight dirty sweatshirts.
The twins were outside a huge group of white kids huddled in the corner looking at something.
The kids at the back were all on their tippy toes trying to see over the cluster of about fifteen kids.
You could see that the white kids kept fake yawning, and rocking these half smiles.
Between white faces and white shirts, I saw a cheek and a neck that was a little less dark than mine.
And to the left of that cheek was a folded forearm that was close to LaVander Peeler’s color.
I started to get a terrible déjà vu feeling.
I tapped LaVander Peeler on the shoulder and pointed to the crowd.
He walked toward the other contestants, got on his tiptoes, swiveled his head a bit, and started scratching the scalp part of his fade.
Then he walked out of the room for almost two whole minutes.
When LaVander Peeler came back in, he looked at me, exhaled, and shook his head again before walking to the other corner of the room and slumping in the corner.
I got to rubbing the top of my head with the palm of my hand and followed him.
“What is it?”
I asked him.
“What happened?”
LaVander Peeler looked up at me, eyelids half covering the brown of his eyes, bottom lip just hang-ing.
“They got us,” he said on volume two, when he’d just spent five minutes talking to me on volume seven.
“Why?” | looked over at the crowd again.
“They got us.”
Cindy came in and told us to get in line.
As the crowd broke up, they taped our respective states on the back of our shirts.
“LaVander Peeler, look,” I said, and pointed to these two Mexican kids with Arizona tags on their shirts.
Arizona is the state where the governor made a rule that Mexican kids couldn’t learn Mexican history in high school and another rule that said you could try to arrest Mexicans as long as you thought they were Mexicans.
During one of our Mexican Awareness weeks, Principal Reeves taught us that Arizona was becoming the Mississippi of the Southwest.
I thought that was good for Arizona.
I knew LaVander didn’t.
LaVander Peeler got in line as he was told.
He didn’t pout or whine.
LaVander Peeler’s eyes had that slick mix of shock and shame.
I can’t say that he was crying because tears didn’t pour down his face, but he had more water cradling his red eyeballs than I’d ever seen in the face of someone who wasn’t actually crying.
“Your eyeballs are sweating.
Or is that piss?”
I asked him, trying to make him laugh.
LaVander Peeler ignored me.
Still water flooded the bottoms of his eyes from the time he got his Mississippi tag until we reached the stage, the crowd, and those white-hot lights.
WORDS, WORD, WORK.
(BOOK ONE, pages 32 – 37)
I sat on the left side of the stage, third seat from the aisle, and LaVander Peeler sat in the same seat on the other side of the stage.
At the end of my row was the one Mexican girl.
At the end of LaVan-der Peeler’s was the one Mexican boy.
I looked at their name tags for the first time.
Jesse Cruz and Stephanie Cruz.
And the words “Jesse” and “Stephanie” were in quotations.
I thought to myself that if ever there was a time to bring my Serena Williams sentence game to the nation, this was it.
With all that still water in his eyes, LaVander Peeler was in no shape to win, or even compete.
I figured he’d miss his first sentence, or maybe he wouldn’t even try, and then he’d have to sit on that stage for two long hours, with drowning red eyeballs, watching me give those fools that work.
“We’d like to welcome you to the Fifth Annual Can You Use That Word in a Sentence National Competition,” the voice behind the light said.
“We’re so proud to be coming to you from historic Jack-son, Mississippi.
The state of Mississippi has loomed large in the history of civil rights and the English language.
Maybe our next John Grisham, Richard Wright, Alice Walker, William Faulkner, or Oprah Winfrey is in this contest.
The rules of the contest are simple.
I will give the contestant a word and he or she will have two minutes to use that word in a dynamic sentence.
All three judges must agree upon the correct usage, appropriateness, and dynamism of the sentence.
We guarantee you that this year’s contest will be must-see TV.
“Before we begin, we’d like our prayers to go out to the family of Baize Shephard.
As you all know, Baize is a young honor-roll student who disappeared a few weeks ago in the woods of Melahatchie, Mississippi.
We will be flashing pictures of Baize periodically throughout the night for those of you watching live in your homes.
If you have any information that might help in the investigation, please alert vour local authorities.
Let us take a moment of silence for Baize Shephard.
“LaVander Peeler,” the announcer resumed, “is our first contestant.
I’m sure most of you know that LaVander tied for first place in the state of Mississippi competition with our second contestant, Citoven Coldson.”
Seemed weird that we were going to be first and second.
“LaVander Peeler, your first word is ‘lascivious.””
LaVander Peeler stood up with his balled fists at his sides.
He stepped toward the microphone and looked down at his feet.
“If lascivious photographs of Amber Rose were found on Mr. White’s office computer,” LaVander began, “then the odds are higher than the poverty rate in the Mississippi Delta that Mr. Jay White would still keep his job at the college his great-great-grandfather founded.”
LaVander Peeler walked right back to his seat, fists still clenched.
No etymology.
No pronunciation.
The crowd and the contestants started clapping in spurts, not understanding what had just happened.
I was clapping the skin off my hands when they called my name.
I stepped to the microphone, pumping my fist and looking at LaVander Peeler, who still had his head tucked in his chest.
“Citoyen, we’d like to welcome you, too.”
“Thanks.
My name is City.”
“Your first word, Citoyen, is… ‘niggardly.'
”
Before uttering a syllable, I ran back to our dressing room and got my brush.
“I just think better with this in my hand,” I told the voice when I got back.
“No problem.
‘Niggardly,’ Citoyen.”
“For real?
It’s no problem?” | looked out into the white lights, hoping somebody would demand they give me another word- not because I didn’t know how to use it, but because it just didn’t seem right that any kid like me should have to use a word like that, not in front of all those white folks.
“Etymology, please?”
I asked him.
“From Old Norse nigla.”
“Nigla?
That’s funny.
Am I pronouncing the word right?
‘Nigga’dly.’
Pronunciation, please.”
“Nig-gard-ly,” he said.
“Citoyen, you have thirty more seconds.”
I kept squinting, trying to see out beyond the lights, beyond the stage.
“Okay.
Y’all have time limits at nationals, huh?
I know the word, but it’s just that my insides hurt when you say that word,” I whispered into the mic.
“Is that your sentence, Citoyen?” the voice asked.
I sucked my teeth and sped up my brushing.
“You know that ain’t my sentence.”
“Citoyen.
You have ten seconds.”
I slowed my brushing down and angled myself toward LaVander Peeler.
“Um, okay, I hate LaBander Veeler” I said.
“Is this your sentence, Citoyen?”
“No.
Um, I truly hate LaBander Veeler sometimes more than some of y’all hate President Obama and I wonder if LaBander Veeler should behave like the exceptional African-American boy he was groomed to be in public by his UPS-working father, or the, um, weird, brilliant, niggardly joker he really is when we’re the only ones watching.”
I brought the brush to my waist.
The judges looked at me for about ten seconds without moving before they turned toward each other.
The head judge covered the microphone and started whispering to the other judges.
“Noooo, Citoyen,” he finally said.
“We are so, so sorry.
That is not the correct, appropriate, or dynamic usage of ‘niggardly’ in a sentence.
An example of correct, dynamic usage would be Perspiration covered the children who stared incessantly at the woman in the head wrap since she insisted on being so niggardly with the succulent plums and melons.
Please have a seat.”
I started brushing the skin on my forearm, then pointed my brush toward the light.
That’s all I could see.
I walked toward my seat, then turned around and headed back to the microphone.
“I mean, even if I used the word right, I still would’ve lost.
Plums and melons?
You see that, don’t you?”
The buzzer went off again.
I threw my brush toward the light and the buzzer kept going off.
“That’s messed up, man,” I told them.
“What was I supposed to do?”
I saw Cindy offstage to the right, motioning for me to sit down.
“Forget you, Cindy!
Look at LaVander Peeler over there crying.
I hate that dude.
Naw, I mean really hate.
I be sitting at home sometimes praying that someone will sew his butt hole tight so he could almost die from being so backed up.
I’m serious, but look at that nigga over there with tears in his eyes, looking crazy as hell on TV.
It don’t make no sense.
“Now look at them Mexicans.”
The buzzer went off again.
I turned around and looked at the Mexican girl on my row.
“You think it’s hard for y’all in Arizona?
Look at us.
Look at us.
They do us like this in our own state.
Ain’t nothing these white folks can do to make you feel like me and LaVander Peeler feel right now.
They scared of y’all taking their jobs and cutting them in they sleep.
They scared of us becoming Obama or O-Dawg.
I mean, do y’all even call yourself Mexican?
Ain’t this a competition for Americans?
Peep how they made slots for Mexicans but you don’t see no slots for no Africans or no Indians.
When I say Indian, I mean Native American.
Where the Native Indian and African players at?
Shid.”
Stephanie stood up, stretched her back, walked right up to my face, kicked me in my kneecap, and said, “Please sit your fat ass down.”
She whispered in my ear, “I’m trying to help you out.
Seriously.
You have no clue how you’re playing yourself right now.”
The buzzer went off again.
I put one hand on top of my belly blubber and started going over the top of my head with the palm of my other hand.
Short, fluid strokes.
“I ain’t playing myself.
Shoot.
What was I supposed to do?”
I said to everyone one more time.
“Bet you know my name next time.
And I bet you won’t do this to another little nigga from Mississippi.
Shout out to my Jackson confidants: Toni, Jannay, Octavia, Jimmy, and all my country niggas: Shay, Kincaid, and even MyMy down in Melahatchie just trying to stay above water.
I got y’all.
Death to all our opposition.
President Obama, you see how they do us down here while you up there calling us thugs?
You see?”
With that, I walked off, right past my chair, past the Mexican girl who’d kicked me, directly into the backstage area.
Then I turned around and walked to the middle of that stage.
“And fuck white folks!”
I yelled at the light and, for the first time all night, thought about whether my grandma was watching.
“My name is City.
And if you don’t know, now you know, nigga!”
CLICK THAT.
(BOOK ONE, pages 38 – 49)
During the first mile of the walk home, I flip-flopped between looking at the cover of Long Division and watching my feet miss most of the huge cracks in the asphalt on Capital Street.
Every time I stepped on a crack, I thought of all the folks in Mississippi and the Southern Region who saw the contest live on TV and all the people around the globe who might see it later.
The second mile walked on the sidewalk down North State Street, and every time I missed a crack, I thought of the folks who would hear about what I did on the internet.
I figured that everything I did would be sent in Facebook links with messages like, “Jade, clink that link, girl.
I just can’t.”
Everyone I knew would see what I did.
Worst of all, Grandma would see it and be completely embarrassed when she went to church next Sunday.
Everyone would look at her and say stuff like, “It’s okay, Sister Coldson.
Your grandbaby ain’t know no better.”
I walked into the apartment and sat down on the edge of Mama’s bed.
I wondered if Mama made it to the contest or if someone called her cell and told her what happened.
Either way, Mama was probably on her way home to give me a legendary back beating.
She would cry while doing it, too, I figured, and think she failed.
But maybe for a second, I thought, Mama would understand that I was completely stuck on that stage.
One way to curb the back beating I was going to get was to write down my version of what hap-pened.
If I wrote about it, Mama would think I learned something from it.
It also could count as the homework Ms. Reeves gave me.
The only problem was that Mama took our used laptop to work with her, so I wrote on a blank page in Long Division.
If you watched the edited version of the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence contest on YouTube tonight you know that I hate LaVander Peeler and I have a head full of waves that could drown you and your barber.Public speaking isn’t even in my top eight pleasures, but I still tied for first place in the Fifth Annual State of Mississippi Can You Use That Word in a Sentence contest.
After writing for about thirty minutes, I went back in the garage and glanced at the clock.
It was 8:50.
The competition was supposed to be over at 9:00.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help turning on the TV.
One of the Katrina twins was on his way back to his seat and the crowd was doing that underexcited clapping, which meant he couldn’t appropriately use the word he was given in a sentence.
“Great try, Patrick,” the voice said.
“You’ve represented New Orleans, city of refugees, exquisitely tonight, and you can place no worse than third if our final two contestants get their words right.”
With that, the Mexican girl walked onstage.
“Stephanie,” the voice said, “if you can use this next word correctly in a dynamic sentence and our last finalist misses, you’ll be our new champion.
Thank you for blessing our stage with your presence.”
The camera panned the rest of the competitors sitting in the background who were looking either sad and salty or just happy to be there.
And sure as shit, there was LaVander Peeler to Stephanie’s right, head still down, fists still balled up.
“Stephanie, your word is ‘cacodoxy.'
”
Lord have mercy.
I’d never heard that word before.
And when the spelling popped up on screen, I felt terrible for her.
Stephanie went through etymology and pronunciation.
She held her hands behind her back.
Then she started tugging on her ponytail and tapping her left foot on the front of her right foot.
She stood still with her hands right on her hips and started looking up at the ceiling.
“Fifteen seconds, Stephanie.”
“You people really do think you’re slick,” she said, loud enough so we could hear it, and started her sentence.
“The man behind the desk is not only annoying, he also suffers from keen halitosis and severe cacodoxy, causing him to make my brother and me put our names in some quotations.”
The buzzer sounded.
“No, Stephanie, I’m sorry.
‘Cacodoxy,’ a noun, is an erroneous doctrine, like ‘Up with hope and down with dope.'
”
“Are you serious?” she asked without leaving immediately.
“You won’t even use it in a sentence?”
She sat down with her arms folded tight against her tummy, and you could see her mouth the words “That was so fucked up” before tucking her head into her chest.
Work, I thought.
She gave them that work!
“Our last competitor is, surprise, surprise, LaVander Peeler,” the voice said.
LaVander Peeler walked up to the microphone the same way he had before his first word, “lascivi-ous.”
“You can do it,” I said to the screen.
“I’m sorry I left you.”
“Seems like a lifelong dream might actually come true for this special young man,” the voice said.
“LaVander Peeler, if you use the next word correctly, Mississippi will be proud to call you our National Can You Use That Word in a Sentence champion.
LaVander Peeler, your final word is..
LaVander Peeler raised his head and looked right into the light.
.. chitterlings.'
”
In the background, Stephanie shot her head up, too.
LaVander Peeler didn’t blink at all.
Again, he asked for no etymology.
He balled his fists tighter and watched the light.
I could not believe what was happening.
“Don’t do it,” I said to the screen.
But I wasn’t sure what it was I didn’t want him to do.
And neither was LaVander Peeler.
He opened his lips slightly and stood there in front of the light.
Watching his parted lips shaking made me think I understood what LaVander Peeler was feeling and doing on that stage.
Since the first day I met LaVander Peeler in eighth grade, he’d made it clear that he would always consider all things–including ways of being an exceptional African American, ways of winning all contests, and ways of using language to shield him from being just another Black boy.
Considering all things prepared him to win the regional contests, but it didn’t prepare him for what it would feel like to not be given a chance to really lose.
I didn’t get it until that second.
It wasn’t at all that we were there just for decoration, like LaVander Peeler Sr. said.
LaVander Peeler and I, or LaVander Peeler or I, were there to win the contest.
They’d already decided before the contest even began that one of us needed to win.
The only way they could feel good about themselves was if they let us win against the Mexican kids, because they didn’t believe any of us could really compete.
Yeah, we were all decoration in a way.
But it was like LaVander Peeler, specifically, was being thrown a surprise birthday party by a group of white people who didn’t know his real name or when his birthday actually was.
Maybe LaVander Peeler thought I understood we were all being given an unearned birthday party, and that I did what I did onstage to show other chubby Black Mississippi boys with contentious demeanors that dignity and pride and keeping it one hundred were more important than being white folk’s decorations.
But it wasn’t.
That’s what I realized, looking at LaVander Peeler shaking on that stage.
In order to be the first Mississippi Black boy with a head full of waves to win a national contest in anything, you had to actually win–not make a speech about why the contest wasn’t fair after vou lost.
“‘Chitterlings,'” he began.
LaVander Peeler paused again and looked behind him, then hard to his right, then turned hard to his left.
He looked back into the light, tears finally streaming down his face, and said, “Citoyen’s grandmother couldn’t understand why the young sibling from up north refused to eat the wonderful chitterlings upon finding out they came from the bowels of a big-eyed hog named Charles.”
No bell went off for a good eight seconds.
Then, out of nowhere, balloons fell from the top of the stage.
Popguns went off!
That “Harlem Shake” song played.
Blizzards of confetti fell in front of the eye of the camera as Cindy and two of the judges walked onstage with their hands over their heads.
The voice behind the light screamed, “LaVander Peeler, you have done the unbelievable!
Times are a-changing and you, you exceptional young Mississippian, are a symbol of the American Progress.
The past is the past and today can be tomorrow.
LaVander Peeler, do you have anything to say?
Would you like to thank your state, your governor, Jesus Christ, or your family for this blessing?”
.. who entered the kitchen like a monster and asked,” LaVander Peeler said, “Why are y’all eating all my children?’
The music completely faded out and the balloons and confetti stopped coming down.
Cindy held the trophy right next to LaVander Peeler and he said it all again: “Citoyen’s grandmother couldn’t understand why the young sibling from up north refused to eat the wonderful chitterlings upon finding out they came from the bowels of a big-eyed hog named Charles who entered the kitchen like a monster and asked, ‘Why are y’all eating all my children?’
“I’m saying that ‘chitterlings’ are the children of hogs.
All things considered, I’m saying it literally, too, not metaphorically.
Chitterlings are the children of hogs.”
“But you already used it correctly, LaVander Peeler,” the voice said.
“And you did it quite dynami-cally, I might add.”
“All things considered, I’m saying that chitterlings are the children of hogs.”
With that, he closed his teary eyes and tucked his head into his chest.
The crowd gasped.
And I did, too.
Cindy slyly did the glide offstage with the trophy.
LaVander Peeler went and sat back in his seat.
The camera stopped focusing on LaVander Peeler and instead just panned all the competitors.
Then from the left side of my screen, LaVander Sr. marched out and yanked his son by the crease of the elbow off that stage.
A few seconds later, a woman I assumed was Stephanie’s grandma came onstage and started pointing at Stephanie and telling her to get up and go.
Eventually, Stephanie got up on her own, with her arms still folded, her head still tucked in her chest, looking at the ground.
She walked off the stage, but not before she threw a finger sign right at the camera.
A few seconds later, the voice behind the light walked right across the front of the camera and onto the stage.
The voice bent and whispered something in the ear of the twin from New Orleans who was also in the finals.
A few seconds later, one of the twins was holding LaVander Peeler’s trophy over his head with one hand, and the other twin joined him with both of their backs to the crowd.
The twins let everyone know that as crazy as the night had been, the trophy was definitely in the hands of its rightful owners, Katrina’s Finest.
I turned the television off and sat on the floor of the garage with one of Mama’s old brushes.
I wanted to get nice with myself at the thought of something I knew.
But there was too much I didn’t know, like when Mama was coming home, how hard I’d get my back beat, if LaVander Peeler would be my best friend now, how folks would talk to us all around Jackson, what made me say those things to the Mexican brother and sister, and how LaVander Peeler collected the courage to go from Fade Don’t Fade to that adolescent Black superhero onstage.
I knew I could never ever hate LaVander Peeler again after that night.
And crazy as it sounds, that was enough to make me feel good about throwing the brush under the bed, getting nice with myself like a true champ, and writing my story until Mama came home to tell me why what I did was wrong for me, wrong for Black people yet to be born, and wrong for the globe.
Mama would tell me this, I figured, while crying and giving me the legendary back beating of my life.
And after the back beating, I’d tell her not to cry.
I’d tell her that I understood why I deserved the welts on my arms and back.
And when she was quiet and gently rubbing the welts up and down, I’d turn around and say, “Mama, all things considered, I feel like I love LaVander Peeler.”
But when Mama finally came home, none of what I thought would happen really happened.
I didn’t get beaten.
Mama didn’t even tell me what I did wrong.
Quiet as it’s kept, she barely said a word to me.
She just folded up in her bed and kept crying on the phone to my grandma, saying, “I’m so sorry, Mama.
I’m so, so sorry.”
And since Mama didn’t whup my back, I didn’t tell her I felt like I loved LaVan-der Peeler, not just because it might make her remember that she didn’t whup my back, but because I didn’t actually know what I meant.
I didn’t think my body wanted to kiss or even grind up on LaVander Peeler.
But I also knew that no one on earth could make me happier or sadder than that boy either.
That felt like love to me.
The phone kept ringing the next morning and Mama told me not to answer it.
I wanted to ask her why it was ringing so much and why I couldn’t answer it but I’d made it this far without a back beating and I didn’t want to chance it.
Forty minutes later, we were headed to the bus station.
Mama didn’t say a word to me the whole trip.
She bought my ticket when we got to the bus station and waited in her car until I got on the bus.
Then, just like that, Mama left.
No “I love you.”
No “See you later.”
No “Behave yourself.” | was headed to Melahatchie, Mississippi, for four days to stay with Grandma.
I walked all the way to the back of the bus and person after person, no matter whether they were old, young, Black, brown, clean, or dusty, was messing with their cell phones and bootleg iPods.
Some folks were talking.
Some folks were listening.
But most were texting.
I walked to the back of the bus hating all the sentences I imagined those folks writing, hearing, and reading, and I pulled out Long Division.
Five minutes after the bus took off, I got a tap on my right shoulder.
I turned and one of the girls who had been two seats in front of me was now sitting right next to me, and her friend was sitting in the seat in front of me.
Both were looking me dead in my face.
They were cute up close, but cute in two different ways.
The cuter one was slightly sleepy-eyed.
I liked that.
She looked at the cover of Long Division and said, “Who wrote that book?”
“I’m not sure,” I told her.
“We going to Waveland,” she said.
“Where you going?”
“Melahatchie, to stay with my grandma.”
“You heard of that girl they call Baize Shephard?” she asked me.
“That’s her real name,” I told her.
“They don’t just ‘call’ her that.
She live next to my grandma.”
“You the boy from the game last night, right?
The one with the brush who was cutting up on them white folks?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Sleepy Eyes looked at her friend in front of us.
“Told you that he was the one with the brush,” she said.
“The one from that private school.”
I almost forgot the new brush was in my hand.
I started brushing to help me with my nerves.
“Fannie Lou Hamer ain’t no private school,” I told her.
“This girl right here.”
She pointed to her friend, whose eyes weren’t sleepy at all.
Truth be told, her eyeballs were so large and round that when you looked at her you wondered how she could ever sleep.
She was wearing this muscle shirt that would’ve fit just right except her pregnant-looking belly made it cut off too soon.
The girl had plenty of stretch marks on her stomach, too.
As someone who had plenty of stretch marks himself on his biceps and waist, I always liked stretch marks on girls, even if it was on the front of their bellies.
“She told me that she wants you to holler at her,” Sleepy Eyes said.
“She tweeted on her phone this morning that she think you was smart and fine, even if you heavy.”
“No, I don’t,” Stretch Marks said laughing.
“I don’t think you fine.
I don’t even know him.
Stop lying, V!”
Sleepy Eves just looked at Stretch Marks for a full eight seconds without saving a word.
Then she looked back at me.
“She told me that she wishes she could take a video with you for her Facebook with you saying one of your sentences.”
“Okay,” I told her and got next to Stretch Marks while Sleepy Eyes taped us.
“My name is City,” I said into the camera phone, “and meeting these two cute girls right here on the way to Melahatchie made a day that started off sour as warm buttermilk into a day destined to taste something like a banana Slurpee.”
I looked at Stretch Marks’s face and she was giggling her ass off.
“Can we touch your brush?”
Sleepy Eyes said to me and put her phone in her pocket.
I I handed it to her.
“That’s a different brush than the one I threw at the contest.”
She smelled tthe brush and she handed it right back.
“”I get why you said what you said to that Mexican girl,” she told me.
“It was funny.
I just don’t think she had nothing to do with it, though.
See what I’m saying?
I’m just wondering how come you didn’t go off on her brother like you went off on her.”
“I don’t even know,” I said.
“That’s a good question.
I said what I said because she was there, in my row, and I wanted her to feel worse than us.
But…”
“But you don’t know what that girl was feeling.
You just didn’t even care.”
“That’s true,” | told her.
“And after I left, she put in that work.”
“I would never be in one of those games but if they did me like they did you, I would have done the same thing you did,” she told me.
“I would have gone off on the brother though.
That would be wrong, too, but that’s what I would do.
I woulda called him a li’l Mexican b—–.”
“I don’t know about all that ” I told her.
“Why you don’t know.
That’s pretty much what you did.
You just snapped.
You treated that girl like a little Mexican b—–.
And you went off on the Native folks for no reason at all.
We both saw it.
Would you do anything different if you could do the game over?”
That was one of the best questions anyone ever asked me.
“I shouldn’t have never left my boy, LaVander Peeler, up there by himself.”
“Shoot.
At least you internet famous now,” she said.
“Is he internet famous, too?
LaVander Peeler, I’m talking about.”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“That nigga was too serious to be internet famous.”
I tried to look smooth and real-life famous as Stretch Marks and Sleepy Eyes walked back to their seats.
They kept looking back at me and smiling every few minutes.
Sleepy Eyes’s smile made me embarrassed for her, but it also made me want to go in that stanky bus bathroom and get nice with myself.
I picked up Long Division and was reading when three white boys who looked like they were in college came from the front to the back of the bus with their camera phones ready.
One of the boys put his phone in his pocket and sat next to me.
“Sorry if we’re bothering you, big guy,” he said.
“It’s just that was some funny shit you did last night, man.
Could I record you saying, ‘The Ronster, I hate you more than LaVander Peeler?'
”
“I guess I could say that,” I told the boy, and looked up at Sleepy Eyes and Stretch Marks, who were still watching me.
“Cool,” the white boy said.
“And if you wouldn’t mind, could you say your name after you tell me you hate me?”
It felt like a weird thing to do, especially given what I had said about white folks at the contest, but as soon as he got his phone ready, I put my internet-famous arm around his neck, looked right into the phone held by his friend, and said, “The Ronster, I hate yo white ass more than I hate LaVander Peeler.”
I looked at the white boys steady smiling.
“My name is City.”
The Ronster was giggling trying to angle himself so he could get a selfie.
I felt gross.
I kept looking up from Long Division on the way to Melahatchie, but Sleepy Eyes and Stretch Marks didn’t turn around and smile at me for the rest of the trip.
Trevor Y(Mar 29 2023 9:34AM):
Off the rip in the first paragraph, you get a sense of similar experiences between Lavander's realistic fictional experience and Kiese's real life experience.
Collin B(Apr 13 2023 1:49PM):
Chapter One Summary
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Chapter 1
While Laymon claims you may read them in any sequence, I went with the apparent one. “Book One” is set in 2013 and centers on a black Mississippian youngster named City. After creating a commotion in the national “Can You Use that Word in a Sentence” competition with his school rival Lavander Peeler, City is banished to live with his grandmother in the little village of Melahatchie.
Trevor Y(Apr 13 2023 6:17PM):
Satire (page 6/7) This chapter is mostly about City and LaVender arguing about who will win the sentence contest.These chapter 1 examples of satire show how the author uses stuff they were learning in school such as Mexican Culture.
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The examples are page (6) in which the author makes fun of Principal Reeves doing extra stuff to make the Mexican kids feel accepted.Also,their satire on page 7 where he makes humor out of how people view black kids in a white American state such as Mississippi.
Trevor Y(Apr 13 2023 6:24PM):
Chapter 2 (Satire Examples)
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Chapter 2 is mostly showing City’s relationship with Principal Reeve’s and how he can’t get away with nothing because his mom is a teacher.There are examples of Satire on pages 14 and 16.These are examples of satire because they are funny and they refer to stuff such as Kanye West and the student non-violent. coordinating Committee.At the end of the chapter,City gets a book from the principal called Long Division.One quote was “I invented calling Principal Reeves Ms. Kanye… teaching us how we were practically farting on the chests
of the teenagers on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.”
Trevor Y(Apr 13 2023 6:29PM):
Chapter 3 Chitlin City
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In this chapter City and LaVender are about to face each other in the sentence competition.
Satire (page 23,24),Satire (page 25)
These examples of satire show the beef between City and LaVender when they are getting ready to compete against each other at the competition.It also shows how the white people just assumed that they were not actually people from Jackson because the white lady thought they came because of Hurricane Katrina.At the end of chapter 3,it is time for the competition.
Trevor Y(Apr 13 2023 6:37PM):
Chapter 4 Words,Word,Work
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Examples of Satire(Page 34,35,36)
These examples of Satire from Chapter 4 basically show how City snapped out at the competition because he felt like the Black kids were being given offensive words to use in a sentence like niggardly. When he used the word wrong in the sentence he got eliminated and so he snapped out on live tv before leaving the competition.One quote is “No.Um,I truly hate LaBander Veeler sometimes more than some of y’all hate President Obama and I wonder if LaBander Veeler should behave like the exceptional African-American boy he was groomed to be in public by his UPS-working father,or the,um,weird,brilliant, niggardly joker he really is when we’re the only ones watching.”
Trevor Y(Apr 13 2023 7:44PM):
Character Description for City
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City-a boy who attends Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet school in Jackson,Mississippi.
LaVander Peele-another kid at school that City does not get along with.
They both are in competition with each other to see who is smartest and who will when the “can you use that word in a sentence” contest.They also compete with other smart kids in the school like Toni Whitaker,Octavia Whittington,and Jimmy Wallace.City thinks that LaVander tries too hard to be proper/nerd and thinks he is the top reader in school.City makes it clear that he is not “white,homeless,or homosexual.” He says he is not at the top of his class,but he is known as the “best boy writer in the history of his school.”City reminds me of the real life author Kiese Laymon. https://www.youthvoices.live/character-description-for-city/
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 12:52PM):
chapte 1:In her book Long Division, Kiese Laymon introduces readers to City, a young man with an exceptional capacity for time travel. He is caught up in a complicated investigation involving a girl who has gone missing and the effects of his time travel.
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Esther B(Apr 17 2023 12:54PM):
Chapter 2: Long Division by Kiese Laymon uses time travel and historical time jumps to establish a feeling of continuity. and the focus is placed on Kiese Laymon's novel, Long Division. the chapter provides a detailed analysis of the use of time, an spac.
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Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:20PM):
because the narrative structure's consistency creates a sense of familiarity and connection between the reader and the characters by the novel's use of time travel and self-referential aspects.
Bernie H and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 18 2023 7:33PM):
examples of how this book uses strong words to convey how people act in this day and age
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Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Bernie H's edits:
Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)
Provides important background information for understanding the text
. This is seen in sentences such as “the hustle and bustle of modern life can be straining” and “the demands of modern life can be overwhelming”. Such phrases paint an image of a chaotic world where life is always on the go and can be very taxing on individuals.
Having some background knowledge on the modern lifestyle can help to understand the text more deeply. This includes an understanding of the work life balance; how individuals juggle multiple jobs, long hours and the struggle to get it all done. It also helps to have knowledge of the associated stress that accompanies this lifestyle; such stress can be caused by deadlines, financial struggles, and family pressures.
To delve even further into the text, exploring the language and syntax being used can be beneficial. Words such as “hustle and bustle”, “overwhelm”, and “strain” create an intense atmosphere and a feeling of pressure that is consistent with the modern lifestyle.
The text is asking the reader to consider if this lifestyle is really beneficial and encourages the reader to reflect on how it impacts their well being. Does this lifestyle really bring joy, satisfaction and contentment? The text is also looking at the need for a shift in perspective which suggests that individuals need to find a different approach to their way of living.
Take a moment to re-read the text to observe if there are any other words and fact that stand out to you, and don’t be afraid to comment back with any additional ideas or insights you have about the text!
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:11PM):
chapter3:Two opposing parallel narratives are highlighted in Kiese Laymon's book Long Division, one featuring an African American adolescent and one featuring a multiracial adolescent.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:14PM):
chapter4:Kiese Laymon's Long Division explores race, history, and time through two sections: 1985 and 2013. In 1985, City travels through the past to stop his mother's slaying and discovers the background of racism in America.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:21PM):
Satire is a literary device that exposes the folly or vices of individuals, communities, or societal norms through comedy, irony, exaggeration, or mockery.
Sara H(Apr 17 2023 7:02PM):
Long Division is a satirical investigation of stardom, authorship, violence, religion, and coming of age in post-Katrina Mississippi. It examines questions of race, identity, and power in America through two intertwined stories, one taking place in 2013 a
Aamiyah T(Apr 18 2023 9:51PM):
So far while reading chapters 1-4 of this book long division. I caught on to how Lavander Peeler cared too much. While that is in the book clearly I'm going off of his actions. He is very sensitive to what people think of him. Even though he is smart.
Nazeerah M(Apr 26 2023 12:05PM):
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of African Americans throughout the South.
Nazeerah M(Apr 26 2023 12:06PM):
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of African Americans throughout the South.
Bernie H(May 05 2023 1:29PM):
Right away in the introductory paragraph, one can sense a parallel between Lavander's plausible fictitious encounter and Kiese's veritable life experience.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 8:55PM):
Chapter 1 summary
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Satire is used by the author in this chapter to comment on and condemn many facets of society. The author parodies LaVander Peeler’s obsessive worry about how white people view him through the narrator City, underlining the foolishness of placing such a high value on other people’s perceptions. The use of exaggerated descriptions and sardonic phrases, which make fun of Peeler’s actions and demeanor, adds to the satirical tone. The “Can You Use That Word in a Sentence” competition parodies the idea of eliminating regional bias in spelling bees by only emphasizing sentence use. Overall, the chapter makes fun of society’s views, human nature, and the flaws and inconsistencies seen in people.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 10:02PM):
chapter 2 summary
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The author utilizes humor and commentary in this chapter to examine issues of race, identity, and language. The main character, referred to as “Fat Homosexual,” competes in a sentence-writing competition with LaVander Peeler. In order to challenge cultural attitudes and preconceptions, the author employs irony and comedy. LaVander Peeler uses lengthy, intricate phrases, yet the protagonist disputes their aim and meaning. The chapter also discusses the perspectives of Mexican pupils in the school, emphasizing the futile efforts at acceptance and the pervasiveness of racial prejudices. The relationship between the protagonist and his uncle, Uncle Relle, provides still another dimension to the reflection on perseverance and fortitude. The author gives a critical viewpoint on race, language, and gender through satire.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 10:11PM):
Chapter 3 summary
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The topics of competition, identity, and social expectations are explored in this chapter through satire and criticism. The author uses comedy and irony to criticize racial prejudices and intellectual biases through the verbal battles between the protagonist and Lavender Peeler. The protagonist skillfully disproves Lavender Peeler’s claims while contesting prevailing ideas of success. The chapter also emphasizes how ridiculous it is to videotape arguments in order to get approval on social media. By utilizing humor and commentary, the author gives a critical analysis of the biases and power relationships that are evident in the interactions between the characters.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 10:26PM):
Chapter 4 plus paragraph 99
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The author uses observational humor in this scenario to highlight the differences between the protagonist and Lavander Peeler. The protagonist is deeply immersed in reading Long Division while they wait for LaVander Peeler’s father to pick them up, and LaVander Peeler, who is sporting a fake Louis Vuitton sunglass, is observing the book. This comparison provides insight into their different objectives and interests. The reference to the bogus designer sunglasses lends the passage a humorous touch and draws attention to Lavander Peeler’s attempt to present a posh and fashionable persona. The author delicately critiques the characters’ goals and the frivolity frequently connected to material items through this sarcastic passage.
Sade H(Mar 28 2023 8:52AM):
Andre Benjamin is a rapper from Atlanta who is part of a group called Outkast. I wonder how this lyric relates to the book.
This quote talks about another chapter and things happening “twice upon a time”, but the other quote says that she’s tired of time travelling. Perhaps they’re related?
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
Paul A(Mar 28 2023 9:49AM):
It's interesting that seeing who this is from has a deeper meaning for you as a young person than it does for me a somewhat older young person.
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Gian'aki N(Mar 28 2023 9:03AM):
quote from Andre 3000 who has a lot of influence on a lot of people and clearly some level of influence to the author of the book
The references to Duality already in this book is outstanding. The book has two front covers, two separate stories, two separate epigraphs, along with 3 Stack’s quote that mentions two stories in itself.
Fury B(Mar 28 2023 9:54AM):
Both of the quotes are revealing about what the theme might be
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When read side by side, I think the two quotes might mean something about how the characters are connected. The first quote suggests that one person lived two lives, and the second quote talks about how someone doesn’t want to time travel anymore. From this, I think it’s reasonable to assume that the main character travels through time and might live a different life, and after a while doesn’t want to anymore
Bouyagui G(Mar 28 2023 10:03AM):
It’s like a fairy tail using the words upon a time to show a short story to make the readers visualize what andrs is saying.
I love this quote taken from a lyric sung by Erica. Reading this, I believe she was probably saying that she wants to live her life without worrying about the future.
Bouyagui G(Mar 28 2023 10:05AM):
Does she say she don’t want to travel no more because of things happen in her life to make her give up on something she accomplish
Suhailah R(Mar 28 2023 2:42PM):
Epigraph Connection
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I like that Kiese Laymon decided to use an Erykah Badu quote. It’s interesting how both epigraphs connect in some way. The both hint to what the books are going to be about.
Aniyah R(Mar 30 2023 8:54PM):
I personally love Erykah Badu a lot and I grew up on her music. This lyric from her song reminds me of when my dad used to play music while he drives me to school.
I wonder if this quote suggests that there will be time traveling going on in the book or if it’s not literal and just suggesting that the character will go through regret and worry some about the past/future.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 3:31PM):
Summarizing ONE SENTENCES use of Satire and Commentary.
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To summarize in a genre of sitcom, I would describe this chapter to be a dark-humor sitcom type of satire. Kiese Laymon uses satire to focus on the detrimental aspects of Black American Culture in schools. Within black schools, the act of causally calling someone homosexual and other demeaning words is often normalized, but even encouraged. This encouragement is derived from the sense of satisfaction by being surrounded by Yes-Men who laugh along with you. This is present within Lavander’s eccentric bravado in the first chapter, particularly in the scenes in which City is the butt of a joke while dozens onlookers laugh at his expense, encouraging LaVander to insult City even more. “LaVander Peeler backed up and looked at the crowd, some of whom were pumping their fists, covering their mouths, and laughing to themselves. Then he kissed the ellipsis tattoo on his wrist and pointed toward the sky” (Laymon, Paragraph 23)
The satire and humor in “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon often come from City’s commentary on Lavander and their interactions, as well as Laymon’s projection of satire and commentary onto both characters. City’s commentary on Lavander is often used as a tool to express his emotions and opinions about him. For example, when City talks about the “kindly pause” being almost like a mocker of their practice, he uses satire to criticize Lavander’s behavior. Additionally, when City describes Lavander’s smell as being so good that it’s like a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re too close to him, he is using humor to both praise and mock Lavander.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:37PM):
I agree because City uses satire and comedy to both laud and condemn Lavander in his criticism of him, expressing his feelings and ideas about him.
Naomi G(Apr 13 2023 6:28PM):
Satire Chapter 1 Summary
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In chapter one of Long Division satire, sarcasm, and humor are used to show the thoughts and feelings Citoyen Coldson has about race and gender stereotypes. He also uses humor and exaggeration to insult other characters in the book. For example in paragraph 12, sentence 1, City says “Anyway, LaVander Peeler has way too much space between his eyes and his fade doesn’t really fade right. Nothing really fades into anything, to tell you the truth.” I feel that here City is using humor to describe his dislike toward LaVander and probably over exaggerating about Peeler’s haircut. This chapter truly introduced us to the type of sarcasm and satire we will read throughout the book.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:40PM):
yes true because I nice that Citoyen Coldson insults other characters and expresses his opinions regarding racial and gender stereotypes using satire, sarcasm, humor, and exaggeration. This chapter gives us a taste of the humor and sarcasm.
Wylla j(Apr 13 2023 6:34PM):
satire and commentary
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One sentence uses satire and commentary to poke fun at the absurdities and contradictions of life in the fictional town of Melahatchie, Mississippi. Through the character of City, Laymon satirizes the small-mindedness and insularity of the town’s residents, as well as their obsession with tradition and conformity. He also satirizes the hypocrisies of the town’s power structures and the ways in which they perpetuate inequality and injustice. Overall, Laymon’s use of satire and commentary is a powerful tool for exposing the complexities of small-town life and for encouraging readers to think critically about the social and cultural dynamics that shape their own communities.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:42PM):
I feel that Laymon's satirical and commentary-based writing style is a potent tool for highlighting the complexity of small-town life and inspiring readers to consider their communities critically.
Jonnirah K(Apr 13 2023 10:36PM):
Example of satire in chapter 1
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In the first chapter, there were forms of satire and humor. in “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon, most of the satire came from Lavander and their encounters with each other. The main character of the book “City’s” criticism of Lavander was a form of expression. An example from the book would be when City talked about the “kindly pause”. They use that phrase in the book to almost defend their sexuality. City uses satire to criticize Lavander’s a lot, an example would be when City compared Lavander scent to being so good it smells like a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re too close to him.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:43PM):
I also think City uses humor to defend their sexuality and compare Lavander's scent to a little beast in their criticism of it as a way of expression.
Caprice H(Apr 14 2023 7:37PM):
Chapter 1 Satire
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City’s comments on LaVander and their interactions, as well as Laymon’s depiction of satire and commentary onto both characters play a big role on how the book is perceived by the audience as well as the course the book takes. City frequently uses his remarks about LaVander to voice his feelings and viewpoints on how he truly feels about LaVander. City often uses mockery to condemn LaVander’s actions, these instances are littered often throughout the book. For example, City says " Anyway, LaVander Peeler has way too much space in between his eyes and his fade doesn’t really fade right.". I feel that City uses Satire against LaVander as his only way to defend himself, also as a way to knock LaVander off his pedestal.
Hayley B(Apr 14 2023 7:46PM):
Summary and Satire
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Laymon makes fun of the media’s preoccupation with sensationalizing Black grief and tragedy through comedy. Additionally, he uses commentary to draw attention to the systematic racism in American education and how it feeds the myth of white supremacy. Overall, the chapter exposes the hypocrisy and injustice of American culture through a blend of humor and critique. The phrase “kindly pause” is a form of satire especially with the kind of conversation being had between City and Lavander.
In the opening chapter of Long Division, City Coldson employs satire and sarcasm to candidly express his thoughts and emotions about race and gender. Through his clever use of language, such as the word “niggardly,” which serves as a recurring motif, he employs satirical humor that adds depth and complexity to the story. This use of wordplay not only serves as a source of humor but also emphasizes and builds the foundation for the narrative. Overall, City’s sharp wit and clever employment of satire and sarcasm in this chapter set the tone for the rest of the book, creating a compelling and thought-provoking read.
Daeja D(Apr 17 2023 11:04AM):
Chapter summary/ Satire
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Laymon makes fun of the media’s preoccupation with sensationalizing Black grief and tragedy through comedy. Additionally, he uses commentary to draw attention to the systematic racism in American education and how it feeds the myth of white supremacy. Overall, the chapter exposes the hypocrisy and injustice of American culture through a blend of humor and critique.
Alana B(Apr 19 2023 7:38PM):
Chapter 1 Summary
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The use of ‘satire’ was used a few times in this chapter. I believe it was displayed through jokes told by the characters. I believe in a way some comments were made to make City not look like a bad person for disliking LaVender. One example is City including everyone in the school dislikes him, including the Janitor and the principal. I think the chapter does focus on the character of LaVander and his personality, mannerism, and how he treats others.
Jaylah A(May 11 2023 12:32PM):
Chapter 1 summary
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In chapter 1 it’s basically an introduction of the 2 characters LaVander and City. The chapter goes back in forth with using satire, humor, and ignorance. The author uses humor and satire to poke at the relationship between the 2 characters who hate each other. This is shown in paragraph 26…“When he opened his mouth, it sounded like big old flat tired rolling over jagged gravel.”
In the first Chapter of the book City had always used descriptive language to describe LeVander and through City’s words and description LeVander looked ridiculous from the point of view of the reader. Throughout the book, they are describing how they call each other by name to raise the laughter of the other guys at their schools one example was when LeVander called City the fat homeless white homosexual which was possibly the purpose of humble City.
sole s(Mar 28 2023 9:58AM):
why do lavender peelers cares what people think of them?
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I think when someone cares so much about what people think it comes from a bigger problem. from the info I’ve gotten about lavender, I think he tries to do what he thinks people want him to do. even if it’s not in his best interest.
Shanih M(Mar 29 2023 10:30AM):
Main Take aways from this paragraph
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This paragraph highlights LaVander Peeler’s anxiety over what white people think of him. He could have voted for the narrator for ninth-grade CF, but instead he typed a homophobic and racist insult. At Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet School, LaVander Peeler stands out for his distinctive sense of style and an ellipsis tattoo on the inside of his wrist. LaVander Peeler, on the other hand, is not a favorite of the narrator, who refers to him in a racist manner.
Esther B(Apr 17 2023 2:48PM):
think that this book opens with a parody of a grammar quiz show called "Can You Use That Word in a Sentence?" that mocks how language and education are frequently employed in American society as means of oppression and exclusion.
LaVander, being surrounded by people who don’t look the way he does, has now lost his individuality and now cares too much about the judgment that white people would give him.
I think he cares too much about what people think because that how society has put our minds to think. Lot’s of people think how white people would judge them but it shouldn’t even matter.
Maki P(Mar 31 2023 9:20AM):
I have experienced the feeling of being judged by a white person and as a kid, something like this would sometimes happen to me.
Aamiyah T(Apr 11 2023 1:31PM):
This is everyone everywhere. They care too much about what people think about them and that's why they can never be themselves. Why does he care so much ? Why are other peoples opinion so important to him ?
Bernie H and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 18 2023 7:48PM):
Why does LaVander Peeler care too much about what white folks think about him
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Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Bernie H's edits:
Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)
Provides important background information for understanding the text
This sentence is important because it prompts the reader to ask questions regarding the protagonist’s motivation for caring about what other people think of him. The reader can infer from the sentence that the protagonist does not have a lot of self-confidence and is seeking validation from others.
The second sentence is, “Maybe it’s like W.E.B Du Bois said – if you are Black, you have two choices, be an artist or a clown.” This sentence is important because it implies that LaVander feels like he must play to other people’s expectations in order to be accepted. It also reveals the presence of internalized racism, which can affect how people perceive their own identities.
The third sentence is, “Or maybe he just wants to fit in.” This sentence is important because it serves as a contrast to the Du Bois quote, suggesting that LaVander does not think he must necessarily conform to other people’s expectations in order to feel accepted.
The background information needed to understand this text more deeply includes knowledge of: (1) W.E.B Du Bois’ quote and its implications; (2) the idea of internalized racism; and (3) people’s tendency to care too much about the opinions of others. Re-reading the text – and adding what you notice – can help you gain a better understanding of LaVander’s struggle with his identity and how it influences his interactions with people.
Jannatul F(Apr 17 2023 10:17AM):
book 1st paragraph summary- LaVander Peeler is very concerned about what white people think of him. He wrote on the back of his ballot last quarter, "All things considered, I shall withhold my CF vote rather than support Toni Whitaker, Jimmy Wallace,
I like that the author begins the book with an extremely descriptive character analysis. I also think that since the book begins with some humor, it lets me know that I will see lots more in the book
Maki P(Apr 14 2023 9:50AM):
I think it's a certain way to go about things and expressing yourself is one form of satire but also a poor way of talking about someone.
Imani S(Mar 28 2023 9:55AM):
A starting quesiton; why would te author decide to go in detail on what this character is wearing?
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Could the way they dress impact who they are as a person or where they come from? Will the author continue to be descriptive throughout the whole story? Why? These are just some general questions to help people get thinking form the beginning of the story.
Wylla j(Mar 31 2023 9:01AM):
A question about the text.
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when he wrote about what LaVander Peeler was wearing in depth was that meant for to read deeper? Did the tattoo that Lavander have have a deeper meaning the what it seems like
Honestly, Brandon, I agree with you. I feel like when reading books by black authors and they use the N-word I feel more connected to them. It kinda feels like they’re saying “my n***a!!” to me. It also makes me laugh a little knowing that when white people read this book they will also read that.
Yasir S(Mar 28 2023 10:07AM):
I completely agree because black authors bring a different feel to the book when they use the N word especially when its used in a way that I would use it.
Anisa D(Mar 28 2023 10:10AM):
I agree. I have been in this position before, but honestly it's a word they created years ago toward us so why should we be worried about making them "uncomfortable"
Fury B(Mar 28 2023 10:08AM):
the use of the N-word in this context
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I like what City said about how his principal doesn’t like when students use the n-word when writing, especially when white people are going to be reading whatever is written. I think that it’s a cool disruption from what you’d usually expect
Anisa D(Mar 28 2023 10:08AM):
I like how he stated you shouldn't write the n word when writing something a white person will read, then proceeded to say the n word. it gave more humor to the book
Jonnirah K(Mar 31 2023 9:09AM):
Teachers restrict the use of the N-word but its apart of black history, black people have reclaimed that word and use it for other meanings
Nicholas C(Mar 31 2023 9:16AM):
Connection with the use of the N-word
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I think we (black people) shouldn’t be limited to our use of the N-word because it’s something we have reclaimed and took power over, however I do understand the professor point of view. When the N-word is put into music or books and non black readers are consuming it they may feel entitled to say the word themselves which I think is not ok.
Terry E and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 17 2023 7:12AM):
What emotional and intellectual filters do readers bring to the n-word?
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n-word
Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Terry E's edits:
Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)
Provides important background information for understanding the text
The first sentence is important, as it shows how readers approach the term with differing views. The second sentence is important, as it highlights the use of a derogatory term within a context of expressing strong sentiment.
To understand this text more deeply, it is important to be aware of the history of the term “n-word” and its associated racism and the current use of the word in various settings. Additionally, it is important to understand how language can both shape and reflect culture, as well as the power that language holds to perpetuate stereotypes and injustices. Being knowledgeable of the various meanings of the term “n-word”, as well as the emotions that accompany it, would be beneficial for understanding this text.
I invite you to re-read the text and consider how its meaning and interpretation may differ between different readers; to reflect on what this reveals about the power of language, and to think about what implications such differences may have for society as a whole.
Terry E and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 17 2023 7:32AM):
Why are white folks so afraid of the n-word?
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Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Terry E's edits:
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As a high school senior in a major metropolitan Eastern city, you may be able to approach this text with a unique perspective and gain insights into how language can shape our world.
The author uses satire and commentary in this chapter to examine the protagonist’s viewpoint on LaVander Peeler. City, the main character, introduces himself and jokingly admits that he is not white, poor, or gay. However, the emphasis of the commentary switches to the peculiar smell of LaVander Peeler, which is exaggeratedly characterized in a funny way as making one think of a little animal farting in their mouth. The author satirizes the characters’ obsession with LaVander Peeler’s fragrance by using this amusing exaggeration, bringing attention to the ridiculousness and the subtle ways in which people are drawn to odd qualities or behaviors. It functions as a playful reflection on psychological traits and the quirks of attraction.
City, the protagonist of Kiese Laymon’s Long Division, is a black teenager who lives in a small town in Mississippi. In the first four chapters of the book, City is presented as a complex and multifaceted character. He is intelligent, perceptive, and introspective, with a deep sense of curiosity about the world around him.
Sade H(Mar 28 2023 9:17AM):
In paragraph 11 he explains that LaVander calls City those names because he's fatter than Sean Kingston at his fattes, he lives in a nice house that presumably only a white person would live in, and he's a homosexual because he like to watch other boys pe
malyia j(Mar 28 2023 9:58AM):
I feel like he thought he should because of the fact that he did say the n-word and after He said that even I was wondering "I know this white man didn't say the N-word" not only that but it illustrates the way the peeler treats people.
I love this phrase because I have no idea what the hell it actually means. I think this is intentionally done to characterize LaVander Peeler’s hygiene as almost messiac. This is also a play on his name involving the smell of Lavenders.
Drew D(Mar 28 2023 10:02AM):
The analogies City makes
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One of the things I like about City is how unorthodox his analogies are. They always make sense, but they’re so childishly formulated that I’m enjoying them
Bernie H and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 18 2023 7:59PM):
What was the purpose of adding this specific description of how City isn't white?
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Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Bernie H's edits:
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Provides important background information for understanding the text
This sentence is important for understanding the underlying message that the text conveys. It highlights how City isn’t white, which challenges the traditional view of how cities should look and what they should represent. Through this description, the text is challenging us to view our society in a different way and to recognise the diversity that exists within our communities.
Furthermore, the text is also drawing attention to issues of inequality and systemic racism still present today. It is highlighting how certain groups within society are often marginalised and excluded from mainstream discourse. This sentence is important for us to understand how City isn’t a monolithic entity and how it encompasses a range of perspectives and stories.
To gain a deeper understanding of the text, it’s worth reading it again, paying particular attention to the themes of race, inclusion, and inequality. See if you can spot any instances where the text challenges the status quo or speaks to stories that have been left untold. Reflect on the questions the text raises and consider how it relates to your own experiences in today’s society.
I invite you to read this text one more time and to consider any further themes or ideas that the text might be suggesting. Share what you discover in the comments below!
Timothy K(Mar 28 2023 1:40PM):
Why does LaVander call him that?
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If City isn’t white, homeless, or homosexual, why does LaVander call him that? Also, while City disputed the white, homeless, and homosexual description, he notably didn’t dispute the fat description.
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
Paul A(Mar 28 2023 2:52PM):
I was thinking about this breath-sniffing and LaVander Peeler smelling so good... from a feminist literary lens.
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Makes me think that if we were describing a young woman we would be upset that she is being described by the way she smells. I wonder what gender stereotypes this description of a young man is either undermining or promoting.
Aamiyah T(Apr 26 2023 12:10PM):
This is so funny to me because a lot of people do this. Someone will stink so bad that they will think that It's them that smell a way.
During a televised contest called the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence finals, the narrator openly expresses their hatred towards LaVander Peeler. The contest was created in response to concerns about geographic bias in the Scripps Spelling Bee. This seems very beneficial to the students
Destine M(Apr 26 2023 9:54AM):
I enjoy how he explains everything about the spelling bee competition and how he and LaVander will probably be the two who bring the title to Mississippi, but is there a connection between this competition and his animosity for LaVander?
Interesting, Kiese Laymon specifically mentions a past event like we’re supposed to remember it. I did some quick research and came up with practically nothing, what was Kiese Laymons intention of putting this sentence here?
I like how he introduces all the details about the spelling Bee competition and how he and laVender will probably be the two to bring the title to Mississippi but does his hate for LaVander somehow connected to this competition?
Jade P and/or Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)(May 23 2023 9:12PM):
Are the words being given from AAVE
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Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text) with Jade P's edits:
Background Knowledge Tutor - Original (for any text)
Provides important background information for understanding the text
Sentence 1: “From the early stages of the English language, African Americans used words and phrases created through the combination of two or more words.”
This sentence gives important background information about the origin of words used by African Americans; it shows that the words they use come from the combination of two or more words, rather than being derived from a single source.
Sentence 2: “This linguistic style is known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and is not only used today in many African American communities, but is also increasingly being used by younger Americans in general.”
This sentence provides further information about the use of AAVE by African American communities, and also shows that its use is becoming more widespread among younger Americans.
Sentence 3: “AAVE is unique, as it has its own grammatical and syntactical rules of construction and pronunciation”
This sentence is important because it tells us that AAVE has its own distinct rules, which are different from other forms of English.
Sentence 4: “This essay will explore the history of AAVE and its current use in the US and abroad.”
This sentence introduces the focus of the essay – to explore the history and current use of AAVE – and sets out the purpose of the essay.
The background information needed to understand the text more deeply is an understanding of the history of AAVE and how and why it has been used by African Americans. This may include aspects such as how the language emerged, the different forms it takes and its similarities and differences compared to other forms of English.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of this text, take a few minutes to re-read it and consider the context in which AAVE is used. Pay attention to any particular words or phrases that may be used in the text, and think about what they are used to convey, or how they are used in different contexts. You may also find it helpful to compare the language used in this essay to other examples of AAVE that you may be familiar with. As you re-read, be sure to add any new thoughts or insights that come up in your reading in a reply!
In the short essay Hey Mama by Kiese Laymon Mississippi was also a significant place. It seems like he writes about things he’s already familiar with. https://www.guernicamag.com/hey-mama/
Maya J(Mar 28 2023 9:54AM):
This paragraph provides a bit on insight on City's and LeVander's relationship.
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I feel like at this point they are both in a way invalidating each other’s "blackness "City is saying that his style doesn’t really seem associated to his race. LeVander calls him white based off of the neighborhood and type of house he lives in.
Makema V(Mar 28 2023 9:58AM):
Demonstrates how we live at all times at once. Wonderful time-traveling story with young African American protagonists. Glad to see a book about the south through the eyes of fearless, smart, compassionate youth.
What is the relationship between LaVender and City? From the jokes, it is possible that they could be friends. I think it is also possible that they are ’frenemies.
Shanih M(Mar 29 2023 10:43AM):
LaVander Peeler's appearance
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LaVander Peeler’s look bothers Kiese Laymon, especially the gap between his eyes and the poor fading of his hair. The narrator refers to LaVander as “Lavender” or “Fade Don’t Fade” when he feels inferior to him. LaVander responds by dubbing the narrator “White Homeless Fat Gay” or simply “Fat Homosexual,” implying that they are enormously obese, living in a rich white woman’s garage, and love watching boys urinate while being impolite.
I don’t really understand LaVander’s mindset when it comes to criticizing City. From what city described himself as, you would think LaVander was talking about a completely different person.
Makema V(Mar 28 2023 10:03AM):
LaVander Peeler is a finalist in the vocabulary contest, which LaVander sees as an opportunity to first prove his worth and move on to greater glory, telling City, "Then I'll beat them at everything else they throw at me. Everything."
[Edited]
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
Paul A(Mar 28 2023 1:45PM):
I wasn't sure when I first read that either. But I started to think that this is a description of his skin and that he has lighter and darker patches.
Kaesy F(Apr 17 2023 7:51PM):
LaVander Character
[Edited]more
The character I chose is LaVander Peeler. This image best fits the description in this sentence, as it shows how I view him based on the description City gave. LaVander has an irritated face because he is always “fighting” with City. His “spaced out” eyes are also depicted in the image, as well as his haircut.
Jannatul F(May 20 2023 4:12AM):
LaVander Peeler's fading is also not done properly, and there is far too much space between his eyes. To be honest, nothing actually merges into anything. 2When I'm with him and feel foolish, I'll call him "Lavender" or "Fade Don't Fade." He refers to me
Isaiah S(Mar 28 2023 9:58AM):
Potential Theme?
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Nothing really fades into anything tells me a very short lesson on how people can’t really change, or become something else. They can’t “fade” into the shadows, they either stand out or fade very partially.
I like how City shows a tiny bit of vulnerability here. His personality is usually shown as confident and bold. Here, he admits he can sometimes feel stupid around LaVander, who is his rival.
malyia j(Mar 28 2023 10:03AM):
I wonder if laVander is actually a bully or if this is just a mutual dislike between the two because it seems like City says hurtful things too.
Bouyagui G(Mar 28 2023 9:52AM):
What is the significance of calling him those words.?How does mentioning those words have any relation to this paragraph? The author intentionally mention those words to show some kind of meaning to the whole book itself.
Isaiah S(Mar 28 2023 10:01AM):
Sean Kingston at his fattest.
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I think this is a play on words that connects to the old interpretation of being fat. Lavender calls city rich, and calls City Sean Kingston at his fattest. Fatness used to be synonymous with wealth in 17-19th century. So this could actually be a compliment when put to more thought.
At the beginning of the book, in the third paragraph, the main character City says “I’m not white, homeless, or homosexual.” But then says LaVander calls him a “white homeless fat homosexual,” because his house is a rich white ladys garage. What does the way his house look have to do with his appearance. Whats the point of LaVander calling him white,if he is infact not?
ryan d(Mar 29 2023 9:48AM):
Homophobia and bullying
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LaVander seems to be a big bully. He calls City all kinds of names including fat and homosexual. LaVander basically looks at Vity differently because he won’t say “kindly pause” etc
Where does the hate stem from? Is this really a hate relationship or is they somewhat obsessed with each other. The name calling makes me question if LaVander is the one thats a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual”. Is Lavander speaking his insecurities onto City
Christopher L(Apr 28 2023 10:54AM):
City has been going on saying he's not white, homeless, and homosexual. It kinda makes me think that he might actually be gay.
Shanih M(Mar 29 2023 10:49AM):
"Kindly pause"
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When in eighth grade, LaVander Peeler made the term “Kindly pause” famous in the school restroom. They had to say “Kindly pause” if they went into the restroom when someone else was already using it or even just glanced in their way. After a makeover that resulted in deep blue tiles below the urinals, which suggest emotions of falling and floating, the narrator no longer enjoys using the restroom at School.
Bouyagui G(Mar 28 2023 9:59AM):
This is thing that couple generations had started saying and those words are used differently depending the conversation but all relates to the topic . LaVander shows the significance of using the words”pause” to show how the words constantly used.
Drew D(Mar 28 2023 10:09AM):
Comparing the sentence to society
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Although my reaction to this was, “this makes absolutely no sense,” I can connect this to our society where boys their age, and even older, say pause or no homo.
Jade P(Mar 29 2023 9:42AM):
This is something that surprised me, as a female, we don't say anything like "kindly pause," when we enter a bathroom. Mainly because we have stalls and boys have urinals
Anisa D(Mar 29 2023 10:43AM):
the kindly pause is pretty funny. I wonder what the point of adding kindly in front of pause is supposed to mean because I aways hear boys just say "pause."
Ebenezer L(Mar 28 2023 9:56AM):
I understand his enjoyment of school bathrooms
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I be wilding in the bathrooms, anytime I gotta go, I gotta go. Especially with all the new urinals and toilet in the bathrooms, new tile. When a brother has to go, I undertsand.
Isaiah S(Mar 28 2023 10:03AM):
Limbo Bathroom
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It seems City feels like the newly renovated bathrooms is out of touch with everything else. As such, it transcends physical boundaries and put people like city in a trance. It’s almost like a liminal space.
Christopher S(Apr 19 2023 12:40PM):
This is funny because I find it strange that he enjoys using the bathroom so much because of the quality of the bathrooms
Maryam N(Mar 29 2023 10:34AM):
Subtle homophobia
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I definitely agree with City here. A lot of times, people will create phrases that will remove supposed “gay connotations” from their sentences. I always thought this was stupid. I’m not gonna say “no homo” if I say something that you would deem to be something that a gay person would say. It’s only ever in a sexual manner too. If that’s what you think then okay, I don’t really care.
Isaiah S(Mar 28 2023 10:05AM):
Trying to stay Alive.
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I think what City is trying to say here is that hobbies are never a thing people like him can indulge in because everyone is so worried about keeping their necks straight. If your neck isn’t straight, you’re probably dead. So people spend more time fixing their necks and not get lost in anything that suits them.
Darryl J(Mar 28 2023 9:57AM):
I understand what you are saying
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I don’t even understand the point of saying that when you can say nothing and avoid the awkwardness of even saying anything to the person using the urinal
Timothy K(Mar 28 2023 1:46PM):
Well that's stupid
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In-universe how many people do you think actually do the whole “kindly pause” thing? Because it’s so stupid that if they’re actually doing it seriously then my immersion is completely ruined.
So if you walk into the bathroom and someone using it you have to say “kindly pause” until one of you has both feet out of the bathroom. That just gives off awkwardness that doesn’t need to happen.
I am just taking note of City`s point of view and his opinions on himself. He seems to think very highly of himself and take pride in his status at his school. His CW title also explains his very interesting humorous descriptions used earlier in the book.
Deja P(Mar 28 2023 10:21AM):
I would also like to shine a light on LaVander Peeler always saying “Kindly pause” in the bathroom all the time, I wonder what his obsession with this is. does he do this simply because he's having problems with his identity?
Drew D(Mar 28 2023 10:32AM):
The AI-generated art piece about City
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I typed in “Create an image that symbolizes ambition, strength, and an unshakable attitude, and that has the characteristics and style of an abstract portrait.”
This is the result,
Shanih M(Mar 29 2023 10:53AM):
Offensive catch phrase
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LaVander Peeler coined the expression and is unconcerned about it being interpreted as gay. The speaker has the finest waves in Hamer history and has won the Class Wittiest title twice, so they are confident in their notoriety and skills. The speaker is reluctant to utilize the catchphrase since LaVander Peeler is despised by the speaker’s peers as well.
I adored Laymon’s careful attention to regional and vernacular nuances in Long Division’s language. Long Division occasionally used excessive force where it wasn’t necessary. I want to point out that Laymon felt the need to overexplain certain concepts because time travel can be complicated. I’m hoping he leaves some of that out the next time. Other portions, if you don’t review them a few times, are simply plain baffling. Then there are other situations where I discovered it to be blatantly irrational after numerous rereads.
Alexandria T(Apr 28 2023 6:15PM):
How does City feel about his gender identity?
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City feels comfortable with his gender identity. He doesn’t conform to the norms of everyone else and he minds his business. He has his own identity instead of fitting into a box.
Timothy K(Mar 28 2023 2:16PM):
Doesn't seem that uncanny, I would be really annoyed if someone introduced something as arbitrary and stupid as what LaVander made.
Alana B(Mar 28 2023 1:49PM):
Abbreviations
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As I read, I noticed there are a couple of shorthand and abbreviations used similar to what teenagers and young people use today. I feel like that is a way to draw the audience or make the desired audience more interested in the book.
Anisa D(Mar 29 2023 10:51AM):
I wouldn't lie it seems like he does care though the way he expresses how much he hates LaVander and the impact he has on him
Abeer A(Mar 28 2023 10:08AM):
Following his rules
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It’s very interesting how everyone hates LaVander but constantly uses his word and follows his rules. If he has this impact on the students he most is someone with power and connection.
Isaiah S(Mar 28 2023 10:20AM):
Seems like LaVander is a loner - being hated by everyone so he keeps to himself. He resembles a flawed and jagged individual
[Edited]more
I like the way you defined LeVander as a person, and I think the pic you were able to create also captured his loneliness as well, as he isn’t well liked by anyone.
Segregation is not in anyway deemed as a good thing, logically as humans we thrive off of our social climate, segregation goes against the very nature of humanity.
from the first page, and I don’t think I’ve audibly laughed from a single book so many times in my life. It’s told 1st person, from City’s point of view, and he’s hilarious in thought and voice. He’s kinda wordy, which may turn some people off, but it makes his sentences seem oddly balanced, to me, as if at a certain word in the sentence, there’s a pivot, and the second half drops.
I really liked how they used events that had happened and used rappers to describe the devastating moments. I also notice how they used all male rappers to show in the backdrop.
Makema V(Mar 28 2023 10:08AM):
A theme that I noticed
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It seems as if the author Kiese Laymon uses an unconventional narrative structure, and explores the interconnection between all eras.The first chapter of the section opens with detailed descriptions of the City’s rivalry with LaVander Peeler. Contentions between City and LaVander are the substance of the narrative
A key takeaway from the latest video description is a dusty teenager from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee holding a sign with a message about civil rights and fighting discrimination. ‘s messages include messages like “Freedom Schools Now” and "Black people aren’t bad", calling for educational opportunities and suggesting a rejection of negative stereotypes surrounding black people. . The footage’s black-and-white format also adds to the historical context and feel of past civil rights struggles.
The author quotes some of the messages that were being protested and I believe this detail is part of something deeper. Throughout the first chapter there is much talk about race and how it’s portrayed and discussed at his school. While some of the language used is strong, it signifies the reality of young ignorance.
He only feels this way because he has never been impacted in such a destructive way, his whole life he grew up in a norm. He doesn’t understand nor sympathize with those who have fought against, experienced or been a victim of racism.
I’m not saying this a good thing to do, but having tacos/burritos IN LIGHT of a new class of people seems kind of forced. Classic example of good intentions, but bad execution.
I feel like the principal had good intentions but his actions are over the top and unnecessary. Instead of having tacos/burritos he could find other ways to make the students feel welcomed
Kaesy F(Apr 12 2023 11:00AM):
Ignorance of teens
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The speaker makes the comment “Being racist is fun.” I wonder why the author decided to include this thought in the book. Was it to represent the immaturity and ignorance of adolescents when it comes to race, standards, and stereotypes?
Jade P(Apr 18 2023 9:19AM):
Personal Connection
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This reminds me of a time during freshman year when Ms. D’Emma played “Changes” by 2pac during black history month. I was a little thrown off, it just felt like the common misconception about what represents black people. For example, in middle school when all we would do during black history month went over the same three figures; MLK, Malcolm X, and Rosa Park.
Jade P and/or Text-to-Self Mentor (Add meaningful details about yourself to the optional descriptive box)(May 23 2023 9:21PM):
Why is black history so underrepresented in schools?
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Text-to-Self Mentor (Add meaningful details about yourself to the optional descriptive box) with Jade P's edits:
Text-to-Self Mentor (Add meaningful details about yourself to the optional descriptive box)
Takes your description of yourself in the descriptive box and makes con...
You find yourself drawn to that scene because it’s a memory of a time when you were seeking to be seen and represented. Ms. D’Emma’s choice of music was a reminder of how shallow this month has become due to the lack of context of other prominent figures in black history. We need to go beyond what’s commonly expected and find ways to make our perspective, unique and individual, acknowledged, and valued. As you think of the lack of representation in schools, ask yourself what other figures from black history have been meaningful to you and if there are any genres of music that can be used to represent different voices in history. Try to search for these voices in books, videos, and media to add to the conversation about black history.
Maybe the principal was trying to help but tried with the wrong message. A form of racism and misinformation. Not all Mexicans just eat tacos/burritos.
Antasia P(Mar 29 2023 10:33AM):
This just makes me think about how often this happens within other races also. And, how many people mean no disrespect when they say they all look alike but many people take it offensively.
I am not going to lie, for about 2 years, I kept confusing Aleajandro’s name with Francisco’s. It happens unconsciously and I am quite ashamed of it. (My fault broskies if you’re reading this)
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:24AM):
Concept of Absurdity
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Some people, admittedly me, have a sense of humor that deals with the absurdity of context/subject manners. I am the type of person to laugh at a racist joke because it is just absurd that someone will make one in the first place.
Maya J(Mar 29 2023 10:31AM):
I feel like this sentence is heavily based upon context. Usually the only way racism is ever acceptable is if it's used in a comedic fashion
Nejat N(Mar 29 2023 10:38AM):
City cares too much about what LaVender thinks
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City in the beginning of the book said that Lavender cares too much about what white people think of him but I also think that City cares too much about what Lavender thinks.
I see a combination of themes of viral celebrity, storytelling, racism, and religion for a coming-of-age, time-traveling tale rich in humor and astute observations.
Abeer A(Mar 29 2023 10:41AM):
Whats the reason
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I’m now more curious I want to know why they hate each other that much and does LaVander have the same hate toward City. Since we are seeing this from City’s point if view so it’s very hard to tell.
Nejat N(Apr 11 2023 9:27PM):
Sensory experience
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This small desperation of how the LaVander sentences felt as they were trying to snatch out city heart from his chest is a great example of how the author gives the readers a sensory experience. The description of how the sentence felt to City kinda gives the reader their own experience of it.
To be honest thus relationship seems less of a love-hate and just friends being friends. Like I have many friends I speak to like this and there is nothing but love between us. I think this is more a boy thing, where dudes can go back and forth and seek pleasure or make a game of it.
Ebenezer L(Mar 29 2023 10:40AM):
Uncle Ruckus
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This boy and his insults are just weird and not even funny. But most importantly this notion that White people are less ignorant even though they didn’t take baths until they saw other cultures doing it is bizzare. He reminds me of a Boondocks character named Uncle Ruckus, he was a character who represented the overall community of Black people who have fallen to the disease of following the “white master race”
Mathias G(Mar 31 2023 10:52AM):
See full comment
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This contentious claim implies that African Americans are generally less educated than White Americans, and it is an extraordinary accomplishment, especially for someone facing additional personal challenges, to overcome these perceived limitations to succeed in areas like sentence construction in a predominantly White state. By highlighting his intention to outperform “City” in a forthcoming competition, the speaker appears to be taunting him.
i full as hes feeding into their own stereotypes by saying African Americans are generally more ignorant than white people than to say blacks can’t win because people think that they are ignorant.
The humor in City’s insults towards LaVander lies in the fact that they are based on false assumptions – LaVander is not truly white, homeless, or gay. City’s exaggerated insult about LaVander’s pleasant scent, comparing it to a “little beast” fart, adds to the comedic effect. Furthermore, City’s sarcastic comments about the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence competition highlight the absurdity of the event and its biases towards certain regions.
malyia j(Apr 17 2023 12:15PM):
I feel the same I feel like certain things he says about black people makes it seem like he isn't or he hates his own people
Imani S(Apr 18 2023 9:57AM):
LaVander is such a jerk.
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I’m starting to think there is a reason why he puts on this tuff attitude all the time and think racism and gender slurs is ok. I also wonder if he acts like that at home as well
Fury B and/or Feminine Eminem(May 15 2023 2:14PM):
How does this perpetuate toxic masculinity?
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Feminine Eminem with Fury B's edits:
Feminine Eminem
This Thinking Partner is based on the critique and commentary on gender...
This quote from the book challenges gender roles by exploring how African-American boys who perform better in school than other girls, regardless of race, can be seen as a sign of success. It also challenges the idea that only boys need to compete and be tough in order to prove themselves. How does this quote challenge accepted stereotypes surrounding gender, especially in relation to African-Americans? How might such a challenge lead to different gender dynamics in the classroom?
Nejat N(Mar 28 2023 10:31AM):
LaVander cares too much
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In this paragraph you really get to see the side of LaVander that City was talking about in first paragraph.The side of which LaVender cares too much about what white people think of him and this may be why he is saying these things.
Evan B(Mar 29 2023 9:38AM):
His entire diss seems pretty repetitive and redundant since he claims whites t be superior but then calls City a "Fat, white, homosexual."
[Edited]
Ok this paragraph was a lot and I can see why everyone hates this kid. He has the same ideologies as white people in the 1850s that “black men are less intelligent”. I feel like this is self hate or LeVander having inner conflicts with the way he views himself and how white people view him.
Antasia P(Mar 29 2023 10:38AM):
What is LaVander really talking about here? I'm starting to see the different traits City mentioned about him, a major one being about how he's really influenced by what white people think of him.
Abeer A(Mar 29 2023 10:46AM):
LeVander Vs City
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LeVander actions support the fact that he loves being racist by telling him all these nonsense racist words. I don’t understand how he mentioned Fat, white, homosexual, African American?
Destine M(Apr 26 2023 9:55AM):
I agree. By telling him all these ridiculous racist terms, LeVander's actions demonstrate how much he enjoys being racist. How did he mention being fat, white, homosexual, and African American, exactly?
After reading this, I wonder even more about Peeler’s race. For some reason, I have a feeling that this could be internalized racism. He sounds like a black person that acts like they’re better than black people.
Something else that stood out was him saying that white Americans are less ignorant “by nature”. What nature does he mean? Does he mean it in a systemic racism way or white people are biologically smarter than black people?
Kaesy F(Apr 12 2023 11:10AM):
LaVander's commentary
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First, is LaVander Peeler African American as well? Second, the sad reality and truth is that society, by nature, does assume white people are smarter than African Americans, which clearly time and time again has been proven not only wrong but just ignorant and stupid to claim.
Also, LaVander’s character has no filter and it’s crazy that he be saying all this stuff in 9th grade.
Kiese uses satire through the character LaVander Peeler, reflecting on the real world and how ignorant some black people that pander to white society looks.
Christopher S(Apr 19 2023 12:43PM):
The way they talk is relatable because of some of the language kids around this age talk to one another.(This is a text-to-self and text-to-world connection)
I think this was very Interesting because people tend to create this reality that African Americans are loud, ignorant, and can come off “aggressive” but that’s all just an assumption.
Hudhafa S(May 03 2023 9:44AM):
I can somewhat agree that African Americans can be more hateful but considering the circumstances and te inequality black people have all the reason to.
Faith H(Mar 29 2023 9:32AM):
LaVander and City
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Why is LaVander always saying things like this to City? It makes me wonder about their past together and what might’ve happened to cause LaVander to act like this.
Destine M(Apr 26 2023 9:57AM):
The use of ‘satire’ was used a few times in this chapter. I believe it was displayed through jokes told by the characters. some comments were made to make City not look like a bad person for dis liking
An Ellipsis, or …, generally symbolizes the intentional exclusion of a word, sentence, or paragraph that works to prevent redundancy. Informally, it’s used as a developing thought
Chloe C(Mar 31 2023 9:20AM):
ellipsis- the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:28AM):
Coping Mechanism
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The act of City just casually pulling out his brush and doing his hair is an obvious pull to try to detach himself from the situation. Perhaps his hair is coping mechanism because he was told it is the most important thing to him?
Olasubomi O(Mar 29 2023 10:39AM):
I think he is just trying to dramatically pull the audience's attention back into the crispiness of his waves before getting to work.
Jaylah A(May 11 2023 12:24PM):
"a young boy with waves holding a hair brush" City hair and his brush is a huge part of him. Seems like he always need to have his hair done and keep his brush on him.
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Alana B(Mar 29 2023 11:42AM):
being called "White"
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Rather LaVander is White or Black, they portray individuals in society today who call black-educated individuals (It is clear by context City may be a black boy) or ones who speak proper “white.”
I don’t understand the character of LaVander, because at some point he uses the phrase white to make fun of City but he’s always praising white in all of his sentence.
amani a(Mar 29 2023 11:31AM):
LaVander's Word Choice
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The character LaVander is somewhat a replication of many African Americans today. There are some today who believe they are better than the next simply because they have “proper” speech. LaVander portrays himself as one who feels the need to speak in a tone and use specific words to build a reputation and gain a certain level of respect.
Suhailah R(Mar 31 2023 9:16AM):
Contradicting
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I’m glad City pointed this out. It’s very contradicting to call him white as an insult but he praises them by saying they’re “less ignorant” for example.
Faith H(Mar 29 2023 9:35AM):
LaVander's sentence length
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I totally agree with City here. LaVander’s sentences are wayyyy too long, and when he tries to diss City, it’s like you get lost in all his words and it doesn’t even make sense anymore.
It’s cool how City has the capability of being as well-spoken as people want him to be, but he just uses his own sentence formation because he doesn’t care. He gave LaVander silent criticism while using incorrect grammar in his own sentence.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:29AM):
Conflict of Ideals
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City’s and LaVander’s use of the english language are fairly different. However, they put themselves against each other because they are simply different.
I am connecting this to gender roles because he is doing nothing for himself. City is connecting his uncle to sleeping around with women, almost as if it is acceptable. He then goes on the say that his uncle makes up for it.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 10:51PM):
comment on satire in paragraph
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The author uses satire and criticism in this chapter to examine the relationship between City, the protagonist, and Lavander Peeler. Long words used by Lavander Peeler to scare City are mocked as an overdone and unsuccessful strategy. The remark is seen in the difference between Grandma City’s and Uncle Relle’s counsel and Lavander Peeler’s intimidating methods. They highlight the value of resilience and mental toughness, implying that success calls for more than simply flashy pride. Uncle Relle is portrayed as being somewhat untrustworthy, which lends the story a humorous edge while also making a point about the peculiarities and complications of family dynamics. In general, the chapter makes fun of numerous intimidation techniques to illustrate their ridiculousness
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:33AM):
An Uncle with nothing left to lose.
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Kiese compliments Uncle Relle’s description generally well and beautifully characterizes Uncle Relle.
He’s a perfect type of maniac, which is communicated through his bodily harm contrasted with his graceful voice.
Si’An N(Apr 11 2023 10:27AM):
How does the author create a sensory experience for the reader?
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Kiese creates a sensory experience for the reader by providing the reader with more detail about this character. His doing this allows us to get a better idea of Uncle Relle’s physical appearance along with personality descriptors.
This paragraph and the one above show the great descriptions and imagery of City’s uncle. I notice Kiese includes different characteristics of black families/culture.
Esther B(May 01 2023 9:44AM):
I don't know about the uncle Relle Lacked, it feel like he was up on something.
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Uncle Relle was a strange man with crimson eyes that were webbed and his own distinct speech. After losing the tips of three of his fingers in a vehicle accident, he is left with just three nubs, a thumb, and a pinky. He continuously pointed at individuals while holding out his right hand and requesting stuff from them that he didn’t need.
Tikvah N(May 27 2023 11:24PM):
a short paragraph describing my character Uncle Relle
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First of all, Uncle Relle’s voice and delivery give what he says a sense of authority and conviction. This increases his influence on the main character and other characters because he now serves as a mentor and source of knowledge. He is able to spread the “ratchet gospels” and alter people’s perspectives because of his narrative prowess and commanding voice. In addition, Uncle Relle’s physical features—in particular, his crimson, webbed eyeballs—create an air of mystery and intrigue. It contributes to the tone of the book overall and acts as a visual reflection of his outlandish personality. His peculiarity is further enhanced by his drooping V-neck T-shirts and the specifics of his hand, which give him a remarkable and unique personality.
The way Kiese Laymon writes this is amazing. It’s not a way I would ever think to describe someone talking, and yet, I know exactly what sound he is talking about.
Alexandria T(Apr 28 2023 6:18PM):
How does City relate to his family members?
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City and his uncle are similar because they like to make lots of jokes. City and his grandmother differ because his grandmother is the more wise and serious person in the family unlike City.
Aamiyah T(Apr 26 2023 12:30PM):
This is so funny because why ? Like what makes her read a book and just think " Oh my god let me tell people this happened to me ". I don't understand what she gets out of it. Why are they trying to look so hard ?
Aamiyah T(Apr 26 2023 12:27PM):
I feel like you should be able to tell when he is lying just because of his lie and how the lie comes off, If he is going to be fictional at least he can make it sound believable.
Timothy K(Mar 29 2023 11:29AM):
It's significant because it makes a statement.
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It says that a real survivor doesn’t need to show that they are a survivor because know what and who they are, and no person or thing can take that away from them.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:36AM):
What it means to survive.
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I think the meaning of this phrase by Grandma is supposed to symbolize the silence of trauma. Survivors of trauma do not have to show anyone what they’ve gone through in respect to themselves, as they may suffer PTSD or feel embarrassed.
Timothy K(Mar 29 2023 11:27AM):
I agree with the statement, at least what I'm getting from it.
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A real survivor doesn’t need to show that they are a survivor because why should they care whether other people think they are a survivor? They pushed through hell to get where they are now, they survived whatever the universe threw at them, and so they are confident in themselves and their status as a survivor. It’s a level of self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-reflection that only comes from experiencing something that shakes the foundations of who you are, and pushing through it, from enduring whatever torment the universe pushes against you and coming out intact. You know what and who you are, and no person or thing can take that away from you.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:37AM):
Maternal Role in City's life
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Considering what this sentence means, City perceives Grandma as a person of wisdom. This is due in part to her age but also her gender being usually portrayed as a caretaker that is supposed to support their children by any means possible, whether by spoken advice or anything else.
both characters are really good at english grammar and the ability to come up with very long complicated sentences on the whim with a crowd is nothing short but impressive.
Esther B(May 01 2023 9:57AM):
It remmed me how it feel like when you can spell some words that never heard.
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Lavender Peeler is informed by the narrator that “plagiarize” is actually spelled with two “as,” two “i,” and a “z,” not a “s.” They compare it to the buttery, white crumbs that keep falling from his father’s mouth when he consumes a Popeyes buttermilk biscuit. The narrator then turns to face Octavia Whittington as there is a citation in the line.
City is a young black boy that has confidence that others around him would like to have. A hairbrush is a symbol of him as that is something that he always has with him. City could seem rude but I think that is what makes up his character, someone who is direct and clear about things.
The hairbrush is quite the symbol that I’ve seen alot of people overlook for its importance. Not only that, but you’re amongst the first I’ve seen that accurately reflects what I think the brush represents. City is a person who doesn’t care what others think, and the stock hairbrush reflects that perfectly!
This was quite humorous for me to read. It takes me back to a time where kids in school would also stand in a circle and have what we called “roast battles”.
This paragraph emphasizes how insulting words and personal assaults may be used to diminish someone’s accomplishments and self-worth. As a form of psychological warfare against their intended victim, “City,” the speaker uses stereotypes, mocking, and demeaning analogies. This text is a reflection of the harsh reality and internal conflicts that people may experience in particular circumstances, where social and personal demands help to exacerbate the emotional and psychological difficulties people deal with.
Shanih M(Apr 13 2023 2:59PM):
his paragraph highlights the use of derogatory language and personal attacks as a means to undermine an individual's achievements and sense of value.
Wylla j(Apr 13 2023 7:30PM):
Digital Learning Activities:
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City’s character in the first four chapters of “Long Division” is complex and multifaceted, displaying a range of emotions and behaviors that make him a compelling and relatable protagonist.City is also shown to have a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor, which he uses to navigate the challenges he faces in his everyday life. He is not afraid to speak his mind and challenge authority, as seen in his interactions with his teacher, Ms. Roberta, whom he openly disrespects.
I feel like this image accurately describes City. He shows that he doesn’t really care and likes to challenge people as stated in your description. This matches how he’s described in the book.
The cold stare, coupled with your description of City is impeccable. He is portrayed as a person who has essentially had enough with all the things caught up in his life. He is taking nothing from anyone and this image pretty much sums up that idea.
The main character, City Coldson, is a smart and funny Black American youngster from Mississippi who finds himself dealing with questions of race, society, and self-discovery as he sets off on a time-traveling adventure. Throughout the book, City is able to traverse a society that pushes him to develop and defy social conventions thanks to his distinctive voice, genuineness, and sensitivity.
Destiny B(Apr 14 2023 3:41PM):
I think he was ranting and I did think that it was pretty funny as well. Even though he was defeating someones character. I sought as though he really felt this way. Which is harsh but it was him just expressing his built frustrations .
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The use of snide remarks and other forms of abuse to reduce an individual’s achievements and sense of self-worth is highlighted in this paragraph. The speaker employs stereotyping, ridiculing, and humiliating analogies as a form of psychological warfare against their intended victim, “City.” This essay is a representation of the hard realities and inner struggles that individuals may go through in specific situations, where social and personal obligations serve to intensify the emotional and psychological challenges individuals face.
These characters were wonderful. Such a plot. So much fun and humor. There is also some dark, twisting material, but it is not heavy; rather, it is honest and combines humor with dread. Even though I didn’t fully understand the time travel mechanics, I was able to suspend my disbelief, and it was well worth it. The sentences are also excellent!
“one sentence is similar to imagery, as it doesn’t literally doesn’t mean one sentence, and at this moment City is kinda using it to tell laVander to stop talking.
There are often people who focus on the in the moment or the attention they are getting now. They often forget about the future. With City said “ striving for legendary” this open my eyes because I was raised with that mindset.
Collin B(Apr 13 2023 2:02PM):
Chapter 2 Summary
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Chapter 2
There, he has to deal with aggressive racists, his grandmother’s church, the fallout from his competition outburst (which has gone global in the manner things could go viral back in 2013), and the disappearance of his neighbor, a young woman called Baize Shephard. In addition, he discovered the unusual novel Long Division, in which he plays the lead role.
Throughout the first chapter, I noticed that City takes great pride in his waves. He mentions them at least 3 times when talking about himself and his achievements. I wonder if City talks about it so much because he knows that LaVander can never beat him in that section.
Antasia P(Mar 29 2023 10:47AM):
I love how City constantly talks about his waves, I don't know why I just enjoy reading parts when he's speaking about how he has the best waves at Hamer.
Within the book, Satire is used to reveal some new characters as well as reveal certain aspects of a character. For example, “One Sentence” introduces City and Lavender. It speaks on the aspects of the relationship and tension between City and Lavender. It also reveals how satire is used to reveal the very negative behavior and attitude Lavander has. To add, “Chitlin City” mentions Shalaaya. Shalaaya and City turn out to actually have a lot of things in common.
Ebenezer L(Mar 29 2023 10:47AM):
this is getting annoying
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I hate the way this Lavander speaks, he tries to hard to sound more fancy than he is. And it’s quite annoying, I’m only one chapter in and I hope he gets punched in the face.
Nate J(May 14 2023 10:53AM):
LaVander is super narcissistic
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He constantly uses the phrase all things considered to make him sound smarter but since he overuses it it does the opposite and he constantly feels the need to put down city to make himself feel better
Jaylah A(Apr 26 2023 10:12AM):
the mention of homosexual multiple times
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LaVander use of the word homosexual makes me think that maybes he’s the one thats a "homosexual. Bullying City may help him feed off of his on insecurities.
Aamiyah T(Apr 26 2023 12:34PM):
Wouldn't he get in trouble anyway ? I mean even if he didn't put his hands on him , He is still bullying him by putting something online and making fun about it. To me it just seems like he is bullying and he gets a kick off of it.
In this picture I’m trying to depict City and some type of way because they don’t give any real characteristics to City besides a little bit of them. I put different imaginary words and to make this picture and it shows that city is looking back at himself. In this picture I’m trying to depict the city is looking at his better self and his best self.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:42AM):
Playing Characters
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It seems like the important takeaway from the end of this chapter feels like an impromptu street fight. The set piece compliments this with people standing around City and LaVander laughing and chanting. It is a battle of simply words and witticisms. They’re both brilliant in their own right, which makes me think they are just simply testing each other.
I adore books that kind of leave me in the dark about what precisely happened and how I felt about it, leaving me just certain that I need to read them again.
They both are ruthless about what they say and instead of backing down from one another, they go to another level of disrespect. Mind you they aren’t even fighting with their hands
In the end battle between City and LaVander, LaVander proceeds to throw insults at City’s mother, and not directly to him anymore. To steep that low considers the possibility that City must have done something deep to LaVander, which has not been stated yet. Or, it could factor in the embarrassment City had put him threw. It tells me that LaVander is very cautious about his persona and how others view him. I also considered LaVander’s hatred stemmed for City stem from City’s popularity.
I’m not sure where the analogy LeVander started with was going? Also, it seems like LeVander is taking everything to heart, as opposed to City where he makes jokes in a lighthearted manner.
David B(Apr 16 2023 10:13PM):
Satire chapter 1
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Satire is used in Chapter 1 because City is called a “white fat homosexual”. This is a clear example of satire as City is not white, fat, or homosexual.
Olasubomi O(Apr 17 2023 12:19PM):
Laymon's Use of Satire
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Kiese Laymon employs satire to criticize how modern media is shallow and influences individuals’ thoughts and actions. City, the main character, is engrossed in a viral video frenzy that holds no significance, serving as a representation of the vacuous consumerist society that he resides in. By ridiculing this trend, Laymon highlights how people’s attention is diverted to insignificant content instead of engaging with substantive issues. Laymon implies that media’s trivialization perpetuates a shallow culture that can’t contemplate on essential concerns. By doing so, he stresses the need to re-examine the impact of the media on society.
Bouyagui G(Mar 29 2023 10:41AM):
Why did the author chose to include the chapter name, in this sentence? What significance does it have when authors used chapters titles in their writings?
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 5:32PM):
Summarizing ALL CLEAN's use of satire and commentary.
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Kiese Laymon uses satire and commentary within ALLCLEAN to cleverly explore issues around race, dignity, and education in the American school environment. The main character, Citoyen, is accused of using a racial slur and is subjected to a unique form of punishment with a test that would take a year to make up. These types of punishments are indicative of how the American school system sets children up to fail. The principal, Ms. Reeves is portrayed as a strict and somewhat eccentric figure, who uses past historical events such as the children who died to get an education for him to motivate Citoyen to behave better. Additionally, the use of Maya Angelou’s quote, a black historical figure speaks to how American Culture idolizes the words and teachings of the past, but never quite commits to them and more than often complains of what’s going wrong with the country. “ In Principal Reeves’s office, next to her bookshelf, was a poster with a quote from Maya Angelou. The backdrop of the poster was the sun and in bolded red letters were the sentences, “Bitterness is like cancer. 1It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently” (Laymon, Paragraph 48)
Nejat N(Apr 13 2023 6:11PM):
Chapter 2 - Catire and Commentary
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“The chapter “All Clean” employs satire and commentary to criticize the American education system and its emphasis on testing. Citoyen is told that the test may take the rest of the year, highlighting the value of standardized testing. This critique continues as Citoyen comments on being looked at with sad red eyes, indicating a common experience of students being on a lower level to test scores. Additionally, Citoyen is told that this is the biggest day of their life, suggesting the narrow and excessive focus on testing in the education system."This is an excellent example of satire with mocker, the subject being testing.
Wylla j(Apr 13 2023 6:36PM):
satire and commentary
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Kiese Laymon employs satire and social commentary in, ALLCLEAN, to deftly address issues surrounding race, dignity, and education in the American school system. The protagonist, Citoyen, is accused of using a racial epithet and is subjected to an unconventional form of punishment in the form of a year-long test, which exemplifies how the American education system is designed to set children up for failure. The principal, Ms. Reeves, is depicted as a strict and somewhat peculiar figure who cites past historical events, such as the sacrifices made by children in the pursuit of education, to motivate Citoyen to improve his behavior. Moreover, the use of a quote from Maya Angelou, a celebrated African-American literary figure, speaks to the tendency of American culture to romanticize the words and teachings of the past without truly committing to them and instead frequently bemoaning the state of the country. “In Principal Reeves’s office, adjacent to her bookshelf, hung a poster displaying a quote from Maya Angelou. The poster’s backdrop featured the sun, and the words ‘Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently’ were inscribed in bold red letters.” (Laymon, paragraph 48)
Naomi G(Apr 13 2023 6:40PM):
Satire Chapter 2 Summary
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In chapter two you can see how Laymon tries to bring readers of all ages in by using thoughts of City’s to express age. City talks about the principal and her relation to his mother. City goes on to say, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.” I think that this was a great use of satire because it portrays City’s youthfulness. I think it was funny for Laymon to add this because you hear young kids say that 30 is old all the time, so for City to say this made me connect to my younger self.
Jonnirah K(Apr 13 2023 10:53PM):
Chapter 2 summarizing
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In Chapter 2 author Kiese Laymon uses satire to speak on racial issues and the school system. In this chapter, the main character Citoyen was accused of using a racial slur and was punished because of it. In the book it says, “At Hamer, they were always experimenting with different styles of punishment ever since they stopped whupping ass a few years ago.” The school system promotes educating the young students of this generation but the students fear their staff more. In Citoyen’s situation, this punishable test is harming their curriculum.
Caprice H(Apr 14 2023 7:25PM):
Chapter 2 "All Clean" and Satire
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In chapter 2, you can see how Laymon makes an effort to engage readers of all ages by using City’s thoughts to represent the thoughts and beliefs of people his age. As the principal and her connection to City’s mother are addressed, City continues, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.”. I feel that this beautifly captured the difference in mindset between the ages of both him and his teacher and where they tend to clash. I feel this also shows the way that City’s individual perception of age and explains his actions.
Maryam N(Apr 16 2023 6:54PM):
Chapter 2: Satire and Commentary
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Chapter 2 of Long Division features Laymon’s use of City’s thoughts to explore the concept of age and engage readers of all ages. City discusses the principal’s age and her relationships with people of different ages, humorously stating, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.”This use of satire effectively portrays City’s youthful perspective, as he considers 30 to be old, adding a relatable element for readers.
Daeja D(Apr 17 2023 11:03AM):
Summary and Satire
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City and Lavender frequently debate one another about each other’s appearance or the qualities they like and dislike about one another. Knowing his mother and informing City about the history of many students who made changes was something Miss Reeves had to do. Brenda Travis, a high school student from McComb, just up the road, was fifteen years old, according to Principal Reeves. "Fifty years ago, that young woman canvassed these same streets with the SNCC’s voter registration volunteers. The girl was given a year in the state juvenile prison for the crime of ordering a hamburger from a white restaurant, and she led students like you on a sit-in.
Satire and commentary are used from City and Principal Reeves’s conversation.
Kaesy F(Apr 17 2023 7:38PM):
Summary of Satire
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Throughout the reading of “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon, satire is used to refer to and mock real-life controversies and situations. Each chapter focuses on different aspects of America and has various discussions. Throughout the chapters, most of the satire depictions were made towards race, age, and the school system. One example is in paragraph 58 when City’s principal mentions, “It might take you the rest of the year to complete it, but we have plenty of time” (Laymon). This mocks the school’s testing system by emphasizing that it would take City a long time to complete because that was the purpose of the test.
Alana B(Apr 19 2023 7:40PM):
Chapter 2 Summary
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Seen in Chapter 2, satire is displayed through sarcasm, and jokes. I read in most of the dialogue between City and the principal. City drags on the many harsh words used to describe a black or “African American” person, to try to explain what LaVander told Principal Reeves. Principal Reeves includes the saying of how we impact the future. Which we very much do. I seen the quote as sarcasm because of the surrounding texts and context of their conversation about City’s behavior in school.
Jaylah A(May 11 2023 12:39PM):
Chapter 2 summary
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In Chapter 2 the author uses satire and humor to discuss race and educational situations such as school punishments. Since whupping is no longer allowed students are required to take a year long true or false punishment. The chapter focuses on City and how he acts a fool. On paragraph 80 it states “You are history. Kids rights around your age died changing history so you could go to school, so you could compete in that contest tonight, and here you are acting a fool”
The author Laymon used satire in this chapter to discuss the educational system and what race is like in a school setting. City was handed a test that would take him a year to complete, despite the fact that it consisted of short, straightforward questions, and it was utilized to criticize the educational system in America. LeVander also used satire when talking about City, as seen in the preceding chapter as well.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:45AM):
Intensity of Insult
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City has to specify that he allegedly called him the N-word with a HARD R. The way this sentence is made tells me that this word is a no-go, supplemented by the fact that LaVander decided to tell the principal about it. It is perhaps an unwritten rule that’s broken when they engage in banner?
Destiny B(Apr 18 2023 9:05AM):
Caught me off guard but it brings to my attention that we use this word in all different ways , sometimes it it can even be seen as demeaning someone out the 1st and second party
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:47AM):
Simple Euphemisms
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Both City and LaVander know what they’re saying, they’re just supplementing heir insults to “hide” the true meaning of what they say. Is there more code in the language that City and LaVander speak to one another in?
Salome A(Apr 28 2023 2:27PM):
Why should people get in trouble for saying the F-word, but the poeple that call the people that aren't homosexual not get in trouble for it
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:50AM):
It's getting to his head.
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The stuff that LaVander is saying about City is staying on the back of City’s mind. City could’ve just brushed off of this by not elaborating on his relationship of girls but he insists that he is not homosexual. This mental affliction plays a role to the extent of how damaging their interactions are.
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 9:52AM):
City’s Identity
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I don’t know why City gets so defensive about LaVander calling him and homosexual to the point he has to make it overly clear and prove why he’s not, there may be some truth to it and that’s why he’s getting defensive.
I noticed that he said he brought his brush by accident. This makes me connect to the idea that police or people have mistaken brushes (especially when in the hands of black men) for guns. I’m not sure if this is satire, but I think it can connect to the criticism of American society.
He did a great job in desribing the office of the principal by describing the painting in which she had on her wall and other description that helped us to imagine ourselves in the principle office.
I think that Laymon did a great job with imagery. I can really imagine myself in this area and what the poster would look like. The sense he is connecting is sight.
Destiny B(Apr 18 2023 9:07AM):
My grandmother says this a lot, it's something that I think about constantly because bitterness does sometimes take over which is that can be taken away if the choice is made.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 10:53AM):
Quote connection
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I wanted to connect this quote to another from Commander Zavala of Destiny 2 – Devotion inspires bravery. Bravery inspires sacrifice. Sacrifice leads to death.
Before Courage, you need devotion to a cause. Devotion is something that is the catalysis of Bravery/Courage, which leads to an indominable will.
I’ve noticed that throughout the book the author makes many interesting quotes. They are thrown in, in middle of conversations casually and I wonder why the author decided to include these quotes at those specific lines.
Jadan C(Apr 17 2023 1:58PM):
I like this quote, especially the end. It said courage is the most important because without it you cant experience others. Those were all cool metaphors to define those virtues.
Isaiah S(Mar 29 2023 9:54AM):
City's desire of simplicity.
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City is not one for complicated meanings, such as the meanings of emotions. He is one for the simple meanings found within things like color and perhaps sound.
Chapter 3
In “Book Two,” in the year 1985, City, a black kid from Melahatchie, Mississippi, falls in love with Shalaya Crump. He learns from Shalaya that she has discovered a means to go into the future (2013) and that she is concerned that she will not be alive there. She has the ability to go back in time to 1964, where the KKK is going to murder her and City’s grandpas. The two encounter Evan Altshuler in 1964, who wants to assist them in rescuing both their grandparents and his own family. They come upon Baize Shephard in 2013.
In Long Division, Citoyen ‘City’ Coldson, a high school student growing up in modern-day Mississippi, is a wave brush-wielding, slick-talking character. City finds himself reading a book called Long Division, whose main character is also a teenager named “City,” in 1984, after getting into some difficulty at school.
Jadan C(Apr 17 2023 2:03PM):
What type of post-test bonus question could take longer than the test it's self? It's like the bonus question was the test.
The imagery implications of this lines describes a visible emotion of betrayal. Sad eyes contrasting with the color red creates an image of pure disdain
Isaiah S(Apr 11 2023 9:28PM):
Mocking of the Modern Education System?
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This line feeds into the idea of how progressive America has become, instead of students being beat, they have to settle with things that are arguably more damaging and taxing than beatings could ever be. This is evident due to how complex punishments can be.
There are so many important tests an American child must know. Philadelphia has the PSSA’s and the Keystone Tests, coupled with the SAT’s. Teachers will tell us that these will be the most important tests of our lives.
Isaiah S(Apr 11 2023 10:35PM):
A deeper level of Satire
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This image can be thought of as a reflection of what the average American student is expected to think. Anything can be simplified down to being true or false, despite the complexity of each statement, we as students are expected to simplify these statements to just being true or false.
Holding your teeth in place is a great example of satire that is used to criticize or mock American society since it’s another way of saying your holding on to a grudge that is meanless since it’s doesn’t do anything.
Knowing that they are siblings surprised me a little bit because I had never imagined that they would be related given that City had spent an entire chapter proclaiming his hatred for LeVander. Now that they hate each other so much, I want to know what had happened between the brothers.
Naomi G(Apr 11 2023 6:41PM):
On school property?
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What is wrong with using a wave brush? This is definitely using satire to criticize Americans, people are always trying to stop things that people use in one culture to make that race/culture more “American”
Whilst noticing the amount of dedication given to the brush before, I would say the Brush symbolizes a coping mechanism for City. City uses the brush to reduce his stress or anxiety, such as the case when he pulled it out during the altercation with LaVander.
Isaiah S(Apr 11 2023 9:43PM):
Satire on American Education's disregard to mental health.
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Considering the possibility that City uses his wave-brush as a stress-reducing device, it seems comically evil that the school suspends wave brushes. This carries two meanings, one is that it’s just absurdly humorous to ban brushes in schools, and the other meaning in City’s case is that the ban basically says it doesn’t care whether or not the brush carries value as a stress-reducer.
I don’t think they are related, it is a figure of speech to show that they are similar, for example I might call another black female my sister simply because we are alike and might share similar experiences.
City is taken aback when he notices the peculiar Long Division book on Principal Reeves’ shelf. It is without an author’s name, and the cover offers no clues as to its genre. This sparks the protagonist’s curiosity to find out if it is fictional or nonfictional, a concept that comes to symbolize the author’s exploration of the line between reality and literature.
Faith H(Apr 12 2023 9:48AM):
"Long Division" in "Long Division"
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How does his book exist in his book? I’m curious to see how he incorporates this into the story and what “Long Division” is about in the story. I also wonder if there is some significance to the cover design as he’s given such a detailed description of it.
Nicholas C(Apr 18 2023 3:14PM):
Imagery of Book
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He basically straight up describes the cover of the book we’re reading now, I wonder if that is to further show that this is somewhat of true story of his life or someone close to him. It feels a bit meta, and maybe satirical mocking the book we’re reading.
I never noticed this until it was pointed out, I kinda just thought it was the font since Kiese didn’t have a dot over the i either. I wonder what the significance of this is.
My AI creation is of City. The description is a black male, he is funny, confident, and pro-black. He is an advocate for black rights and equality, and he uses his humor and wit to bring attention to important issues. He is outspoken, but also kind and understanding. He is a leader in his community, and he takes pride in being a role model for younger generations.
This is my Ai creation of CIty. I plugged in " a 14-year-old, small and skinny black boy with a curly top afro and wide body with full lips and slightly low eyes." I created this based on what image came to my head since the book doesn’t get into deep detail about what he looks like. I didn’t think he would be on the larger side because there wasn’t any mention of sports as if he was an athlete or anything.
Shanih M(Apr 13 2023 4:41PM):
Satire: The saying, "respect yourself and the folks who came before you" emphasizes the notion that City is a member of a greater community and has a duty to protect and cherish their history. City's mother's earlier remarks and the mention of the state
Chapter 4
Character is the first thing that stands out regardless of whatever side you start with, notably City, the storyteller. He has to share a lot with you, including his ideas on Lavander Peeler, Principle Reeves, the “Can You Use That Term in a Sentence” contest, Melahatchie, Baize Shephard, and himself. He is self-conscious in a way that prevents him from always giving an accurate picture of his inner thoughts, yet he nevertheless digs much further than the majority of 14-year-old protagonists do. City is worried and depressed about a number of things despite his braggadocio. He occasionally acknowledges this to himself, and other times, he merely acknowledges how it feels in his body
City acknowledges that he disagrees with his mother’s viewpoint, indicating a conflict between the concepts of individual responsibility and freedom and communal and intergenerational accountability. The paragraph unveils issues on the deep connections between identity and responsibility, as well as how people manage their positions within larger social structures.
Fury B(Mar 29 2023 9:43AM):
actions and their impacts
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I think what his mom said is true because actions can have certain consequences, and if he doesn’t think what he says is wrong, then others won’t either, which will impact how people see other people in the future.
Treymir F(Apr 28 2023 1:22PM):
It's important to have self respect and appreciation for yourself before anyone else can. Also, appreciate those who have been here longer than you have, because they're also the ones supporting us.
Gabriel B(Apr 27 2023 7:58AM):
The difference between sweat in piss is something I feel is gonna be talked about more the further they get into the competition
Hayley B(Apr 13 2023 5:51PM):
Chapter All Clean Summary
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Kiese Laymon incorporates satire in his writing by utilizing contemporary terms and phrases, such as “nigga” or “homosexual,” as observed through the character dialogue. In the chapter, Principal Reeves avoids drama and negativity, particularly because she is familiar with City’s mother, and instead offers City historical context about the struggles African American students have faced in their pursuit of education. Also informing him of his privacy duties in the bathroom.
Olasubomi O(Apr 17 2023 11:20AM):
Laymon's Use Of Satire
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Laymon continues to use satire to comment on the absurdity of certain cultural practices. The portrayal of the beauty pageant, which City’s girlfriend participates in, is a commentary on the way women are objectified and exploited for their physical appearance. Laymon also critiques the way black people are commodified and marketed in popular culture, as represented by the fictional “We Global” music label.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 6:11PM):
Summarizing SPECIAL GAME's use of satire and commentary.
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SPECIALGAME uses satire and commentary to highlight the innocence and naivety of youth in regards to love, and the focus on the future and their wish to change it for the better. Laymon uses satire in City’s attempts to impress and win over Shalaya, highlighting his sincere insecurities and misguided efforts to be "special” that speaks to American Culture that emphasizes how praised the desire to be loved is. This dynamic within America affects the youth to a point where it changes people in the wrong ways. Laymon ultimately touches on the complexities of teenage love as a rocky and often detrimental process due to the external factors that are products of American culture. For example, City tells about the New Editions and Micahel Jackson, both two popular masculine artist(s) that were known to be that may have had an influence on City’s confidence for the worst, causing him to act differently to Shalaya Crump. This prompts her to briefly confront him about his changing attitude, affecting the stability of their relationship.
Nejat N(Apr 13 2023 6:32PM):
Chapter 3- Catire and Commentary
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The chapter “Special Game” in the novel takes a different approach to satire and commentary than the previous chapters. In this chapter, satire is mainly used to express the protagonist City’s unrequited love for Shalya. City uses satire to explore the idea of what something should be and shouldn’t be, which plays a significant role in the commentary of the chapter. He compares his relationship with Shalya to societal norms and expectations. Additionally, City reflects on Shalya’s use of the phrase “the future dot-dot-dot,” which he perceived differently than what others might actually use it for.
In chapter 3, it shows the inexperience and innocence of youth when it comes to love, as well as their focus on the future and desire to improve it. Laymon used satire to show City’s true insecurities and foolish efforts to stand out which relates to many common stereotypes and stresses how important the desire to be loved is. This is done in the context of City’s attempts to impress and win over Shalaya. Youth in America are significantly impacted by this American dynamic, and as a result, people are negatively changed. Finally, Laymon discusses the complexities of teenage love as a difficult and frequently harmful process brought on by outside elements that are products of pressure from our society.
Hayley B(Apr 14 2023 7:49PM):
Summary and Satire
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The relationship between City and Shalaya Crump is very interesting especially they way they talk to each other. City really likes her, but her mind is more in the future like 2013. She has captured City’s attention, and he cares a great deal about her welfare. City learns about the history of racism and oppression in the South through his quest to save Shalaya, and he also develops a deeper understanding of his own identity and position in the universe.
Maryam N(Apr 16 2023 7:05PM):
Chapter 3: Satire and Summary
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In this chapter, readers can see the use of satire through City’s fondness of Shayla. City’s exaggerated affection for Shayla adds depth to his character and provides comedic relief in the story. This use of satire adds an additional layer to City’s character development and serves as a reflection of the adolescent mindset, creating an engaging and relatable reading experience for readers of all ages. Laymon effectively uses satire to highlight the complexities of youth culture and societal expectations in a humorous and thought-provoking manner.
Daeja D(Apr 17 2023 11:02AM):
Summary and Satire
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The relationship between City and Shalaya Crump is very interesting especially they way they talk to each other. City really likes her, but her mind is more in the future like 2013. She has captured City’s attention, and he cares a great deal about her welfare. City learns about the history of racism and oppression in the South through his quest to save Shalaya, and he also develops a deeper understanding of his own identity and position in the universe.
Jaylah A(May 11 2023 12:44PM):
Chapter 3 summary
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This chapter uses satire and humor to address City love for Shalaya Crump. It starts of by saying “I never had a girlfriend because I loved this funky girl named Shalaya Crump.” The chapter shows how children love is over the top and exaggerated" This is shown in paragraph 132 when he says “Im coming back to fly to the future with you for spring break, baby.”
In this chapter, we are seen Satire used by the character to criticize himself explaining why he never had a girlfriend before. It was always by making himself look ridiculous and not smart just to show that his look and his low intelligence could’ve possible been why his first love didn’t like him back.
Curtis H(Apr 13 2023 8:00PM):
attention to problems with race, identity, and power in America
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In Long Division, written by Kiese Laymon, the author draws attention to problems with race, identity, and power in America through satire and social criticism. Laymon uses humor in the first four chapters to criticize how blackness is portrayed in the media and how black culture is being turned into a commodity. For instance, the protagonist, City, uses sarcasm to undermine the producers’ attempts to craft a stereotyped black narrative when he is asked to take part in a reality TV show. Laymon uses commentary to examine the Deep South’s history of racism and oppression.
Here is a good example of satire in the form of comedy. Here City uses himself as the butt of the joke. Another thing I noticed about how the author uses satire is he commonly uses similes or metaphors to make the joke. In this example he compares his hairline to a smurf house.
In this section, Satire is used all over as City talks about his love interest. The one I want to point out is when Shalaya used the words “dot-dot-dot” and how City was confident that she didn’t mean it in the way everyone is.
Charlee P(May 05 2023 10:28PM):
Satire & Humor
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City uses alot of humor to cover up his true feelings, calling her funny and insinuating shes using hi,, I wonder what she did to him to make him feel defensive the way he is
Esther B(May 01 2023 9:30AM):
I think that Shalaya Crump convinced the narrator that high school girls would adore her, but the issue was that none of the ninth-grade females wore imitation Air Jordans, cracked jokes, or had Shalaya Crump's sleepy eyes.
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Daeja D(Apr 14 2023 8:37PM):
My Ai version of Shalaya
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I pluggin this description into Youth Voices “ African American Caramel skin short curly hair 14 year old girl with full lips and shinny eyes. This image gives the visual that I see of what she may look like.
From City’s description of Shayla, he really loves Shayla and respects her. One thing I picked up on is that he describes both LeVander and Shayla as people who are “know-it-alls”. However in LeVander’s case he sees this as a negative thing because he hates him, but for Shayla he admires it.
Maya J(Apr 13 2023 6:18PM):
Society Commentary
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In my own experience I do notice that some adults do act like they have a bunch of knowledge on topics that they don’t, or always think that they are right. I wonder if LeVander also has this attitude because he learned it from his own parents?
Maya J(Apr 13 2023 6:37PM):
My AI Pic of City
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Throughout the book so far I have gotten to know City as a humorous, sarcastic, and witty person. He makes slick remarks about LeVander, but also finds unique ways to express his feelings or to describe someone or something. In another light I also find City to be self conscious because he carries around a hairbrush fix his waves, and talks a bit about his weight.
Isaiah S(Apr 12 2023 10:55AM):
The insignificance of tragedy/sad stories
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In this metaphor that Laymon uses, he is essentially comparing the sad stories of mississipi to that of hungry mosquitos and stickler bushes. This overall demeans the value of these sad stories when they are compared to such things and thus creates the narrative that no one really cares about sad stories unless it truly is sad.
Isaiah S(Apr 12 2023 10:02AM):
Love = Hypermasculinity?
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City’s adamance on loving Shalaya Crump could be a allegory for how hypermasculine men could become, instead of winning over the heart of a women through natural means, men have progressed to men just simply demanding or saying that they love a woman.
Faith H(Apr 12 2023 10:12AM):
Shalaya through City's eyes
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It’s interesting to see that City always uses her full name, “Shalaya Crump.” The way he talks about her makes it seem as though he really idolizes her. He listens to everything she says and thinks all these amazing things of her.
Faith H(Apr 12 2023 10:15AM):
City through Shalaya's eyes
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Thinking about the perspective that this is written in, I feel as though City should be able to see that Shalaya just doesn’t seem to feel the same way about him as he feels for her. The story isn’t being twisted or anything to make it seem as though she does love him. The way she says, “I could love you the way you want me to, really,” makes it feel like she would only ever love him because he wants her to love him.
I’m curious to see how this relates to the rest of the story and/or how it has shaped City as a person.
Isaiah S(Apr 12 2023 11:07AM):
Honesty and NO F**ks given.
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Honesty and NO F**ks given is something that City appreciates, this falls in line with City’s 2013 counterpart in which he prides himself on simplicity which involves forefront integrity in the form of honesty and unbothered thoughts.
Maya J(Apr 14 2023 4:12PM):
Changing the Future
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I wonder what Shayla means about changing the future? She never lists anything specific when she says it, but maybe she could be referring to problems in society? I also wonder how far into the future she means, is she talking when they’re adults or when they get a few years older?
Hayley B(Apr 13 2023 7:16PM):
Summary: He loves that gurrrlll...
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Shalaya Crump resembles a goddess or his queen in City’s eyes. In an effort to win her love, he values her opinions, pays attention to everything she says, and makes a conscious effort not to do anything she finds offensive. Nevertheless, despite City’s desire for Shalaya’s love, she appears to be thinking ahead to 2013 and whether or not he will still be with her then. This chapter sheds light on City’s intense desire for Shalaya’s love while also highlighting the difficulties of their relationship and circumstance.
Olasubomi O(Apr 17 2023 11:21AM):
Laymon's Use of Satire and commentary
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Laymon uses satire to poke fun at the literary world and the way writers are often celebrated more for their identity and marketability than for their actual writing. The character of Kamikaze serves as a parody of the stereotypical “tortured artist” who is more concerned with self-promotion than with creating meaningful art.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 6:26PM):
Summarizing CHITLIN CITY's satire and commentary.
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CHITLENCITY uses satire and commentary to critique racial inequalities in American society. It highlights the experiences of two African-American boys competing in a national spelling bee and facing discrimination and racial profiling from white people. Laymon also utilizes irony in the story such as the fact that City and LaVender, two black competitors, are told to use “black words” such as chitterlings and hypertension. With these types of satire involved, the author draws attention to issues of race, class, and power, and the ways in which they impact the lives of Black people. The characters’ reactions to these situations also add to the commentary, as they navigate the absurdity of the racism they face while trying to succeed in the competition. This amounts to the message within America that black people can’t escape being put in a box of stereotyping or biases.
Wylla j(Apr 13 2023 6:36PM):
satire and commentary
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n chitlin city, Laymon satirizes the way that City’s community views blackness as a monolithic entity and how they expect City to conform to these narrow and limited definitions. He also satirizes the way that black culture is often appropriated and commodified by mainstream society. Through the inner thoughts and observations of City, Laymon comments on the harm that these expectations have on black identity and expression and the limitations that these stereotypes place on black people and their ability to fully express themselves. He also encourages readers to think critically about the ways in which societal expectations and stereotypes shape our understanding of ourselves and others, and the importance of breaking free from these narrow and limiting ideas to fully express our individuality.
Nejat N(Apr 13 2023 6:50PM):
Chapter 4 - Satire and Commentary
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The chapter “Chilton City” delves deeply into satire through the experience of City and Lavander during their spelling bee contest, focusing on them being two young black boys. Throughout the chapter, City and Lavander face facing significant unfair treatment while competing in the contest, as they are given harder words to spell than their white counterparts. Lavender expresses his belief that the contest is designed to enable white people to feel good about themselves, highlighting the systemic racism that exists within certain competitive spaces. In this chapter, satire is used to show the issues of racism and inequality that City and Lavander face.
Naomi G(Apr 13 2023 6:50PM):
Satire Chapter 3 Summary
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In chapter three, City begins to describe his emotions and thoughts using satire. Laymon begins to use a satirical tone to critique society and the expectations placed on black males, this connects back to gender stereotypes. For example, when City told LaVander why he wanted to win the competition he said, “I’m winning this for all the real chubby poor niggas in Mississippi with tight waves and contentious demeanors.” Here, Laymon was criticizing society’s standards and stereotypes of black men in America. Obviously, City did not want to win the competition for this reason.
Laymon’s “Chitlin City” satirizes the narrow and monolithic views of blackness held by the City’s community, and the harmful impact this has on black identity and expression. He also critiques the commodification and appropriation of black culture by mainstream society. Laymon uses City’s inner thoughts and observations to illustrate the limitations that stereotypes place on black people, hindering their ability to express themselves fully. He encourages readers to critically examine how societal expectations and stereotypes shape our understanding of ourselves and others, and emphasizes the importance of breaking free from these narrow ideas to embrace our individuality.
In Chapter 3, Laymon uses satire to highlight the tension between City and LaVender as they prepare to face each other in the sentence competition. The rivalry between the two is portrayed comically, with City making jabs at LaVender’s supposed privileged upbringing, and LaVender responding with sly remarks about City’s intelligence.
Additionally, Laymon employs satire to comment on the racial assumptions made by the white people in the story. When a white lady assumes that City and LaVender are not actually from Jackson and are there due to Hurricane Katrina, it highlights the narrow-mindedness and stereotypes that white people often hold towards Black individuals.
Ultimately, the use of satire in these passages serves to critique societal expectations and stereotypes, highlighting the harm they can cause and the need for individuals to break free from them to embrace their true selves.
Jonnirah K(Apr 13 2023 10:57PM):
Chapter 3 summary
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Author Kiese Laymon used a satirical tone in chapter three to criticize society and false gender norms. When City was asked why he wanted to win, he replied, “I’m winning this for all the real chubby poor niggas in Mississippi with tight waves and contentious demeanors.” In this passage, Laymon criticized societal norms and preconceptions about black men in America.
Caprice H(Apr 14 2023 7:50PM):
Chapter 4 summary
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The experience of City and Lavander during their spelling bee battle, with a particular focus on their being two young black boys, is at the heart of the chapter “Chilton City,” which digs deeply into satire. City and Lavander experience substantial unfair treatment throughout the chapter when they compete in the competition because they are given more difficult words to spell than their white counterparts. In order to emphasize the systemic racism that exists in some competitive spaces, LaVander states his opinion that the competition is made to make white people feel good about themselves. Satire is used in this chapter to illustrate the problems with racism and inequality that City and Lavander encounter.
In this chapter, the author Laymon used satire to criticize the way that society views black people. It was used to show how society is viewing the two black competitors CIty and LeVander being in this competition. It also shows the discrimination against black people and how it could possible be the case with City and LeVander being in this spelling competition.
Maryam N(Apr 16 2023 7:27PM):
Chapter 4: Satire and Commentary
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This chapter employs satire to mock one-dimensional perspectives of blackness prevalent in City’s community. He demonstrates his negative feelings toward the appropriation of black culture. Laymon uses City’s inner musings and keen observations to brilliantly illustrate how stereotypes confine black individuals, inhibiting their capacity for genuine self-expression. City’s experiences serve as a powerful critique of the societal expectations and stereotypes that often limit black identity and agency. Laymon urges readers to critically examine how these narrow notions shape our perceptions of ourselves and others, emphasizing the need to reject these harmful beliefs. By shedding light on the damaging impact of these stereotypes, Laymon encourages readers to embrace their individuality and resist conformity.
Daeja D(Apr 17 2023 11:03AM):
Summary and Satire
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The level of competition and achievement that one wants to be pursued in this chapter. LaVander is more focused on beating his white competitors, but City also is wondering what is happening regarding the past spelling competition. Satire between the both of them from arriving at the competition.
Alana B(Apr 19 2023 7:41PM):
Chapter 3 Summary
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In chapter 3 I noticed the sarcasm in City’s thoughts and hidden sarcasm at the spelling bee. City explains the lady ignored him and seemed intimidated by his hair brush, which is understood, to me, in the black community. She said, “so cute.” That gives out expressions of sarcasm when you say but after anything.
Destine M(Apr 26 2023 9:53AM):
the degree of rivalry and success that one hopes to seek in this chapter. LaVander is more concerned with defeating his white rivals, but City is also curious about the status of the previous spelling bee.
Chapter 4 uses satire to discuss City thoughts during the spelling bee. The chapter shows the events that took place during he contest and how raced plays a factor. It starts when LaVander felt embarrassed when City refused to hand over his brush. Later goes into LaVander getting upset while City tries to crack jokes to lighten the mood.
In this paragraph, the author addressed the view that society still holds of black people in our time, that black people are expected to be less intelligent and less qualified than whites. It’s a very important issue to be introduced and talked about.
LaVander’s father seems to be abusing his son in an attempt to condition him to always try to “fit in.” This could be a reference to/extension of the tendency for modern people to attempt to fit in with a group or political party, even if they disagree with its ideals, forcing themselves to act differently to fit in.
If LaVander is crying then he seems to be taking his perceived “failure” pretty hard, which indicates that his father has beaten a desire to “fit in” into him.
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 8:59AM):
Culture and Identity along with Some background on LaVander Peeler
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LaVander’s relationship with his dad, I think that’s where his self hatred and side remarks against black people come from. Although his dad means well he tries to erase the black culture of aave, and teach him about code switching which is a defense for a lot of black people so they aren’t looked at as less than capable, smart, etc. This quote represents culture and race in America and how sometimes as black people we conform to speaking a certain way because it has been combated against us.
Timothy K(Apr 17 2023 9:16AM):
Seems more like conditioning to me
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To me, it seems less like he actually cares for LaVander and more like he’s pretending to care for him. It seems like he’s conditioning LaVander to act a certain way by alternating between abusing him when he does something “wrong” and then comforting and correcting him, molding him to associate certain actions and thoughts with punishment and other actions with comfort.
Faith H(Apr 13 2023 1:46PM):
All things considered
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Maybe this is the reason Lavander says “all things considered” all the time. Like most people, Lavander probably thinks highly of his father and wants to make him proud. Because his father tells him to say, “all things considered,” to make himself seem more composed, this is probably the reason he has incorporated it into his daily vocabulary.
City considers his mother’s warning that his actions might have an impact on Black people in the future. Despite acknowledging the validity of her point of view, he ultimately rejects it and suggests placing pressure between individual authority and community responsibility. This pressure brings up more general issues about the difficulties of morality and obligation as well as how individuals organize themselves within social institutions. The section emphasizes the ongoing struggle to balance individual opportunity with societal and intergenerational responsibility in the aim of social change via City’s internal conflict.
Faith H(Apr 13 2023 12:49PM):
Just like Principal Reeves
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This is very similar to what Principal Reeves was saying earlier to City about how his actions today represent others from the present and the past. Perhaps this is a recurring theme throughout the book…
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 9:01AM):
The theme of Identity and how one’s Idenity can represent people who look like you. (Culture/Race/Gender)
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This is a reoccurring topic and phrase in the book said in different ways. That as an African American we have to constantly break barriers and that how we represent ourselves not only reflects on us but the whole community. I think the author is trying to communicate that to the reader.
Si’An N(Apr 18 2023 10:01AM):
Why is LaVander crying?
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I like how the author used imagery to show the intense emotions being felt at this moment in the book. Why is LaVander getting emotional about this though?
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 2:49PM):
A cleaver form of Competitive Satire.
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This comment may be just a punch to LaVander and a sense of competitiveness, but I see something slightly larger. I believe Laymon here is criticizing the inherent competitive nature that is present within each aspiring student or child. This causes them to adopt a mindset that which concerns them about others to a fairly obscene degree.
I think he is using humor here, City is trying to be funny and a little bit sarcastic because obviously, he wouldn’t say that but he is definitely thinking it.
Suhailah R(Apr 14 2023 7:08PM):
Character AI Image
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The character I chose to create was City, the main character. There are few concrete details describing City in the book. He’s a fourteen-year-old, African American boy, and waves as his hairstyle. Knowing that City is fourteen and in ninth grade contributes to why he responds and acts the way he does in the book. The characteristics described shows his immaturity but also his seriousness when it comes to being a black boy in America.
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 10:04AM):
Kiese Writing Style
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The way the author writes the book authentically represents the life of an teenager and african american in general, the cultures, the language (how they talk) which is highlighted through the narration.
I wonder why the book City is reading in book one, which is also book two is written with his name and characteristics but just at a different time. Was the principal writing this book?
Caprice H(Apr 18 2023 2:32PM):
when he is describing his feelings about something, he always goes into detail about why he feels that way/the cause of his feelings
I can connect to this because I have read few books where it felt authentic without feeling forced, along with the language in this book and how the author isn’t afraid to go there and make different audiences uncomfortable. It’s raw.
Amadou D and/or Plot Tutor(May 15 2023 3:11PM):
why did they feel the need to include that she was gay and that she was a wannabe rapper?
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Plot Tutor with Amadou D's edits:
Plot Tutor
locates events that seem to be part of a plottline
Plot Point 1: Baize Shephard goes missing, garnering attention for being an honor student, wannabe rapper, and that some say she liked girls.
“Folks made it a big deal because she was an honor student and a wannabe rapper and some folks say she liked girls.”
Plot Point 2: Baize Shephard’s rhyme about Trayvon Martin and James Anderson circulates and catches the attention of Barack Obama.
“Baize did this rhyme over this Kanye beat about Trayvon Martin and James Anderson called ‘My Hood to Your Hood,’ which got around 18,000 hits. When Obama visited Mississippi after his reelection, he said we needed to treat all our missing children with the same care and vigilance.”
Plot Point 3: The protagonist finds their name in a book with no author together with Baize Shephard.
“I understood it could have been coincidence that my name and Baize Shephard’s name were in this book with no author, but it still made me feel strange and lightweight afraid to keep reading.”
The protagonist is now feeling uneasy, wondering what the connection between them and Baize Shephard could be. Grandma and others have started their own search for Baize, and with the protagonist’s connection to her, they could begin looking into the book as well. With the nation’s attention on this missing person case, anything could be possible. What do you think might come next in this story, and why?
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 2:58PM):
Ridicule - American Culture's obsession with fame.
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To put more into this field of satire, Laymon is ridiculing American Culture by its obsession with famous figures. Only after when Obama visited Mississippi to comment on missing children, Baize Shephard is constantly updated. It makes you ask the question, why weren’t they doing reporting missing children before? The answer may be that Obama’s fame finally catalyzed people to act.
The way City is describing “Long Division” in the book, is also a description of the actual book “Long Division” that we are currently reading. I’m intrigued by this weird overlap and dimension in a dimension. Is someone possibly writing a story about him from his perspective? Is this method supposed to make readers feel as though they are City in this situation and reading a book about themselves?
This really jumped out to me, because it is believable and relatable. There have been plenty of times when black people were looked at funny or in shock when they entered a room, that other people are not "used to seeing us.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 3:03PM):
Blatant Stereotyping on display, a satire of racism.
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To explain, Hurricane Katrina severely affecting states with high-black populations and low-income and ill-prepared neighborhoods. It’s obvious that Cindy assumed City and LaVander were victims of Hurricane Katrina solely because they were black. This peels back the layers of just how simple-minded some Americans truly are.
He seems to be a smart man from seeing that he and LeVander were the only ones who are in the national competition. I also feel like he is a competitive person which could probably be the reason why he also fights and criticize LeVander.
The character I decided to create was City. Briefly, told the AI that he was a young African-American boy who uses satire and humor throughout the book. I personally think this is a pretty accurate depiction of what he would look like. I imagine him to have a slightly boxier face and a more structured cheek area.
Alexandria T(Apr 17 2023 10:49AM):
Satire (Irony)
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In the first chapter of the book LaVander calls City a “Fat Homosexual” because his house is like a rich white lady’s garage or it’s big. Now LaVander is claiming that he wants to live in a huge house with Malia Obama.
City has a point that Malia Obama doesn’t know LaVander exists, but I don’t think LaVander was serious when he said that, I think he more meant it to represent “When I’m successful, they need to know they will never beat me.”
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 9:09AM):
They both have something to prove but are driven by different motives.
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Although both understand that their win proves something to america, their motives are different. LaVander is doing it more so in spite of white people and selfessiously proving his better than African Americans and that he’s special whereas City is doing it for better representation for people like him.
The way that they gave City the word Chitterlings instead of a true vocabulary word is weird. I feel that they were trying to play his intelligence, maybe this is a way of Laymon criticizing Americans because they have stereotypes about the intelligence of black women.
ryan d(Apr 19 2023 10:03AM):
"chitlin city"
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Now why would they give him that word? I think it is pretty funny how he was able to spin it and actually put it in a sentence. But I definitely see racism in the context. It seems that they are purposefully giving him “black words.”
This is a slight insult to African American people because saying the those are " black words" and looking at those word compared to others they just look simple.
They touch and hint on the topic of how the system works in America, and how Americans will sometimes give other people (african americans) a spot to show representation but seeks average because they don’t want them to be too good/“better”/ or “the best” This is how they try to keep us below them, but still keeping things and people civil. City is supposed to be that average African american that is only invited for representation but thinking there’s not a possibility of him winning. They don’t see him as a “threat”
ryan d(Apr 14 2023 9:34AM):
Satire and social-political commentary.
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The book “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon incorporates satire and social/political commentary into the character dialogues, as well as through the experiences and interactions of the main character, City. An example of satire can be found in the first chapter, where LaVander called City “homosexual” for not saying “kindly pause.”This is definitely satire because in reality saying (a made-up) word/phrase does not make you a homosexual. An example of social/political commentary is the portrayal of City’s white teacher’s condescending and performative approach to teaching black history, using a textbook that simplifies and erases the complexities of African American experiences. Through this satirical portrayal, Laymon comments on the hypocrisy of superficial diversity initiatives and the erasure of black voices in education and history.
Timothy K(Apr 19 2023 11:33AM):
What an excellent commentary on many forms of common modern "inclusion" and "diversity"
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This is an excellent way of summing up many examples of modern inclusion and diversity. In most cases the people behind it don’t actually care about diversity or inclusion, they’re just doing it to make themselves feel better or to boost their reputation by pretending to have the moral high ground.
This is a funny situation because they don’t get along yet they spend a lot of time together. Also, LaVander must be comfortable enough with City to not think twice about changing in front of him.
Nicholas C(Apr 28 2023 9:13AM):
Imagery and City Identity
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The author uses imagery in this sentence to let us into the mind of City and show more of City’s identity. City goes on to give further descriptions off LaVander body comparing himself, he seems insecure but also like he payed a lot of attention to LaVander, this reveals a lot about City. Not only insecure but maybe homosexual and has a love hate thing for LaVander.
Timothy K(Apr 19 2023 11:39AM):
The f***?
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Why is he talking about this, just why? Consciously I get that it might be some sort of comment on gender or something, but why did they have to go into detail – and the word choice as well, just eugh.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 2:20PM):
Wow - "Cultural Differences"
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Really? Having a brush isn’t something that’s “culturally different” from any other person. This is just a lower form of racism to think that a black person having a brush is considered part of their culture.
ryan d(Apr 14 2023 10:09AM):
This reminds me of lots of schools' policies which state that students should not bring or wear durags, hats or bring brushes on campus.
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These things are not permitted on campus because people (often outsiders) deem them to be associated with gangs etc. But in reality its apart of “black culture.”
ryan d(Apr 14 2023 10:51AM):
I wanted to depict the image of City sitting in Principle Reeves office.
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This is my A.I generated an image of City. The description that I used to create the image was " a young black teenage male, with low hair and full lips sitting in the principal’s office, wearing a white button up paired with a loose-fitting tie.
Alejandro S(Apr 26 2023 12:45PM):
Sometimes when people are mad they cry and I wonder if he was mad or what other emotions he was feeling that made him want to cry
Hayley B(Apr 13 2023 7:37PM):
Satire / Summary
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LaVander and City share a common experience of participating in a spelling contest, where the atmosphere of competition is intense. LaVander is determined not to lose to the white competitors and displays a strong sense of confidence. However, upon observing the setup of the competition, he realizes the implicit bias against black participants, and this realization affects him emotionally. City, while noticing LaVander’s distress, still chooses to make light of the situation, using humor as a form of satire.
Olasubomi O(Apr 17 2023 12:22PM):
Laymon Use Of Satire
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Laymon uses satire to comment on the legacy of racism and its impact on black identity. The character of Mama, a black woman who is ashamed of her race and tries to pass as white, represents the internalized racism that many black people struggle with due to centuries of oppression and marginalization. Laymon also critiques the way white people often appropriate black culture without truly understanding or respecting its significance.
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 2:25PM):
Satire Humor Moment - The incapability of reading someone.
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I find this to be an example of satire in the context that City literally sees LaVander on the verge of tears but City still tries to resort to a joke, never breaking character. There are some cases in which you need to break character to get to someone emotionally, but City, a product of American Culture, is not capable of doing that.
Wylla j(Apr 13 2023 6:37PM):
satire and commentary
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Laymon’s use of satire in WORDS, WORD ,WORK is a powerful tool for exposing the harmful effects of racial stereotypes in literature and the need for greater diversity and representation in storytelling. He comments on the harm that these stereotypes have on black identity and expression and the limitations that these stereotypes place on black people and their ability to fully express themselves. He also encourages readers to think critically about the ways in which literature and media shape our understanding of race and the importance of seeking out diverse perspectives. Overall, Laymon’s use of commentary in chapter 4 is a powerful tool for challenging readers to break free from stereotypes and to question their own biases in order to create a more inclusive and just society.
Naomi G(Apr 13 2023 7:11PM):
Satire Chapter 4 Summary
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I feel this chapter didn’t use much humor, but I feel it used a lot of sarcasm. When City began to go off on the judges and others at the competition he began to bring other races into what he was saying. He asked a rhetorical question to make sure his point of how he was being treated was getting across. In chapter three, City describes his emotions and thoughts using satire. For example, he asked, “You think it’s hard for y’all in Arizona?”
Naomi G(Apr 13 2023 7:53PM):
AI Images
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This image was created with AI to try to portray what City would look like. I wanted to incorporate how I think City looks when he is on the podium during the competition. Originally I wanted to include a hairbrush in his hand, but unfortunately, AI does not allow that. City here looks like an average African American male, but as readers, we know more about him.
In Chapter 4, Laymon employs satire to highlight City’s frustration with the competition and its use of offensive language like “niggardly” for Black kids to use in a sentence. City’s incorrect usage of the word leads to his elimination, causing him to lash out on live TV. Laymon uses City’s outburst to comment on the pressure for Black individuals to conform to societal expectations and stereotypes, as well as the harmful impact of using offensive language to reinforce these narrow views. The quote “No. Um, I truly hate LaBander Veeler sometimes more than some of y’all hate President Obama and I wonder if LaBander Veeler should behave like the exceptional African-American boy he was groomed to be in public by his UPS-working father, or the, um, weird, brilliant, niggardly joker he really is when we’re the only ones watching,” further emphasizes this critique of societal expectations and stereotypes.
Jonnirah K(Apr 13 2023 11:11PM):
Chapter 4 summary
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In chapter four author Kiese Laymon used sarcasm to critique society and racial stereotypes. There weren’t many elements of humor, but Kiese Laymon really talked mainly about race in this chapter. He states, “Now look at them Mexicans.” The buzzer went off again. I turned around and looked at the Mexican girl on my row. “You think it’s hard for y’all in Arizona”. This highlights one of many forms of racial issues.
In this chapter Laymon’s writing uses commentary as a powerful tool to drive readers to question and dispel prejudices as well as to consider their own biases, ultimately fostering the development of a more just and equal society.
Olasubomi O(Apr 13 2023 8:00PM):
LaVander Peeler
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LaVander Peeler is an infamous character in Long Division. He is a tall, muscular, and handsome African-American man with a deep voice. He is confident and charismatic, but also can be aggressive and confrontational particularly those who challenge his authority or beliefs.. Peeler’s confidence and charisma make him a magnetic figure, drawing people towards him and making him an influential figure in the black community.Despite his negative traits, Peeler also serves as a mentor and friend to the protagonist, City. He offers City guidance and support, helping him navigate the complexities of race relations and social inequality in the book’s setting. In this way, Peeler represents a figure of hope for City and other black characters in the novel, offering a path towards empowerment and self-realization.
Suhailah R(Apr 14 2023 7:18PM):
Different Perspective
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The way you described LaVander Peeler changed my thoughts about him. We only learn about him based on City’s perspective, which is very biased. I applaud you for being able to look past that and see the benefit and importance of his character in the book.
I had never put much thought into a more in-depth image of what LaVander would look like. However, I feel like this AI interpretation is really accurate! I also like how it looks like a painting- which I think adds more depth to the image. Really cool!
Amadou D and/or Plot Tutor(May 15 2023 2:24PM):
the book long division that city is reading and the one he is in currently timelines are confusing are they both talking about the same baize the went missing?
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Plot Tutor with Amadou D's edits:
Plot Tutor
locates events that seem to be part of a plottline
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This is a significant plot point because it introduces the main conflict of the story – the disappearance of Baize Shephard. It builds up the suspense as to what could have happened to Baize that caused him to be missing, as well as creating the tension of whether or not his disappearance will be solved.
The next plot point is when City finds the patch of blackberry bushes in the woods and starts to remember things:
“There was a patch of blackberry bushes off the path where I used to pay, and I remembered being there with Baize before. I could remember him picking the blackberries and tell me to keep watch.”
This plot point shows how City’s memories, and possibly his guilt, are slowly starting to come back about what happened to Baize. This creates more suspense and tension as it brings us one step closer to discovering what happened to Baize.
What might happen next because of these plot points? City will continue his search in the woods, piecing together more memories and evidence to find the truth of what happened to Baize. We will get a better understanding of the circumstances that caused his disappearance.
Do you think City is close to finding out what happened to Baize? If so, why? Yes, I think City is on the right track to finding out what happened to Baize. He is starting to remember more and more details about their time in the woods, which indicates he may be close to uncovering the truth.
Aamiyah T(Apr 26 2023 12:13PM):
I find this very interesting because this book says something about Baize Shephard and the real world is looking out for Baize Shephard
Abeer A(Apr 18 2023 10:29AM):
Long Division book
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The novel Long Division, which City is reading, also indicated that Baize Shephard had gone missing despite the fact that the book set was in 1985 and it was written before City borrow the book from the principle office
What’s ironic about niggardly is that it’s not a black word. It means stingy, but I think the importance of getting this word is its appearance and not its definition.
Shanih M(Apr 13 2023 6:09PM):
Due to the word's resemblance to a racial slur, its usage immediately induces feelings of pressure and annoyance. The use of the honorific "Citoyen" adds a feeling of tradition and distinction while highlighting how laborious the minute is.
Shanih M(Apr 13 2023 6:10PM):
how it relates to the novel's reflection on racial relations, or how it reflects bigger concerns of language, power, and identity.
The word that is given to an African American person which looks similar to a racial slur makes me question out of all the words in the dictionary this is the only word they found?
Timothy K(Apr 19 2023 3:07PM):
Actual Meaning
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I was curious as to what the word meant, and after looking into it I found that it means “ungenerous” or “stingy.” I also learned that despite its meaning having nothing to do with race, as recently as 2009 there have been people getting in trouble or called racist for using it. For instance, in 2002 a teacher was formally reprimanded for teaching the word and told to attend sensitivity training because a black parent protested the use of the word, saying it offended her.
Before i looked up what the word meant, i was trying to figure out what it meant. I thought maybe it was towards a certain type of race, since it sounds so similar to the N-word,but in reality it meant “Stingy”, or “Close”.
This is a social commentary on how Black kids are treated in competition. Although this isn’t a racist word it’s strange that they would give the Black kid this word to use in a sentence.
Alexandria T(Apr 17 2023 10:53AM):
LaBander Veeler
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City made a really good point in this sentence to say that LaVander was groomed to act the way he does by his father. It shows that it’s not completely his fault.
Isaiah S(Apr 14 2023 6:10PM):
Ironic Imagery and Satire
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When I picture the motion of City pointing a brush to the light, it kind of reminds me of City pointing a gun at the camera, with all his aggressive confrontation in mind. In a way, it’s also a satire on how City tries to confront the judges in a manner that is stereotyped due to his race. As a black person, he chose the aggressive route, knowing that it wasn’t the right way. This brings attention to a bigger American satire that represents the cycle of struggle, you can’t get anywhere in your cause if you play into the stereotypes people hold against you.
Due to the word’s resemblance to a racial slur, its use immediately conveys pressure and annoyance. The use of the honorific “Citoyen” adds a feeling of tradition and distinction and helps to highlight how awkward the minute is. The story paints a subtle and complicated picture of the difficulties in examining many social situations and the developing struggle for correspondence and justice via one frequency of preference and heartlessness.
The story offers a deep and complex portrayal of the difficulties in evaluating complex social situations and the ongoing fight for equality and justice, which cannot be attained from a single perspective or with callousness.
In the first chapter of Long Division by Kiese Laymon the use of satire can be found frequently. The character City is often referred to as a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” because he lives in a nice house, the logic is that only white people live in fancy and nice houses. In chapter two people who use the restroom without saying “kindly pause” are considered homosexual. This is satire because realistically you wouldn’t be homosexual if you didn’t say “pause”. In the third and fourth chapters, the author uses satire through the words in the word competitions. Considering some words to be “Black words” and asking someone to spell “Niggardly” in a word competition is a comment on how Black people are treated after they fairly win something.
Isaiah S(Apr 17 2023 9:07AM):
Think this is a Kanye Reference?
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I thought of this lyric:
“well Mama, I know I act a fool” – Jesus Walks
People, like City here, think of their parents when they do something they either immediately regret or know it’s going to cause a stir, which Kanye is referencing in this line due to his rude behavior at the top of Stardom.
Alexandria T(Apr 28 2023 6:11PM):
Why are serious things being addressed in a joking matter?
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In the first chapter of Long Division by Kiese Laymon the use of satire can be found frequently. The character City is often referred to as a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” because he lives in a nice house, the logic is that only white people live in fancy and nice houses. In chapter two people who use the restroom without saying “kindly pause” are considered homosexual. This is satire because realistically you wouldn’t be homosexual if you didn’t say “pause”. In the third and fourth chapters, the author uses satire through the words in the word competitions. Considering some words to be “Black words” and asking someone to spell “Niggardly” in a word competition is a comment on how Black people are treated after they fairly win something. (Pg 48)
City is Guilty by the fact that he has failed Mississippi in representing their state on national television. The language used, such as City stating each mile he had to walk back home, symbolizes the massive burden he has to carry while walking back to his home.
I remember in another one of Kiese Laymon’s work “Hey Mama” his mother tells him to stop being political and speaking out on social media, and in this book, now it’s City’s grandmother who disagrees with him speaking out on TV
I find it so funny that he’s talking about his mother giving him a beating because it’s very common in the black community. It kind of brings me closer to the book in a way.
Sometimes I wonder why my mom would sometimes berate me over minor offences. It was because she wanted me to be ready. When I demonstrated behavior that said I wanted ready, it meant that my Mom failed, when she wanted me to be ready.
Isaiah S(Apr 18 2023 9:39AM):
City of Refugees???
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I couldn’t believe this statement to describe the City of New Orleans, it is quite the insensitive statement that definitely wouldn’t make it to television in 2013.However, it did anyway, just to subvert expectations about how people undermine bias and racism in the 21st century.
Olasubomi O(Apr 18 2023 10:25AM):
What happened to LaVander when he walked in to the room filled with other contestants? What did he mean by the sentence "they got us"?
I think that City’s speech had an effect on the other contestants like Stephanie because she also spoke out about the discrimination she was facing while being entered in this competition
I truly liked how she used the word to express and talk about the discrimination that she and her brother went through without causing a scene like City did and still being able to possibly win. I thought of it as a more mature action because some folks just want the simplest thing to create a stereotype about a specific race but if she won she could prove that she’s better than them.
Isaiah S(Apr 18 2023 9:45AM):
Characterizing "The Voice" in this chapter.
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HUMORALERT: This sentence should be enthusiastic and an exclamation point should be present, but the lack of it implies that the person behind the voice just doesn’t want to be there.
I want to praise Laymon again for his ability to draw imagery from text in a flavorful manner. This line from the voice tries to animate the person behind the voice, but simultaneously dehumanizes the voice due to the LACK OF AN EXCLAIMATIONPOINT. This all but confirms the voice is somewhat robotic and perhaps not even human.
In the entire backdrop of this entire competition, they couldn’t get a host, or actual human to provide commentary or instructions to the contestants. When you consider the fact that a lot of the contestants are minorities, the fact that they only use unenthusiastic voice says something even worse.
“yeah, we were all decoration in a way” reminds me of how University are trying to include in more diversity and those few color students are like decoration for them
White Guilt is a concept that has had a relative resurgence within the 21st century due to internet access and social media. It explores an idea that white people are collectively responsible for the past actions of African-americans. Laymon describes the perspective of how some African Americans feel about this concept. It has good intentions of being something like a birthday party, but it is overall fake and a façade that white people do to feel good about themselves.
Treymir F(Apr 28 2023 2:39PM):
A common trend I noticed throughout this entire chapter is that being an African American already can be challenging, people try to avoid embarrassment as much as possible.
It really shows not even just with Lavander but period in a society that when you think your a “model minority” you’re looked at as just the same as anyone else. No better. And Lavender being given that word proved that.
Isaiah S(Apr 18 2023 8:57AM):
What an interesting, out of touch musical choice for this competition.
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This piece and very nostalgic from my perspective in 2023, but new and popular to City in 2013.
Harlem Shake isn’t some sort of celebratory piece of music, it’s meme-music, intending to be funny and lighthearted.
I think Kiese Laymon used this specific meme song from 2013 to describe the subtext that this competition was just a joke in the first place. A long-winded, stupid, and disgraceful joke.
So the voice is acting on the presumption that LaVander Peeler is not capable of giving thanks to everything that has gotten him to this point. I don’t know if this is just ignorance or implicit racism that is on display here.
I love how LaVander throughout the book has repeatedly stated he hates City. He picks on him, messes with him, etc. In the end, he uses a sentence that originated from him. I feel as though there is a tight relationship between Lavander and City that hasn’t been really seen yet by eitherof them
I like how Stephanie had enough pride in herself not to pretend nothing happened and just go and take LaVander’s place, it shows she has pride in herself and her actions and achievements, that she’s not going to just endure the bullsh*t racism and pretend it doesn’t exist. This is basically her stating that if she wins its going to be on her own power, not because just having it handed to her because someone else got fed up with the racism.
Timothy K(Apr 24 2023 8:58AM):
Phyrric Victory
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And despite the twins “winning” the trophy, anyone with a brain who knows what happened knows that they only won because the other 2 competitors decided the trophy wasn’t worth it, that Katrina’s finest was just a backup.
Aamiyah T(May 16 2023 7:01AM):
I completely feel this statement especially when I am doing something I KNOW that I am not supposed to be doing , it makes it all worst.
Sabria R(Apr 18 2023 9:45AM):
Mutual understanding
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It’s touching that City stated this because it shows City understands how LaVander felt. LaVander is shown as a winner. He wants to show people his greatness, even when he has to do stuff that isn’t alright. Throughout the competition, they gave words that each contestant did not like or was portrayed as race-based like LaVander told City in the locker room. City on the other hand wants to represent his people, and not play by silly rules. when LaVander won, it showed City what LaVander meant when he said I will win the competition. Not just represent, but actually win the competition, even if they gave him a weird word.
City imagining himself talking to his mom and saying “All things considered” might be considered satire. Before he mocked LaVander for always saying it.
“Whenever I do anything at all, he calls me “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” or “Fat Homosexual” for short because he claims that my “house” is a rich white lady’s garage, that I’m fatter than Sean Kingston at his fattest, and that I like to watch boys piss without saying, “Kindly pause.” 13”
Seems unsure of sexuality
Does he like Lavender?
The common parent after something diasterous along this magnitude would do what City would’ve done. They would’ve beaten their child and gave them another berating talk.
This sentence is dangerously brilliant in the fact that it ultimately communicates Mom is done trying to right City’s wrongs. She has no reason to try to work for City any longer when he lashed out and made himself look like a joke.
You can tell that City’s mom is obviously distressed, but also disappointed. She stepped up and work hard for City, just for City to throw it all away and start cursing on stage embarrassing him and his family. He told LaVander he wanted to represent his people, which he did, however, he represented outlandishly dishonorable in front of the world.
Olasubomi O(Apr 19 2023 11:16AM):
A man can love another without being homomsexual and given the fact that his proceeding sentence clears the air about not liking LaVander in a romantic way, I don't think City is homosexual.
Timothy K(Apr 24 2023 10:09AM):
Platonic vs Romantic
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This sounds like more of a platonic love than a romantic one. There isn’t anything sexual to it, just the knowledge that “this person matters to me in a way that no other thing can.”
I honestly wonder how City’s mom is feeling at this moment. Is she disappointed in herself? So mad at him that she can’t physically look him or speak to him?
Isaiah S(Apr 13 2023 7:26PM):
The Invisible Teenager (My Created Character
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The invisible man is someone who has seen the horrors and truths of a racist modern America. He willingly chooses to only listen, and not speak to anyone as he fears they may go mad or become distraught at the deplorable truths he has observed. As such, he chooses to become a hermit and urban legend within the story of Long Division. His role in the story follows a fortune teller that is to be looked for with a twist, he wouldn’t tell City or LaVender their possible futures. Instead, he would support his clients with a written reassurance. Whatever strife they are currently going through isn’t a problem revolving around them, it is a problem revolving around the complex issues of America’s deep-rooted difficulties attaining to racism, sexism, etc.
Amadou D and/or Change Empath Teammate(May 15 2023 2:12PM):
who is sleepy eyes
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Change Empath Teammate with Amadou D's edits:
Change Empath Teammate
Attends to and describes how any changes affect the writer
This showed that Sleepy Eyes had a changed perspective on private schools; before, she had a negative opinion of them, but now that her friend attended one, she had a more positive view. This shift in opinion allowed Sleepy Eyes to better connect with her friend, as they could now share new experiences. Let’s look again to what other shifts in values or beliefs the writer might have made, or how their behavior or interactions with others might have been affected by the new perspective.
The girl actually made me wonder why did City just go after the girl and not the guy. Did he forget he was there, or did he just go after the one person he saw.
Isaiah S(Apr 18 2023 9:15AM):
I think City simply doesn't like the word to be used in reference to women, and I think there is a reason for that.
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I think this is more of City talking and relaying his thoughts on the word. It should be censored because I think he has a threshold for the amount of disrespect that women go through, considering that he sees his mother and grandmother and as a important figure in his life. He would never call them such a word as it demeans the legacy or effort that both his mother and grandmother has put into his life.
Ayman M(May 08 2023 6:07PM):
Censored B-Word?
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Throughout the book, Kiese , showed us that City is very uncensored, but when it came to saying the b-word, it was censored, exactly why is it censored?
This might also be something that we don’t about City, maybe his respect for Women, and maybe City doesn’t see fit of this word in his language, or vocabulary
I particularly liked how this novel avoided making the magic of its mythical components the focus of the narrative. Why or how these things are happening is less significant than their occurrence, and how they impact the characters is what truly distinguishes this book. Long Division touches on a wide range of topics, including love, hate, sexuality, racism, and responsibility, yet it is ultimately only ever about one of them.
Sabria R(Apr 18 2023 9:59AM):
Different feelings
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I also got a weird feeling when City was asked to say stuff on camera for a group of white boys. It felt as though they were making a show of him, an image. I understand he’s internet famous, however, it still felt as though they were just using him.
Sabria R(Apr 18 2023 10:01AM):
Going back on his word
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During the competition, City made it known that he was doing it for black people. He didn’t like, nor care for white people. Now that he’s internet famous, and has taken pictures with white people, his entire reasoning of not appeasing white people has been ruined. He’s now taking pictures with them, and doing what they want.
Based on what the girls were saying about what they would’ve done if they were in City’s situation I think they’re black. With that in mind, I wonder if they stopped turning and smiling at City because of how he handled the situation with the three white boys.
Charlee P(May 05 2023 11:49PM):
Lavender Vs City
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We see this contrast of not only City contradicting what he was trying to portray at the contest but also trying to go against the “model minority” stereotype. While I infer Lavender would’ve, before the contest been in cities position doing the same.
In “The Long Division,” Kiese Laymon offers a powerful exploration of the experiences of a young black man named City in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Throughout the book, City confronts numerous obstacles and hardships due to his race and the oppressive societal structures that surround him. Laymon sheds light on how institutional racism impacts communities in terms of issues such as police brutality, poverty, and limited access to resources. The challenges faced by City and his community mirror the larger struggles of the black population in America and serve as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice. Despite the difficulties he faces, City’s story also highlights the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
First off, I love the backdrop of this image, it represents a black man overshadowed by the “blackness” of the city behind him. It towers over him, but he still stands out above all else. City is represented here as a person who is up to eliminating the things around him that detriment him in the first place. Ironically, he is displayed as a “light” in this photo. It’s brilliant and well made!
Shanih M(Apr 13 2023 7:26PM):
Summarization of Chapter 1-4
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Chapter 1:
City Coldson, a young black man from a small Mississippi town, is introduced to readers in the first chapter of “The Long Division” by Kiese Laymon. Through City’s internal monologue and interactions with other characters, the chapter explores the themes of identity, race, and language, revealing the complex and often contradictory nature of these concepts. What sets this chapter apart is its distinct narrative voice, which expertly blends colloquial language and profanity with more formal and literary modes of expression, creating a unique and memorable style. Additionally, the chapter contains several moments of satire and social commentary, such as City’s teacher’s use of “niggardly” and his mother’s warning about the intergenerational impact of his actions. Overall, chapter 1 establishes the framework for the novel’s exploration of the challenges and opportunities of growing up in a divided and unequal society, while introducing readers to a memorable and complex protagonist in City Coldson.
Chapter 2:
Chapter 2 of “The Long Division” by Kiese Laymon continues City’s journey of self-discovery and understanding of the world around him. Through his conversations with his granny and Shalaya, the chapter delves into the complexities of memory, history, and the malleability of time, highlighting the importance of our past experiences in shaping our present and future. Furthermore, the power dynamics between City and Shalaya, a young white woman, are explored, revealing the subtleties of race and privilege. The dreamy aspect of the chapter contributes to its exploration of the fluidity of reality and the possibility of transformation, making it a thought-provoking and introspective read.
Chapter 3: In the third chapter of “The Long Division,” City and his friends create a group called “Dark Box” with the aim of exploring their town and discovering hidden treasures. The chapter provides insights into City’s views on race, identity, and privilege as they move around the town. City acknowledges the advantages they have over other Black people in their community, despite their self-proclaimed status as untouchables. However, the group faces opposition from white residents who give off an intimidating vibe. Amidst their exploration, City’s complicated feelings for Baize, a white young woman, are highlighted. He wonders if she genuinely likes him or just uses him to satisfy her fetish for fair-skinned Black people. This introduces a creepy undertone that persists into the next chapter. Overall, Chapter 3 continues to develop the themes of race, identity, and place while injecting a contemporary vibe to City’s personal relationships.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4 of “The Long Division” follows City and his friends as they continue their exploration of their town and meet new people. One of these people is Jimmy Sway, a white man who owns a confederate flag and lives in a run-down house. City engages in a heated discussion with Jimmy about the flag and its meaning, but eventually starts to see Jimmy in a more sympathetic light after learning about his legal troubles. The chapter also explores City’s growing feelings for Baize and the complex racial dynamics at play in their relationship. As City begins to question his own biases and assumptions, the chapter further develops the themes of race, identity, and empathy.
Suhailah R(Apr 17 2023 12:36PM):
Summarizing each chapter's use of satire and commentary
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While reading chapters 1-4 of Long Division book one, I was easily able to catch on to Kiese Laymon’s writing style. His commentary, social and political, and use of satire plays a big part in the book. It adds on to the relatableness and shows how contemporary the book is. In the first chapter the use of satire, “I don’t think he understands what the sentences he be using really mean” for example, helps build the foundation of the book to understand the characters. In chapters 2-4 I noticed more of Laymon’s commentary, from talking about Obama to cultural references like “black words”.
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
Paul A and/or An Improvisational Teammate(Nov 09 2023 10:39PM):
What's good to talk about in this excerpt from There, There?
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An Improvisational Teammate with Paul A's edits:
An Improvisational Teammate
This character does improv with the text
Wow, what a powerful excerpt from There There! So much depth in this narrative, exploring themes of identity, struggle, and self-expression. The experience of City and LaVander Peeler at the contest is charged with intensity and emotion. It highlights the difficulties of navigating personal and collective identity within institutional and societal structures.
City’s outburst and subsequent reflection show a young person coming to terms with who they are, how they are perceived, and the sometimes harsh realities of speaking their truth. The confrontation with Sleepy Eyes on the bus serves as a moment of introspection, prompting questions about the impact of one’s actions on others.
The use of language as a tool for empowerment and a weapon against oppression is also prominent in this excerpt. City’s interaction with the white boys toward the end indicates discomfort with how his identity is commodified and showcases the fine line between fame and exploitation.
Also, interestingly, there’s a recurring motif of water and waves, from brushing his hair as a comfort action to the description of his and LaVander’s emotional states. It’s a poignant reflection on the fluidity of identity and how it can be shaped or disturbed by external forces.
The narrative captures the unique voices of young Black individuals in the South and opens up a space for conversations around race, language, and adolescence. Would you be interested in diving deeper into any of these themes, or perhaps discussing a particular character or event more thoroughly?
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
Paul A and/or An Improvisational Teammate(Nov 09 2023 10:42PM):
Let's talk about City more.
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An Improvisational Teammate with Paul A's edits:
An Improvisational Teammate
This character does improv with the text
Absolutely, this narrative is rich in themes that are ripe for exploration. What stands out immediately is the role of language in the story — not only as a means of communication but as an embodiment of power, identity, and resistance. City’s confrontation with the orthographical politics at the contest essentially becomes an arena where racial tensions and historical injustices are laid bare through words like ‘niggardly’ and ‘chitterlings’.
The way City uses language as both shield and sword in his outbursts connects deeply with the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) tradition — using language as a form of self-assertion and community resonance. Furthermore, his introspection on the bus ride about the consequences of his public display of anger and how it ties into his identity reflects the complexities young people face when carving out their sense of self.
City’s relationship with LaVander Peeler is also layered. There’s an intense rivalry that seems to be underpinned by both respect and resentment, a duality that perhaps speaks to a broader narrative of competition and companionship within the Black community. Their dynamic takes on a new perspective after LaVander’s act on stage, hinting at a shared experience of being pawns in a larger game not of their making.
Lastly, City’s interaction with Sleepy Eyes and the college boys towards the end provides a stark contrast between how he’s seen by peers in his community versus others who view his actions through an external lens, possibly as entertainment without understanding the deeper implications.
If we were to delve deeper into a specific part of this narrative, it might be worthwhile to focus on City’s internal conflict and how his understanding of identity evolves through these events. Has he had a moment of clarity about his place in the world, or is he more confused and isolated than before? What do you think?
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Chapter 1
While Laymon claims you may read them in any sequence, I went with the apparent one. “Book One” is set in 2013 and centers on a black Mississippian youngster named City. After creating a commotion in the national “Can You Use that Word in a Sentence” competition with his school rival Lavander Peeler, City is banished to live with his grandmother in the little village of Melahatchie.
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The examples are page (6) in which the author makes fun of Principal Reeves doing extra stuff to make the Mexican kids feel accepted.Also,their satire on page 7 where he makes humor out of how people view black kids in a white American state such as Mississippi.
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Chapter 2 is mostly showing City’s relationship with Principal Reeve’s and how he can’t get away with nothing because his mom is a teacher.There are examples of Satire on pages 14 and 16.These are examples of satire because they are funny and they refer to stuff such as Kanye West and the student non-violent. coordinating Committee.At the end of the chapter,City gets a book from the principal called Long Division.One quote was “I invented calling Principal Reeves Ms. Kanye… teaching us how we were practically farting on the chests
of the teenagers on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.”
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In this chapter City and LaVender are about to face each other in the sentence competition.
Satire (page 23,24),Satire (page 25)
These examples of satire show the beef between City and LaVender when they are getting ready to compete against each other at the competition.It also shows how the white people just assumed that they were not actually people from Jackson because the white lady thought they came because of Hurricane Katrina.At the end of chapter 3,it is time for the competition.
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Examples of Satire(Page 34,35,36)
These examples of Satire from Chapter 4 basically show how City snapped out at the competition because he felt like the Black kids were being given offensive words to use in a sentence like niggardly. When he used the word wrong in the sentence he got eliminated and so he snapped out on live tv before leaving the competition.One quote is “No.Um,I truly hate LaBander Veeler sometimes more than some of y’all hate President Obama and I wonder if LaBander Veeler should behave like the exceptional African-American boy he was groomed to be in public by his UPS-working father,or the,um,weird,brilliant, niggardly joker he really is when we’re the only ones watching.”
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City-a boy who attends Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet school in Jackson,Mississippi.
LaVander Peele-another kid at school that City does not get along with.
They both are in competition with each other to see who is smartest and who will when the “can you use that word in a sentence” contest.They also compete with other smart kids in the school like Toni Whitaker,Octavia Whittington,and Jimmy Wallace.City thinks that LaVander tries too hard to be proper/nerd and thinks he is the top reader in school.City makes it clear that he is not “white,homeless,or homosexual.” He says he is not at the top of his class,but he is known as the “best boy writer in the history of his school.”City reminds me of the real life author Kiese Laymon.
https://www.youthvoices.live/character-description-for-city/
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i see you Esther! How does this style of narrative structure make a reader feel?
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Which ones are you talking about?
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. This is seen in sentences such as “the hustle and bustle of modern life can be straining” and “the demands of modern life can be overwhelming”. Such phrases paint an image of a chaotic world where life is always on the go and can be very taxing on individuals.
Having some background knowledge on the modern lifestyle can help to understand the text more deeply. This includes an understanding of the work life balance; how individuals juggle multiple jobs, long hours and the struggle to get it all done. It also helps to have knowledge of the associated stress that accompanies this lifestyle; such stress can be caused by deadlines, financial struggles, and family pressures.
To delve even further into the text, exploring the language and syntax being used can be beneficial. Words such as “hustle and bustle”, “overwhelm”, and “strain” create an intense atmosphere and a feeling of pressure that is consistent with the modern lifestyle.
The text is asking the reader to consider if this lifestyle is really beneficial and encourages the reader to reflect on how it impacts their well being. Does this lifestyle really bring joy, satisfaction and contentment? The text is also looking at the need for a shift in perspective which suggests that individuals need to find a different approach to their way of living.
Take a moment to re-read the text to observe if there are any other words and fact that stand out to you, and don’t be afraid to comment back with any additional ideas or insights you have about the text!
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Satire is used by the author in this chapter to comment on and condemn many facets of society. The author parodies LaVander Peeler’s obsessive worry about how white people view him through the narrator City, underlining the foolishness of placing such a high value on other people’s perceptions. The use of exaggerated descriptions and sardonic phrases, which make fun of Peeler’s actions and demeanor, adds to the satirical tone. The “Can You Use That Word in a Sentence” competition parodies the idea of eliminating regional bias in spelling bees by only emphasizing sentence use. Overall, the chapter makes fun of society’s views, human nature, and the flaws and inconsistencies seen in people.
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The author utilizes humor and commentary in this chapter to examine issues of race, identity, and language. The main character, referred to as “Fat Homosexual,” competes in a sentence-writing competition with LaVander Peeler. In order to challenge cultural attitudes and preconceptions, the author employs irony and comedy. LaVander Peeler uses lengthy, intricate phrases, yet the protagonist disputes their aim and meaning. The chapter also discusses the perspectives of Mexican pupils in the school, emphasizing the futile efforts at acceptance and the pervasiveness of racial prejudices. The relationship between the protagonist and his uncle, Uncle Relle, provides still another dimension to the reflection on perseverance and fortitude. The author gives a critical viewpoint on race, language, and gender through satire.
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The topics of competition, identity, and social expectations are explored in this chapter through satire and criticism. The author uses comedy and irony to criticize racial prejudices and intellectual biases through the verbal battles between the protagonist and Lavender Peeler. The protagonist skillfully disproves Lavender Peeler’s claims while contesting prevailing ideas of success. The chapter also emphasizes how ridiculous it is to videotape arguments in order to get approval on social media. By utilizing humor and commentary, the author gives a critical analysis of the biases and power relationships that are evident in the interactions between the characters.
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The author uses observational humor in this scenario to highlight the differences between the protagonist and Lavander Peeler. The protagonist is deeply immersed in reading Long Division while they wait for LaVander Peeler’s father to pick them up, and LaVander Peeler, who is sporting a fake Louis Vuitton sunglass, is observing the book. This comparison provides insight into their different objectives and interests. The reference to the bogus designer sunglasses lends the passage a humorous touch and draws attention to Lavander Peeler’s attempt to present a posh and fashionable persona. The author delicately critiques the characters’ goals and the frivolity frequently connected to material items through this sarcastic passage.
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This quote suggests the theme, it’s a quote from Andre 3000
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This quote talks about another chapter and things happening “twice upon a time”, but the other quote says that she’s tired of time travelling. Perhaps they’re related?
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It makes me think about who Kiese is writing for.
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Maybe it’s a hint at the second part of the book, and how there’s “another chapter.”
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I like the first quote because it is different from the usual saying
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The references to Duality already in this book is outstanding. The book has two front covers, two separate stories, two separate epigraphs, along with 3 Stack’s quote that mentions two stories in itself.
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When read side by side, I think the two quotes might mean something about how the characters are connected. The first quote suggests that one person lived two lives, and the second quote talks about how someone doesn’t want to time travel anymore. From this, I think it’s reasonable to assume that the main character travels through time and might live a different life, and after a while doesn’t want to anymore
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I think this quote was used because the book flips halfway through. maybe it tells the same story through a different POV
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The book has two epigraphs, one for each side of the book, which makes me wonder if both epigraphs are working together to suggest one theme.
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My Basquiat thoughts of time … traveling with you in and out of gender diversity.
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How did he die? I am still here.
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The book mentions two different time periods 1985 and 2013. What if 1985-2013 represents a date of death?
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I really liked the comment because it comes from a talented rapper often referred to as Andre3000
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Andre might be talking about the theme or hinting towards it.
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I love this quote taken from a lyric sung by Erica. Reading this, I believe she was probably saying that she wants to live her life without worrying about the future.
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Makes me think about who Kaise is writing for, YOU!
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I like that Kiese Laymon decided to use an Erykah Badu quote. It’s interesting how both epigraphs connect in some way. The both hint to what the books are going to be about.
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I wonder if this quote suggests that there will be time traveling going on in the book or if it’s not literal and just suggesting that the character will go through regret and worry some about the past/future.
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To summarize in a genre of sitcom, I would describe this chapter to be a dark-humor sitcom type of satire. Kiese Laymon uses satire to focus on the detrimental aspects of Black American Culture in schools. Within black schools, the act of causally calling someone homosexual and other demeaning words is often normalized, but even encouraged. This encouragement is derived from the sense of satisfaction by being surrounded by Yes-Men who laugh along with you. This is present within Lavander’s eccentric bravado in the first chapter, particularly in the scenes in which City is the butt of a joke while dozens onlookers laugh at his expense, encouraging LaVander to insult City even more. “LaVander Peeler backed up and looked at the crowd, some of whom were pumping their fists, covering their mouths, and laughing to themselves. Then he kissed the ellipsis tattoo on his wrist and pointed toward the sky” (Laymon, Paragraph 23)
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I definitely noticed dark humor, do you think it’s used to target a certain audience?
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The satire and humor in “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon often come from City’s commentary on Lavander and their interactions, as well as Laymon’s projection of satire and commentary onto both characters. City’s commentary on Lavander is often used as a tool to express his emotions and opinions about him. For example, when City talks about the “kindly pause” being almost like a mocker of their practice, he uses satire to criticize Lavander’s behavior. Additionally, when City describes Lavander’s smell as being so good that it’s like a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re too close to him, he is using humor to both praise and mock Lavander.
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I agree. I feel that Kiese Laymon used satire to reveal characters and their character traits.
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In chapter one of Long Division satire, sarcasm, and humor are used to show the thoughts and feelings Citoyen Coldson has about race and gender stereotypes. He also uses humor and exaggeration to insult other characters in the book. For example in paragraph 12, sentence 1, City says “Anyway, LaVander Peeler has way too much space between his eyes and his fade doesn’t really fade right. Nothing really fades into anything, to tell you the truth.” I feel that here City is using humor to describe his dislike toward LaVander and probably over exaggerating about Peeler’s haircut. This chapter truly introduced us to the type of sarcasm and satire we will read throughout the book.
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One sentence uses satire and commentary to poke fun at the absurdities and contradictions of life in the fictional town of Melahatchie, Mississippi. Through the character of City, Laymon satirizes the small-mindedness and insularity of the town’s residents, as well as their obsession with tradition and conformity. He also satirizes the hypocrisies of the town’s power structures and the ways in which they perpetuate inequality and injustice. Overall, Laymon’s use of satire and commentary is a powerful tool for exposing the complexities of small-town life and for encouraging readers to think critically about the social and cultural dynamics that shape their own communities.
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In the first chapter, there were forms of satire and humor. in “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon, most of the satire came from Lavander and their encounters with each other. The main character of the book “City’s” criticism of Lavander was a form of expression. An example from the book would be when City talked about the “kindly pause”. They use that phrase in the book to almost defend their sexuality. City uses satire to criticize Lavander’s a lot, an example would be when City compared Lavander scent to being so good it smells like a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re too close to him.
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City’s comments on LaVander and their interactions, as well as Laymon’s depiction of satire and commentary onto both characters play a big role on how the book is perceived by the audience as well as the course the book takes. City frequently uses his remarks about LaVander to voice his feelings and viewpoints on how he truly feels about LaVander. City often uses mockery to condemn LaVander’s actions, these instances are littered often throughout the book. For example, City says " Anyway, LaVander Peeler has way too much space in between his eyes and his fade doesn’t really fade right.". I feel that City uses Satire against LaVander as his only way to defend himself, also as a way to knock LaVander off his pedestal.
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I felt this way as well. A lot of the interactions that Lavander has especially, with City include lots of satire.
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Laymon makes fun of the media’s preoccupation with sensationalizing Black grief and tragedy through comedy. Additionally, he uses commentary to draw attention to the systematic racism in American education and how it feeds the myth of white supremacy. Overall, the chapter exposes the hypocrisy and injustice of American culture through a blend of humor and critique. The phrase “kindly pause” is a form of satire especially with the kind of conversation being had between City and Lavander.
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In the opening chapter of Long Division, City Coldson employs satire and sarcasm to candidly express his thoughts and emotions about race and gender. Through his clever use of language, such as the word “niggardly,” which serves as a recurring motif, he employs satirical humor that adds depth and complexity to the story. This use of wordplay not only serves as a source of humor but also emphasizes and builds the foundation for the narrative. Overall, City’s sharp wit and clever employment of satire and sarcasm in this chapter set the tone for the rest of the book, creating a compelling and thought-provoking read.
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Laymon makes fun of the media’s preoccupation with sensationalizing Black grief and tragedy through comedy. Additionally, he uses commentary to draw attention to the systematic racism in American education and how it feeds the myth of white supremacy. Overall, the chapter exposes the hypocrisy and injustice of American culture through a blend of humor and critique.
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The use of ‘satire’ was used a few times in this chapter. I believe it was displayed through jokes told by the characters. I believe in a way some comments were made to make City not look like a bad person for disliking LaVender. One example is City including everyone in the school dislikes him, including the Janitor and the principal. I think the chapter does focus on the character of LaVander and his personality, mannerism, and how he treats others.
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In chapter 1 it’s basically an introduction of the 2 characters LaVander and City. The chapter goes back in forth with using satire, humor, and ignorance. The author uses humor and satire to poke at the relationship between the 2 characters who hate each other. This is shown in paragraph 26…“When he opened his mouth, it sounded like big old flat tired rolling over jagged gravel.”
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This first paragraph seems like its setting the tone for the book and gives examples of modern-day gender identity/sexuality issues
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In the first Chapter of the book City had always used descriptive language to describe LeVander and through City’s words and description LeVander looked ridiculous from the point of view of the reader. Throughout the book, they are describing how they call each other by name to raise the laughter of the other guys at their schools one example was when LeVander called City the fat homeless white homosexual which was possibly the purpose of humble City.
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I think when someone cares so much about what people think it comes from a bigger problem. from the info I’ve gotten about lavender, I think he tries to do what he thinks people want him to do. even if it’s not in his best interest.
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I thought this describes him as a very arrogant person.
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I like that they are using this it feels more engaging
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This paragraph highlights LaVander Peeler’s anxiety over what white people think of him. He could have voted for the narrator for ninth-grade CF, but instead he typed a homophobic and racist insult. At Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet School, LaVander Peeler stands out for his distinctive sense of style and an ellipsis tattoo on the inside of his wrist. LaVander Peeler, on the other hand, is not a favorite of the narrator, who refers to him in a racist manner.
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He is probably an individual who wants to fit minor be seen differently.
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LaVander, being surrounded by people who don’t look the way he does, has now lost his individuality and now cares too much about the judgment that white people would give him.
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I wonder why he focuses so much on white validation, what is the root cause of this?
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This lets me know that he doesn’t embrace who he is and his culture much, trying to please white people which he is probably surrounded by a lot.
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I think he cares too much about what people think because that how society has put our minds to think. Lot’s of people think how white people would judge them but it shouldn’t even matter.
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Cant relate
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He may be a product of his environment, if he’s constantly around white people it makes sense
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This sentence is important because it prompts the reader to ask questions regarding the protagonist’s motivation for caring about what other people think of him. The reader can infer from the sentence that the protagonist does not have a lot of self-confidence and is seeking validation from others.
The second sentence is, “Maybe it’s like W.E.B Du Bois said – if you are Black, you have two choices, be an artist or a clown.” This sentence is important because it implies that LaVander feels like he must play to other people’s expectations in order to be accepted. It also reveals the presence of internalized racism, which can affect how people perceive their own identities.
The third sentence is, “Or maybe he just wants to fit in.” This sentence is important because it serves as a contrast to the Du Bois quote, suggesting that LaVander does not think he must necessarily conform to other people’s expectations in order to feel accepted.
The background information needed to understand this text more deeply includes knowledge of: (1) W.E.B Du Bois’ quote and its implications; (2) the idea of internalized racism; and (3) people’s tendency to care too much about the opinions of others. Re-reading the text – and adding what you notice – can help you gain a better understanding of LaVander’s struggle with his identity and how it influences his interactions with people.
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I think this how most people be. Consumed by their thoughts on how people think about them. Forcing them to filter themselves
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I’m a little confused here because from the description of both characters are black??
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I like that the author begins the book with an extremely descriptive character analysis. I also think that since the book begins with some humor, it lets me know that I will see lots more in the book
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LaVander is expressing himself which is a form of satire
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Could the way they dress impact who they are as a person or where they come from? Will the author continue to be descriptive throughout the whole story? Why? These are just some general questions to help people get thinking form the beginning of the story.
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great observation! Why would he?
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when he wrote about what LaVander Peeler was wearing in depth was that meant for to read deeper? Did the tattoo that Lavander have have a deeper meaning the what it seems like
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It feels a bit ironic he would say things like that with his tattoo which the author points out.
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In this sentence, Satire is used by City to emphasize her feelings about LaVander.
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Example of Satire
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I love when books include the N word it makes it fun to read
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Honestly, Brandon, I agree with you. I feel like when reading books by black authors and they use the N-word I feel more connected to them. It kinda feels like they’re saying “my n***a!!” to me. It also makes me laugh a little knowing that when white people read this book they will also read that.
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I too love to see this language used because it makes the topic more interesting and also makes you wonder what they are discussing.
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This is City’s way of prioritizing his personal voice. He doesn’t care who else is reading what HE has to say about HIMSELF.
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I agree 100%, this is his way of being heard
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This reminds me of reading outloud in class or in environments with white people, sometimes it is skipped over because it makes them uncomfortable.
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Why doesn’t he like LaVander? or does he like Lavander? I don’t know im confused and i think he is too.
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I like what City said about how his principal doesn’t like when students use the n-word when writing, especially when white people are going to be reading whatever is written. I think that it’s a cool disruption from what you’d usually expect
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Why did the 2 start hating each other? Is it jealousy? Potential love interest?
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I think we (black people) shouldn’t be limited to our use of the N-word because it’s something we have reclaimed and took power over, however I do understand the professor point of view. When the N-word is put into music or books and non black readers are consuming it they may feel entitled to say the word themselves which I think is not ok.
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Eternity is in love with the creations of time.
Eternity is in love with the creations of time.
The first sentence is important, as it shows how readers approach the term with differing views. The second sentence is important, as it highlights the use of a derogatory term within a context of expressing strong sentiment.
To understand this text more deeply, it is important to be aware of the history of the term “n-word” and its associated racism and the current use of the word in various settings. Additionally, it is important to understand how language can both shape and reflect culture, as well as the power that language holds to perpetuate stereotypes and injustices. Being knowledgeable of the various meanings of the term “n-word”, as well as the emotions that accompany it, would be beneficial for understanding this text.
I invite you to re-read the text and consider how its meaning and interpretation may differ between different readers; to reflect on what this reveals about the power of language, and to think about what implications such differences may have for society as a whole.
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Eternity is in love with the creations of time.
Eternity is in love with the creations of time.
As a high school senior in a major metropolitan Eastern city, you may be able to approach this text with a unique perspective and gain insights into how language can shape our world.
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I like his sense of humor. Something tell me he is serious though🤭🤭🤭🤭
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what is a fart? Is this only by gender notation that this kind of thing happens?
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me as well I think he is going to be an interesting character
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I wonder why he felt the need to clarify he’s not white, fat, or homosexual
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The author uses satire and commentary in this chapter to examine the protagonist’s viewpoint on LaVander Peeler. City, the main character, introduces himself and jokingly admits that he is not white, poor, or gay. However, the emphasis of the commentary switches to the peculiar smell of LaVander Peeler, which is exaggeratedly characterized in a funny way as making one think of a little animal farting in their mouth. The author satirizes the characters’ obsession with LaVander Peeler’s fragrance by using this amusing exaggeration, bringing attention to the ridiculousness and the subtle ways in which people are drawn to odd qualities or behaviors. It functions as a playful reflection on psychological traits and the quirks of attraction.
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I wonder the story behind his name, I think that having “City” as a name is very interesting. its also very rare
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City, the protagonist of Kiese Laymon’s Long Division, is a black teenager who lives in a small town in Mississippi. In the first four chapters of the book, City is presented as a complex and multifaceted character. He is intelligent, perceptive, and introspective, with a deep sense of curiosity about the world around him.
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Blue -black patent leather Adidas are cool. I imagined it though and the tattoo on the inside of his wrist
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I thought this was such an intense description to use, vulgar, I can’t tell the significance of the sentence.
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This sentence was very descriptive and imaginative. He made sure that the readers were able to visualize the way LaVander smelled.
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When saying the N-word there shouldn’t be a specific on how is saying word.
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I love this phrase because I have no idea what the hell it actually means. I think this is intentionally done to characterize LaVander Peeler’s hygiene as almost messiac. This is also a play on his name involving the smell of Lavenders.
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This sentence just threw me off, guard.I wonder what made him think of such a specific scenario.
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One of the things I like about City is how unorthodox his analogies are. They always make sense, but they’re so childishly formulated that I’m enjoying them
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I think City is funny. Why did he choose to include the fact that he was none of these things?
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city and her friends put lavander on some petal stool. who and why is he so important?
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This sentence is important for understanding the underlying message that the text conveys. It highlights how City isn’t white, which challenges the traditional view of how cities should look and what they should represent. Through this description, the text is challenging us to view our society in a different way and to recognise the diversity that exists within our communities.
Furthermore, the text is also drawing attention to issues of inequality and systemic racism still present today. It is highlighting how certain groups within society are often marginalised and excluded from mainstream discourse. This sentence is important for us to understand how City isn’t a monolithic entity and how it encompasses a range of perspectives and stories.
To gain a deeper understanding of the text, it’s worth reading it again, paying particular attention to the themes of race, inclusion, and inequality. See if you can spot any instances where the text challenges the status quo or speaks to stories that have been left untold. Reflect on the questions the text raises and consider how it relates to your own experiences in today’s society.
I invite you to read this text one more time and to consider any further themes or ideas that the text might be suggesting. Share what you discover in the comments below!
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If City isn’t white, homeless, or homosexual, why does LaVander call him that? Also, while City disputed the white, homeless, and homosexual description, he notably didn’t dispute the fat description.
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By what is said in this sentence makes me wonder what city looks like
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Describing how Lavender smells was really creative. Also what was the reason on mentioning that he wasn’t white?
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City uses Satire when he was explaining LaVander smell.
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This was the weirdest comment I have seen so far. I feel a little confused ever.
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Who were they really smelling then? I know how that works. I can see them moving … what great imagery the author shares.
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Makes me think that if we were describing a young woman we would be upset that she is being described by the way she smells. I wonder what gender stereotypes this description of a young man is either undermining or promoting.
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I am breathing but I smell your breath. Why?
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I wonder what the reasoning or the deeper meaning behind this quote exactly was.
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This contest seems very financially beneficial to all the students
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During a televised contest called the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence finals, the narrator openly expresses their hatred towards LaVander Peeler. The contest was created in response to concerns about geographic bias in the Scripps Spelling Bee. This seems very beneficial to the students
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I feel like the reason that City hates Lavander is because he did something during the spelling bee that made City start to hate them
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Interesting, Kiese Laymon specifically mentions a past event like we’re supposed to remember it. I did some quick research and came up with practically nothing, what was Kiese Laymons intention of putting this sentence here?
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I like how he introduces all the details about the spelling Bee competition and how he and laVender will probably be the two to bring the title to Mississippi but does his hate for LaVander somehow connected to this competition?
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I agree about City gives a lot of details, the writing style that Kiese Laymon choose almost feels like City is journaling.
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What was in the finals that reminds City of LaVander Peeler?
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Did City hate LaVander before or after the 2013 contest? What could have possibly happened?
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Why would they create this type of contest?
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I like the image that you used to talk about the contest.
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this is a wonderful display of thinking and it looks like. non-gender image
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I wonder if the words they are being given are from AAVE and they have to use that word in a sentence
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Sentence 1: “From the early stages of the English language, African Americans used words and phrases created through the combination of two or more words.”
This sentence gives important background information about the origin of words used by African Americans; it shows that the words they use come from the combination of two or more words, rather than being derived from a single source.
Sentence 2: “This linguistic style is known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and is not only used today in many African American communities, but is also increasingly being used by younger Americans in general.”
This sentence provides further information about the use of AAVE by African American communities, and also shows that its use is becoming more widespread among younger Americans.
Sentence 3: “AAVE is unique, as it has its own grammatical and syntactical rules of construction and pronunciation”
This sentence is important because it tells us that AAVE has its own distinct rules, which are different from other forms of English.
Sentence 4: “This essay will explore the history of AAVE and its current use in the US and abroad.”
This sentence introduces the focus of the essay – to explore the history and current use of AAVE – and sets out the purpose of the essay.
The background information needed to understand the text more deeply is an understanding of the history of AAVE and how and why it has been used by African Americans. This may include aspects such as how the language emerged, the different forms it takes and its similarities and differences compared to other forms of English.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of this text, take a few minutes to re-read it and consider the context in which AAVE is used. Pay attention to any particular words or phrases that may be used in the text, and think about what they are used to convey, or how they are used in different contexts. You may also find it helpful to compare the language used in this essay to other examples of AAVE that you may be familiar with. As you re-read, be sure to add any new thoughts or insights that come up in your reading in a reply!
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In the short essay Hey Mama by Kiese Laymon Mississippi was also a significant place. It seems like he writes about things he’s already familiar with.
https://www.guernicamag.com/hey-mama/
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This can be a way of foreshadowing because it could mena later in the story the event will happen or something else along the lines of the event.
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How does this make LaVender feel ?
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LaVander sounds annoying but also familiar, sounds like some of the boys I know
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I feel like at this point they are both in a way invalidating each other’s "blackness "City is saying that his style doesn’t really seem associated to his race. LeVander calls him white based off of the neighborhood and type of house he lives in.
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Their relationship seems like a funny thing to read about. I wonder what’s the real reason why they don’t like each other.
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What is the relationship between LaVender and City? From the jokes, it is possible that they could be friends. I think it is also possible that they are ’frenemies.
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LaVander Peeler’s look bothers Kiese Laymon, especially the gap between his eyes and the poor fading of his hair. The narrator refers to LaVander as “Lavender” or “Fade Don’t Fade” when he feels inferior to him. LaVander responds by dubbing the narrator “White Homeless Fat Gay” or simply “Fat Homosexual,” implying that they are enormously obese, living in a rich white woman’s garage, and love watching boys urinate while being impolite.
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I don’t really understand LaVander’s mindset when it comes to criticizing City. From what city described himself as, you would think LaVander was talking about a completely different person.
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Yeah I dont get it either its almost as if he does it just to be seen or he has experienced some events in his life for him to act like that
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I have never heard a guy say “kindly pause”. For the first three paragraphs, it´s him and Lavander talking about each other.
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I like his sense of humor, it makes the book fun to read.
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The character I chose is LaVander Peeler. This image best fits the description in this sentence, as it shows how I view him based on the description City gave. LaVander has an irritated face because he is always “fighting” with City. His “spaced out” eyes are also depicted in the image, as well as his haircut.
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why does City put so much effort into talking about LaVander?
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Nothing really fades into anything tells me a very short lesson on how people can’t really change, or become something else. They can’t “fade” into the shadows, they either stand out or fade very partially.
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is this to be a hide message? what does City mean when he says that nothing really fades into anything ?
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I like how City shows a tiny bit of vulnerability here. His personality is usually shown as confident and bold. Here, he admits he can sometimes feel stupid around LaVander, who is his rival.
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I find this entire paragraph interesting, but this sentence is just extremely funny to me.
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LaVander doesn’t like City because he doesn’t act like every other male. He doesn’t say things like “kindly pause”
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I like how honest he is in his writing, he includes everything. Whether embarrassing or not.
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I think this is a play on words that connects to the old interpretation of being fat. Lavender calls city rich, and calls City Sean Kingston at his fattest. Fatness used to be synonymous with wealth in 17-19th century. So this could actually be a compliment when put to more thought.
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This makes me think about how people bully because they want something others have. He might even be gay himself.
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This is the second time City being, or not being, a white homeless fat homosexual is brought up. It makes me wonder what City actually looks like.
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At the beginning of the book, in the third paragraph, the main character City says “I’m not white, homeless, or homosexual.” But then says LaVander calls him a “white homeless fat homosexual,” because his house is a rich white ladys garage. What does the way his house look have to do with his appearance. Whats the point of LaVander calling him white,if he is infact not?
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LaVander seems to be a big bully. He calls City all kinds of names including fat and homosexual. LaVander basically looks at Vity differently because he won’t say “kindly pause” etc
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This is funny to me because this is a commonly used word in our generation right now
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why does LaVander go out of his way to talk so badly about City?
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I don’t understand why he would say that.
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Where does the hate stem from? Is this really a hate relationship or is they somewhat obsessed with each other. The name calling makes me question if LaVander is the one thats a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual”. Is Lavander speaking his insecurities onto City
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This paragraph has a lot of detail and structure, and I think it allows us to understand our characters and their environment better.
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Their saying “kindly pause” reminds me a lot of how boys in our generation talk.
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When in eighth grade, LaVander Peeler made the term “Kindly pause” famous in the school restroom. They had to say “Kindly pause” if they went into the restroom when someone else was already using it or even just glanced in their way. After a makeover that resulted in deep blue tiles below the urinals, which suggest emotions of falling and floating, the narrator no longer enjoys using the restroom at School.
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I have no clue what this means but it stuck out to me and I’m going to say it now
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Not really but It would be funny if I did
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I think its funny because boys use this so much in everyday life, everything they say its always “pause, im not gay”
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Although my reaction to this was, “this makes absolutely no sense,” I can connect this to our society where boys their age, and even older, say pause or no homo.
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Does this only apply to males or can this term possibly apply to females as well?
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I think that is a good question, I never thought about that
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Did he say that because he thought it was gay?
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it seems immature to say something like that in the bathroom
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I be wilding in the bathrooms, anytime I gotta go, I gotta go. Especially with all the new urinals and toilet in the bathrooms, new tile. When a brother has to go, I undertsand.
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It seems City feels like the newly renovated bathrooms is out of touch with everything else. As such, it transcends physical boundaries and put people like city in a trance. It’s almost like a liminal space.
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Is that slang for something or is it just what it means literally?
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I definitely agree with City here. A lot of times, people will create phrases that will remove supposed “gay connotations” from their sentences. I always thought this was stupid. I’m not gonna say “no homo” if I say something that you would deem to be something that a gay person would say. It’s only ever in a sexual manner too. If that’s what you think then okay, I don’t really care.
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I think what City is trying to say here is that hobbies are never a thing people like him can indulge in because everyone is so worried about keeping their necks straight. If your neck isn’t straight, you’re probably dead. So people spend more time fixing their necks and not get lost in anything that suits them.
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I dont understand what he means by “kindly pause”.
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I’ve heard that term used often in school and growing up because people would want to remove homosexual thoughts from the sentence.
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I think they are saying out of the fear they will be seen as gay
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So u just keep saying “pause” til you’re both out the bathroom? Maaaaan that’s so much work
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I don’t even understand the point of saying that when you can say nothing and avoid the awkwardness of even saying anything to the person using the urinal
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In-universe how many people do you think actually do the whole “kindly pause” thing? Because it’s so stupid that if they’re actually doing it seriously then my immersion is completely ruined.
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saying it until you’re both completely out of the bathroom seems extreme and pointless.
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So if you walk into the bathroom and someone using it you have to say “kindly pause” until one of you has both feet out of the bathroom. That just gives off awkwardness that doesn’t need to happen.
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City doesn’t receive backlash for not saying “pause” because he is considered good-looking enough or cool enough
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I am just taking note of City`s point of view and his opinions on himself. He seems to think very highly of himself and take pride in his status at his school. His CW title also explains his very interesting humorous descriptions used earlier in the book.
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I typed in “Create an image that symbolizes ambition, strength, and an unshakable attitude, and that has the characteristics and style of an abstract portrait.”
This is the result,
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LaVander Peeler coined the expression and is unconcerned about it being interpreted as gay. The speaker has the finest waves in Hamer history and has won the Class Wittiest title twice, so they are confident in their notoriety and skills. The speaker is reluctant to utilize the catchphrase since LaVander Peeler is despised by the speaker’s peers as well.
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This"Kindly pause" statemnt is a sstemtn used by an alot of young people today
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City doesn’t want LaVander to feel as if he has any authority over him.
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https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/27/gay-teacher-homophobia/
This article is about a gay teacher who believes homophobia is on a rise in schools. People like LaVander have made it normal to use homophobia.
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What made him THINK he was gay?
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Here is an implementation of gender in this book
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I adored Laymon’s careful attention to regional and vernacular nuances in Long Division’s language. Long Division occasionally used excessive force where it wasn’t necessary. I want to point out that Laymon felt the need to overexplain certain concepts because time travel can be complicated. I’m hoping he leaves some of that out the next time. Other portions, if you don’t review them a few times, are simply plain baffling. Then there are other situations where I discovered it to be blatantly irrational after numerous rereads.
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City feels comfortable with his gender identity. He doesn’t conform to the norms of everyone else and he minds his business. He has his own identity instead of fitting into a box.
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City has such an uncanny hatred towards LaVander that he doesn’t even want to say a popular word that’s been created by him.
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I can tell this is a 14 year old boys perspective
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As I read, I noticed there are a couple of shorthand and abbreviations used similar to what teenagers and young people use today. I feel like that is a way to draw the audience or make the desired audience more interested in the book.
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This kind of language or wording makes the books more youthful and personal.
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I can understand why everyone hates them, they walk around like they got it all and are burgouisesque.
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It’s very interesting how everyone hates LaVander but constantly uses his word and follows his rules. If he has this impact on the students he most is someone with power and connection.
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I like the way you defined LeVander as a person, and I think the pic you were able to create also captured his loneliness as well, as he isn’t well liked by anyone.
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Why does everyone hate LaVander? What did he do? Are they jealous?
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Segregation is not in anyway deemed as a good thing, logically as humans we thrive off of our social climate, segregation goes against the very nature of humanity.
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from the first page, and I don’t think I’ve audibly laughed from a single book so many times in my life. It’s told 1st person, from City’s point of view, and he’s hilarious in thought and voice. He’s kinda wordy, which may turn some people off, but it makes his sentences seem oddly balanced, to me, as if at a certain word in the sentence, there’s a pivot, and the second half drops.
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I like how he includes real people such as rappers in his book. It helps make the book more fun and interesting to read
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I really liked how they used events that had happened and used rappers to describe the devastating moments. I also notice how they used all male rappers to show in the backdrop.
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A lot of allusion is used in this book, from in the beginning mentioning Andre 3000 and now Lil Wayne two well known names in hip hop.
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I wonder what the reasoning is for him to mention these famous people. Do they make an impact on his life in any way and is that the reason?
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It seems as if the author Kiese Laymon uses an unconventional narrative structure, and explores the interconnection between all eras.The first chapter of the section opens with detailed descriptions of the City’s rivalry with LaVander Peeler. Contentions between City and LaVander are the substance of the narrative
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This sentence mentions, the victim of the racially motivated shooting, Trayvon Martin
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He talks about trayvon martin gun violence situation— a young black man killed walking out of a store
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I want to know how this connects to the scene that was described. What do they mean by “Freedom School Now?”
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“Freedom Schools Now” This connects to the protest that happened March 28, 2023 regarding the school system and how there are unfair and unjust ways.
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A key takeaway from the latest video description is a dusty teenager from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee holding a sign with a message about civil rights and fighting discrimination. ‘s messages include messages like “Freedom Schools Now” and "Black people aren’t bad", calling for educational opportunities and suggesting a rejection of negative stereotypes surrounding black people. . The footage’s black-and-white format also adds to the historical context and feel of past civil rights struggles.
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The author quotes some of the messages that were being protested and I believe this detail is part of something deeper. Throughout the first chapter there is much talk about race and how it’s portrayed and discussed at his school. While some of the language used is strong, it signifies the reality of young ignorance.
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Is this one of the reasons why others dislike him? How would he feel if people were racist towards him?
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I agree with you that he is disliked
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He only feels this way because he has never been impacted in such a destructive way, his whole life he grew up in a norm. He doesn’t understand nor sympathize with those who have fought against, experienced or been a victim of racism.
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“I must stand for what is right”
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I had noticed that they used a lot of race identification throughout the book and they are referring to people by their race and where they came from.
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I denfinitly noticed this to
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I’m not saying this a good thing to do, but having tacos/burritos IN LIGHT of a new class of people seems kind of forced. Classic example of good intentions, but bad execution.
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I one hundred percent agree this is a very bizzare way to make someone feel included
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I feel like the principal had good intentions but his actions are over the top and unnecessary. Instead of having tacos/burritos he could find other ways to make the students feel welcomed
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I think this is slightly counteractive. In an effort to make them feel more accepted this seems to only single them out
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This is crazy to me, I connect this to when there were schools giving out fried chicken and watermelon for school lunch during Black History Month
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I agree seen it on the shade room, its super crazy I wouldn’t mind watermelons and fried chicken though
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This is just wrong all the way. It’s also tone-deaf. This isn’t how you make people feel accepted
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The speaker makes the comment “Being racist is fun.” I wonder why the author decided to include this thought in the book. Was it to represent the immaturity and ignorance of adolescents when it comes to race, standards, and stereotypes?
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I honestly wonder why too
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Are they going to a predominately all-black school where they have to feel like they have to accommodate of they will feel like they do not belong?
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This reminds me of a time during freshman year when Ms. D’Emma played “Changes” by 2pac during black history month. I was a little thrown off, it just felt like the common misconception about what represents black people. For example, in middle school when all we would do during black history month went over the same three figures; MLK, Malcolm X, and Rosa Park.
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You find yourself drawn to that scene because it’s a memory of a time when you were seeking to be seen and represented. Ms. D’Emma’s choice of music was a reminder of how shallow this month has become due to the lack of context of other prominent figures in black history. We need to go beyond what’s commonly expected and find ways to make our perspective, unique and individual, acknowledged, and valued. As you think of the lack of representation in schools, ask yourself what other figures from black history have been meaningful to you and if there are any genres of music that can be used to represent different voices in history. Try to search for these voices in books, videos, and media to add to the conversation about black history.
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The principal is doing the bare minimum for those students.
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Maybe the principal was trying to help but tried with the wrong message. A form of racism and misinformation. Not all Mexicans just eat tacos/burritos.
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WHat do they mean by the Mexican struggle? What makes their struggles different from everyone else’s?
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I am not going to lie, for about 2 years, I kept confusing Aleajandro’s name with Francisco’s. It happens unconsciously and I am quite ashamed of it. (My fault broskies if you’re reading this)
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what made that name different from other common names for Mexicans? I also found it a little out of pocket but racist
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I’m more concerned with City’s response. What does he mean by “it kind is.” How can being racist be “fun”?
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Some people, admittedly me, have a sense of humor that deals with the absurdity of context/subject manners. I am the type of person to laugh at a racist joke because it is just absurd that someone will make one in the first place.
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I agree it’s only acceptable when used by people in the same race AND the people involved are aware that it’s comedic.
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I wonder if he has other people at home acting the same way, maybe that is where he is getting this from.
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City in the beginning of the book said that Lavender cares too much about what white people think of him but I also think that City cares too much about what Lavender thinks.
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This also gives more about LaVander’s character and he seems like every high school bully in movies.
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I’m so confused… this book is definitely a lot to handle-
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It kind of caught me off guard that LaVander Peeler thinks being racist is fun. It makes me wonder what his race or ethnicity is.
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Feels like history repeating itself with the people thinking certain races are above or over other ones
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I feel as though this relates to real life. Nowadays everybody is racist and we laugh at it. It makes me question what does that mean
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In a comedy sketch, it usually is.
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Dude’s unhinged, it’s so funny. Love how honest he is.
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City really isn’t scared to speak his mind
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I see a combination of themes of viral celebrity, storytelling, racism, and religion for a coming-of-age, time-traveling tale rich in humor and astute observations.
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I’m now more curious I want to know why they hate each other that much and does LaVander have the same hate toward City. Since we are seeing this from City’s point if view so it’s very hard to tell.
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This small desperation of how the LaVander sentences felt as they were trying to snatch out city heart from his chest is a great example of how the author gives the readers a sensory experience. The description of how the sentence felt to City kinda gives the reader their own experience of it.
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To be honest thus relationship seems less of a love-hate and just friends being friends. Like I have many friends I speak to like this and there is nothing but love between us. I think this is more a boy thing, where dudes can go back and forth and seek pleasure or make a game of it.
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Fat is his first name, which can refer to his physical size
Homosexual can be his last name, referring to his sense of sexuality.
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Did he clear his throat out of nervousness or out of confidence?
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I don’t understand what Lavander is talking about most of the time…
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LaVander Peeler
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I wonder what it would be like to have a casual conversation with LaVander. He seems very snarky and smug.
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This boy and his insults are just weird and not even funny. But most importantly this notion that White people are less ignorant even though they didn’t take baths until they saw other cultures doing it is bizzare. He reminds me of a Boondocks character named Uncle Ruckus, he was a character who represented the overall community of Black people who have fallen to the disease of following the “white master race”
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He’s just saying “African American”, “Homosexual”, and “mommy issues”
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This contentious claim implies that African Americans are generally less educated than White Americans, and it is an extraordinary accomplishment, especially for someone facing additional personal challenges, to overcome these perceived limitations to succeed in areas like sentence construction in a predominantly White state. By highlighting his intention to outperform “City” in a forthcoming competition, the speaker appears to be taunting him.
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i full as hes feeding into their own stereotypes by saying African Americans are generally more ignorant than white people than to say blacks can’t win because people think that they are ignorant.
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Lavender peel is just a reminder of the past,things in the past to always be aware of because they still exist today
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It seems as if Lavender is just rambling to feel popular? And using arrogant comments about racism/slavery is below the belt just to want to be seen
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The humor in City’s insults towards LaVander lies in the fact that they are based on false assumptions – LaVander is not truly white, homeless, or gay. City’s exaggerated insult about LaVander’s pleasant scent, comparing it to a “little beast” fart, adds to the comedic effect. Furthermore, City’s sarcastic comments about the Can You Use That Word in a Sentence competition highlight the absurdity of the event and its biases towards certain regions.
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It is ironic that LaVander is sharing this opinion about African Americans when he himself is African American.
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I’m starting to think there is a reason why he puts on this tuff attitude all the time and think racism and gender slurs is ok. I also wonder if he acts like that at home as well
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This quote from the book challenges gender roles by exploring how African-American boys who perform better in school than other girls, regardless of race, can be seen as a sign of success. It also challenges the idea that only boys need to compete and be tough in order to prove themselves. How does this quote challenge accepted stereotypes surrounding gender, especially in relation to African-Americans? How might such a challenge lead to different gender dynamics in the classroom?
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In this paragraph you really get to see the side of LaVander that City was talking about in first paragraph.The side of which LaVender cares too much about what white people think of him and this may be why he is saying these things.
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He says “all things considered” a lot to make him seem better-spoken.
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Ok this paragraph was a lot and I can see why everyone hates this kid. He has the same ideologies as white people in the 1850s that “black men are less intelligent”. I feel like this is self hate or LeVander having inner conflicts with the way he views himself and how white people view him.
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What purpose does this little monologue serve? Is it meant to set up his character as one we aren’t supposed to like or is this just kind of there?
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Why does LaVander keep calling him a white fat homosexual if he is Black?
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LeVander actions support the fact that he loves being racist by telling him all these nonsense racist words. I don’t understand how he mentioned Fat, white, homosexual, African American?
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This saying relates to the thing that the person is lacking or has difficulty with such as trust issues or showing vulnerability.
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I wonder if LaVander actually believes what he’s saying, and if he does, why does he believe it?
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I don’t like the fact that the word “homosexual” is used in a negative way.
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After reading this, I wonder even more about Peeler’s race. For some reason, I have a feeling that this could be internalized racism. He sounds like a black person that acts like they’re better than black people.
Something else that stood out was him saying that white Americans are less ignorant “by nature”. What nature does he mean? Does he mean it in a systemic racism way or white people are biologically smarter than black people?
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First, is LaVander Peeler African American as well? Second, the sad reality and truth is that society, by nature, does assume white people are smarter than African Americans, which clearly time and time again has been proven not only wrong but just ignorant and stupid to claim.
Also, LaVander’s character has no filter and it’s crazy that he be saying all this stuff in 9th grade.
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The perception that black boys have daddy or mommy issues is rooted in harmful stereotypes and systemic issues related to race and family structures.
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Kiese uses satire through the character LaVander Peeler, reflecting on the real world and how ignorant some black people that pander to white society looks.
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Referring to the African Americans being more ignorant.
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This was a really disrespectful way to speak to somebody especially another black student and me personally I wouldn’t let that slide.
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I think this was very Interesting because people tend to create this reality that African Americans are loud, ignorant, and can come off “aggressive” but that’s all just an assumption.
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Why is LaVander always saying things like this to City? It makes me wonder about their past together and what might’ve happened to cause LaVander to act like this.
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Character description from the AI Mojo
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I think this picture is an interesting representation of how LaVander carries himself. It’s not one I initially pictured, but I understand it.
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An Ellipsis, or …, generally symbolizes the intentional exclusion of a word, sentence, or paragraph that works to prevent redundancy. Informally, it’s used as a developing thought
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The act of City just casually pulling out his brush and doing his hair is an obvious pull to try to detach himself from the situation. Perhaps his hair is coping mechanism because he was told it is the most important thing to him?
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I enjoy reading books where the author writes similar to how I talk.
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The contrasts shown in each of their characters is what makes this little rivalry seem more interesting
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Rather LaVander is White or Black, they portray individuals in society today who call black-educated individuals (It is clear by context City may be a black boy) or ones who speak proper “white.”
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I don’t understand the character of LaVander, because at some point he uses the phrase white to make fun of City but he’s always praising white in all of his sentence.
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The character LaVander is somewhat a replication of many African Americans today. There are some today who believe they are better than the next simply because they have “proper” speech. LaVander portrays himself as one who feels the need to speak in a tone and use specific words to build a reputation and gain a certain level of respect.
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I’m glad City pointed this out. It’s very contradicting to call him white as an insult but he praises them by saying they’re “less ignorant” for example.
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I totally agree with City here. LaVander’s sentences are wayyyy too long, and when he tries to diss City, it’s like you get lost in all his words and it doesn’t even make sense anymore.
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I find LaVander’s character funny. He reminds me of a child using big words to sound smart but doesn’t actually know what they mean.
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It’s cool how City has the capability of being as well-spoken as people want him to be, but he just uses his own sentence formation because he doesn’t care. He gave LaVander silent criticism while using incorrect grammar in his own sentence.
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City’s and LaVander’s use of the english language are fairly different. However, they put themselves against each other because they are simply different.
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I agree that Lavender sentence could be more dynamic and short but I think that is something that makes up his personality
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I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
… and I like the way City thinks…
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I think that LeVander attempting to intimidate City is an example of him tiring to assert his dominance as a man.
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The author has a way of writing his characters that makes them familiar and the readers are able to easily picture the person.
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I am connecting this to gender roles because he is doing nothing for himself. City is connecting his uncle to sleeping around with women, almost as if it is acceptable. He then goes on the say that his uncle makes up for it.
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We are easily able to visualize the man and his everyday life.He is very lazy and sleeps around with women ;a common stereotype of men these days
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The author uses satire and criticism in this chapter to examine the relationship between City, the protagonist, and Lavander Peeler. Long words used by Lavander Peeler to scare City are mocked as an overdone and unsuccessful strategy. The remark is seen in the difference between Grandma City’s and Uncle Relle’s counsel and Lavander Peeler’s intimidating methods. They highlight the value of resilience and mental toughness, implying that success calls for more than simply flashy pride. Uncle Relle is portrayed as being somewhat untrustworthy, which lends the story a humorous edge while also making a point about the peculiarities and complications of family dynamics. In general, the chapter makes fun of numerous intimidation techniques to illustrate their ridiculousness
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He seems like a funny and likable character so far
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Kiese compliments Uncle Relle’s description generally well and beautifully characterizes Uncle Relle.
He’s a perfect type of maniac, which is communicated through his bodily harm contrasted with his graceful voice.
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Uncle Relle seems like a funny and very interesting character. I hope to hear more about him later in the book
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Kiese creates a sensory experience for the reader by providing the reader with more detail about this character. His doing this allows us to get a better idea of Uncle Relle’s physical appearance along with personality descriptors.
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This paragraph and the one above show the great descriptions and imagery of City’s uncle. I notice Kiese includes different characteristics of black families/culture.
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Uncle Relle was a strange man with crimson eyes that were webbed and his own distinct speech. After losing the tips of three of his fingers in a vehicle accident, he is left with just three nubs, a thumb, and a pinky. He continuously pointed at individuals while holding out his right hand and requesting stuff from them that he didn’t need.
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First of all, Uncle Relle’s voice and delivery give what he says a sense of authority and conviction. This increases his influence on the main character and other characters because he now serves as a mentor and source of knowledge. He is able to spread the “ratchet gospels” and alter people’s perspectives because of his narrative prowess and commanding voice. In addition, Uncle Relle’s physical features—in particular, his crimson, webbed eyeballs—create an air of mystery and intrigue. It contributes to the tone of the book overall and acts as a visual reflection of his outlandish personality. His peculiarity is further enhanced by his drooping V-neck T-shirts and the specifics of his hand, which give him a remarkable and unique personality.
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Uncle Relle is just like a Caribbean uncle who has those red eyes, but always has to make a comment.
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I think this a great ability for people to have. Knowledge is a valuable quality
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The way Kiese Laymon writes this is amazing. It’s not a way I would ever think to describe someone talking, and yet, I know exactly what sound he is talking about.
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I can’t tell if he is describing his uncle with great detail or too much detail like he is paying a lot of attention or watching him all the time.
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City and his uncle are similar because they like to make lots of jokes. City and his grandmother differ because his grandmother is the more wise and serious person in the family unlike City.
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It’s basically saying don’t lie to sound important because if you did something that was honerable it would be recognized on its own.
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It says that a real survivor doesn’t need to show that they are a survivor because know what and who they are, and no person or thing can take that away from them.
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I think the meaning of this phrase by Grandma is supposed to symbolize the silence of trauma. Survivors of trauma do not have to show anyone what they’ve gone through in respect to themselves, as they may suffer PTSD or feel embarrassed.
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I think this quote might come up later in the book and be a possible theme
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A real survivor doesn’t need to show that they are a survivor because why should they care whether other people think they are a survivor? They pushed through hell to get where they are now, they survived whatever the universe threw at them, and so they are confident in themselves and their status as a survivor. It’s a level of self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-reflection that only comes from experiencing something that shakes the foundations of who you are, and pushing through it, from enduring whatever torment the universe pushes against you and coming out intact. You know what and who you are, and no person or thing can take that away from you.
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Considering what this sentence means, City perceives Grandma as a person of wisdom. This is due in part to her age but also her gender being usually portrayed as a caretaker that is supposed to support their children by any means possible, whether by spoken advice or anything else.
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both characters are really good at english grammar and the ability to come up with very long complicated sentences on the whim with a crowd is nothing short but impressive.
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The way they talk to each other reminds me of slam poetry and Kiese Laymon does such an amazing job showing their relationship in this unique way.
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Commentary on culture, “talking white”
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Lavender Peeler is informed by the narrator that “plagiarize” is actually spelled with two “as,” two “i,” and a “z,” not a “s.” They compare it to the buttery, white crumbs that keep falling from his father’s mouth when he consumes a Popeyes buttermilk biscuit. The narrator then turns to face Octavia Whittington as there is a citation in the line.
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City is a young black boy that has confidence that others around him would like to have. A hairbrush is a symbol of him as that is something that he always has with him. City could seem rude but I think that is what makes up his character, someone who is direct and clear about things.
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I really like this image, it’s different from what I imagined City to look like but I understand it. The brush is such an important piece to City.
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The hairbrush is quite the symbol that I’ve seen alot of people overlook for its importance. Not only that, but you’re amongst the first I’ve seen that accurately reflects what I think the brush represents. City is a person who doesn’t care what others think, and the stock hairbrush reflects that perfectly!
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This sentence is so long. I don’t even think it’s a sentence at that point. More like a rant with no breaks in between.
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I feel like City is fighting back a little.
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This was quite humorous for me to read. It takes me back to a time where kids in school would also stand in a circle and have what we called “roast battles”.
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This paragraph emphasizes how insulting words and personal assaults may be used to diminish someone’s accomplishments and self-worth. As a form of psychological warfare against their intended victim, “City,” the speaker uses stereotypes, mocking, and demeaning analogies. This text is a reflection of the harsh reality and internal conflicts that people may experience in particular circumstances, where social and personal demands help to exacerbate the emotional and psychological difficulties people deal with.
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I feel like this image accurately describes City. He shows that he doesn’t really care and likes to challenge people as stated in your description. This matches how he’s described in the book.
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I love your description of city he is a very relatable character and he is what the story needed to tell the story of his town
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Dear Wylla
The cold stare, coupled with your description of City is impeccable. He is portrayed as a person who has essentially had enough with all the things caught up in his life. He is taking nothing from anyone and this image pretty much sums up that idea.
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The main character, City Coldson, is a smart and funny Black American youngster from Mississippi who finds himself dealing with questions of race, society, and self-discovery as he sets off on a time-traveling adventure. Throughout the book, City is able to traverse a society that pushes him to develop and defy social conventions thanks to his distinctive voice, genuineness, and sensitivity.
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The use of snide remarks and other forms of abuse to reduce an individual’s achievements and sense of self-worth is highlighted in this paragraph. The speaker employs stereotyping, ridiculing, and humiliating analogies as a form of psychological warfare against their intended victim, “City.” This essay is a representation of the hard realities and inner struggles that individuals may go through in specific situations, where social and personal obligations serve to intensify the emotional and psychological challenges individuals face.
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These characters were wonderful. Such a plot. So much fun and humor. There is also some dark, twisting material, but it is not heavy; rather, it is honest and combines humor with dread. Even though I didn’t fully understand the time travel mechanics, I was able to suspend my disbelief, and it was well worth it. The sentences are also excellent!
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“one sentence is similar to imagery, as it doesn’t literally doesn’t mean one sentence, and at this moment City is kinda using it to tell laVander to stop talking.
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The way they go back and fourth over nothing makes me feel that they will become very good friends later in the book
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There are often people who focus on the in the moment or the attention they are getting now. They often forget about the future. With City said “ striving for legendary” this open my eyes because I was raised with that mindset.
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I wonder if LaVander does this with City because he has a crowd watching him and he likes the attention, or is it something else?
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Chapter 2
There, he has to deal with aggressive racists, his grandmother’s church, the fallout from his competition outburst (which has gone global in the manner things could go viral back in 2013), and the disappearance of his neighbor, a young woman called Baize Shephard. In addition, he discovered the unusual novel Long Division, in which he plays the lead role.
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Throughout the first chapter, I noticed that City takes great pride in his waves. He mentions them at least 3 times when talking about himself and his achievements. I wonder if City talks about it so much because he knows that LaVander can never beat him in that section.
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I think he is trying to appeal to the crowd and make them laugh/connect to him or be on his side.
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Could by any chance this competition made them very competitive that they started to hate each other and that’s why they always hating on each other?
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LaVander is using satire to mock the stereotype of a black person
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I think this is connecting or introducing the idea that black people only win big in sports
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Within the book, Satire is used to reveal some new characters as well as reveal certain aspects of a character. For example, “One Sentence” introduces City and Lavender. It speaks on the aspects of the relationship and tension between City and Lavender. It also reveals how satire is used to reveal the very negative behavior and attitude Lavander has. To add, “Chitlin City” mentions Shalaaya. Shalaaya and City turn out to actually have a lot of things in common.
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I hate the way this Lavander speaks, he tries to hard to sound more fancy than he is. And it’s quite annoying, I’m only one chapter in and I hope he gets punched in the face.
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He constantly uses the phrase all things considered to make him sound smarter but since he overuses it it does the opposite and he constantly feels the need to put down city to make himself feel better
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Couldn’t he get suspended or even get kicked out of the contest for posting a threatening student and posting it on youtube?
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Is his motive of using the term to insult City? If so, why is being called homosexual a term of negativity?
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LaVander use of the word homosexual makes me think that maybes he’s the one thats a "homosexual. Bullying City may help him feed off of his on insecurities.
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Why does he keep referencing him as a fat homosexual, it’s getting a little annoying and he continues to over use it.
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In this picture I’m trying to depict City and some type of way because they don’t give any real characteristics to City besides a little bit of them. I put different imaginary words and to make this picture and it shows that city is looking back at himself. In this picture I’m trying to depict the city is looking at his better self and his best self.
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It seems like the important takeaway from the end of this chapter feels like an impromptu street fight. The set piece compliments this with people standing around City and LaVander laughing and chanting. It is a battle of simply words and witticisms. They’re both brilliant in their own right, which makes me think they are just simply testing each other.
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This is the second time he mentioned how LaVander smelled and he’s always using good imagery.
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City is very comedic throughout the whole story
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I adore books that kind of leave me in the dark about what precisely happened and how I felt about it, leaving me just certain that I need to read them again.
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It seems like the sentence battles Lavander and City have are very ruthless and anything can be said no matter how personal it is
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They both are ruthless about what they say and instead of backing down from one another, they go to another level of disrespect. Mind you they aren’t even fighting with their hands
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In the end battle between City and LaVander, LaVander proceeds to throw insults at City’s mother, and not directly to him anymore. To steep that low considers the possibility that City must have done something deep to LaVander, which has not been stated yet. Or, it could factor in the embarrassment City had put him threw. It tells me that LaVander is very cautious about his persona and how others view him. I also considered LaVander’s hatred stemmed for City stem from City’s popularity.
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That was a sucker punch
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I’m not sure where the analogy LeVander started with was going? Also, it seems like LeVander is taking everything to heart, as opposed to City where he makes jokes in a lighthearted manner.
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Bro these long sentences are just annoying, they are only using commas. Im pretty sure these are becoming run on sentences
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Satire is used in Chapter 1 because City is called a “white fat homosexual”. This is a clear example of satire as City is not white, fat, or homosexual.
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Kiese Laymon employs satire to criticize how modern media is shallow and influences individuals’ thoughts and actions. City, the main character, is engrossed in a viral video frenzy that holds no significance, serving as a representation of the vacuous consumerist society that he resides in. By ridiculing this trend, Laymon highlights how people’s attention is diverted to insignificant content instead of engaging with substantive issues. Laymon implies that media’s trivialization perpetuates a shallow culture that can’t contemplate on essential concerns. By doing so, he stresses the need to re-examine the impact of the media on society.
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Do y’all think there is even a real problem between City and LaVander?
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I wonder if they will continue to do this one sentence thing throughout the book.
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The literary device for this phrase was Repetition. I think they tried to emphasise their statement with saying “all things considered”.
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Why is this the name of the chapter?
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Kiese Laymon uses satire and commentary within ALL CLEAN to cleverly explore issues around race, dignity, and education in the American school environment. The main character, Citoyen, is accused of using a racial slur and is subjected to a unique form of punishment with a test that would take a year to make up. These types of punishments are indicative of how the American school system sets children up to fail. The principal, Ms. Reeves is portrayed as a strict and somewhat eccentric figure, who uses past historical events such as the children who died to get an education for him to motivate Citoyen to behave better. Additionally, the use of Maya Angelou’s quote, a black historical figure speaks to how American Culture idolizes the words and teachings of the past, but never quite commits to them and more than often complains of what’s going wrong with the country. “ In Principal Reeves’s office, next to her bookshelf, was a poster with a quote from Maya Angelou. The backdrop of the poster was the sun and in bolded red letters were the sentences, “Bitterness is like cancer. 1It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently” (Laymon, Paragraph 48)
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“The chapter “All Clean” employs satire and commentary to criticize the American education system and its emphasis on testing. Citoyen is told that the test may take the rest of the year, highlighting the value of standardized testing. This critique continues as Citoyen comments on being looked at with sad red eyes, indicating a common experience of students being on a lower level to test scores. Additionally, Citoyen is told that this is the biggest day of their life, suggesting the narrow and excessive focus on testing in the education system."This is an excellent example of satire with mocker, the subject being testing.
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Kiese Laymon employs satire and social commentary in, ALL CLEAN, to deftly address issues surrounding race, dignity, and education in the American school system. The protagonist, Citoyen, is accused of using a racial epithet and is subjected to an unconventional form of punishment in the form of a year-long test, which exemplifies how the American education system is designed to set children up for failure. The principal, Ms. Reeves, is depicted as a strict and somewhat peculiar figure who cites past historical events, such as the sacrifices made by children in the pursuit of education, to motivate Citoyen to improve his behavior. Moreover, the use of a quote from Maya Angelou, a celebrated African-American literary figure, speaks to the tendency of American culture to romanticize the words and teachings of the past without truly committing to them and instead frequently bemoaning the state of the country. “In Principal Reeves’s office, adjacent to her bookshelf, hung a poster displaying a quote from Maya Angelou. The poster’s backdrop featured the sun, and the words ‘Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently’ were inscribed in bold red letters.” (Laymon, paragraph 48)
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In chapter two you can see how Laymon tries to bring readers of all ages in by using thoughts of City’s to express age. City talks about the principal and her relation to his mother. City goes on to say, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.” I think that this was a great use of satire because it portrays City’s youthfulness. I think it was funny for Laymon to add this because you hear young kids say that 30 is old all the time, so for City to say this made me connect to my younger self.
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In Chapter 2 author Kiese Laymon uses satire to speak on racial issues and the school system. In this chapter, the main character Citoyen was accused of using a racial slur and was punished because of it. In the book it says, “At Hamer, they were always experimenting with different styles of punishment ever since they stopped whupping ass a few years ago.” The school system promotes educating the young students of this generation but the students fear their staff more. In Citoyen’s situation, this punishable test is harming their curriculum.
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In chapter 2, you can see how Laymon makes an effort to engage readers of all ages by using City’s thoughts to represent the thoughts and beliefs of people his age. As the principal and her connection to City’s mother are addressed, City continues, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.”. I feel that this beautifly captured the difference in mindset between the ages of both him and his teacher and where they tend to clash. I feel this also shows the way that City’s individual perception of age and explains his actions.
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Chapter 2 of Long Division features Laymon’s use of City’s thoughts to explore the concept of age and engage readers of all ages. City discusses the principal’s age and her relationships with people of different ages, humorously stating, “She’s old now, in her early thirties, so you would expect her to have only Black friends in her thirties, but she had old Black friends, young African friends, and super-old friends like Principal Reeves.”This use of satire effectively portrays City’s youthful perspective, as he considers 30 to be old, adding a relatable element for readers.
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City and Lavender frequently debate one another about each other’s appearance or the qualities they like and dislike about one another. Knowing his mother and informing City about the history of many students who made changes was something Miss Reeves had to do. Brenda Travis, a high school student from McComb, just up the road, was fifteen years old, according to Principal Reeves. "Fifty years ago, that young woman canvassed these same streets with the SNCC’s voter registration volunteers. The girl was given a year in the state juvenile prison for the crime of ordering a hamburger from a white restaurant, and she led students like you on a sit-in.
Satire and commentary are used from City and Principal Reeves’s conversation.
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Throughout the reading of “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon, satire is used to refer to and mock real-life controversies and situations. Each chapter focuses on different aspects of America and has various discussions. Throughout the chapters, most of the satire depictions were made towards race, age, and the school system. One example is in paragraph 58 when City’s principal mentions, “It might take you the rest of the year to complete it, but we have plenty of time” (Laymon). This mocks the school’s testing system by emphasizing that it would take City a long time to complete because that was the purpose of the test.
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Seen in Chapter 2, satire is displayed through sarcasm, and jokes. I read in most of the dialogue between City and the principal. City drags on the many harsh words used to describe a black or “African American” person, to try to explain what LaVander told Principal Reeves. Principal Reeves includes the saying of how we impact the future. Which we very much do. I seen the quote as sarcasm because of the surrounding texts and context of their conversation about City’s behavior in school.
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In Chapter 2 the author uses satire and humor to discuss race and educational situations such as school punishments. Since whupping is no longer allowed students are required to take a year long true or false punishment. The chapter focuses on City and how he acts a fool. On paragraph 80 it states “You are history. Kids rights around your age died changing history so you could go to school, so you could compete in that contest tonight, and here you are acting a fool”
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The author Laymon used satire in this chapter to discuss the educational system and what race is like in a school setting. City was handed a test that would take him a year to complete, despite the fact that it consisted of short, straightforward questions, and it was utilized to criticize the educational system in America. LeVander also used satire when talking about City, as seen in the preceding chapter as well.
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City has to specify that he allegedly called him the N-word with a HARD R. The way this sentence is made tells me that this word is a no-go, supplemented by the fact that LaVander decided to tell the principal about it. It is perhaps an unwritten rule that’s broken when they engage in banner?
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He used loose skins to explain how old their principle was.
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It seems that the N-word is a lot more casual even with people who aren’t a part of the demographic that uses it.
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What does he mean by this term? I’m confused. Are you?
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Both City and LaVander know what they’re saying, they’re just supplementing heir insults to “hide” the true meaning of what they say. Is there more code in the language that City and LaVander speak to one another in?
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Not to say that’s what LaVander Peeler gets.. but that’s definitely what he gets.
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The stuff that LaVander is saying about City is staying on the back of City’s mind. City could’ve just brushed off of this by not elaborating on his relationship of girls but he insists that he is not homosexual. This mental affliction plays a role to the extent of how damaging their interactions are.
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I don’t know why City gets so defensive about LaVander calling him and homosexual to the point he has to make it overly clear and prove why he’s not, there may be some truth to it and that’s why he’s getting defensive.
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bro is gettin it
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I like how in the beginning he’s defending his sexuality but slowly begins to downplay himself at the same time.
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LaVander is constantly making inappropriate remarks and negative comments towards City, which is an example of satire.
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I noticed that he said he brought his brush by accident. This makes me connect to the idea that police or people have mistaken brushes (especially when in the hands of black men) for guns. I’m not sure if this is satire, but I think it can connect to the criticism of American society.
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He did a great job in desribing the office of the principal by describing the painting in which she had on her wall and other description that helped us to imagine ourselves in the principle office.
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This was an very impactful statement and I was able to visualize it
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????
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I think that Laymon did a great job with imagery. I can really imagine myself in this area and what the poster would look like. The sense he is connecting is sight.
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This is a perfect example of how the author implements imagery in the text to really describe the setting.
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I wanted to connect this quote to another from Commander Zavala of Destiny 2 – Devotion inspires bravery. Bravery inspires sacrifice. Sacrifice leads to death.
Before Courage, you need devotion to a cause. Devotion is something that is the catalysis of Bravery/Courage, which leads to an indominable will.
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I’ve noticed that throughout the book the author makes many interesting quotes. They are thrown in, in middle of conversations casually and I wonder why the author decided to include these quotes at those specific lines.
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City is not one for complicated meanings, such as the meanings of emotions. He is one for the simple meanings found within things like color and perhaps sound.
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I really liked this phrase, I liked how he still feels and understand emotions through colors and things the represent something.
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Chapter 3
In “Book Two,” in the year 1985, City, a black kid from Melahatchie, Mississippi, falls in love with Shalaya Crump. He learns from Shalaya that she has discovered a means to go into the future (2013) and that she is concerned that she will not be alive there. She has the ability to go back in time to 1964, where the KKK is going to murder her and City’s grandpas. The two encounter Evan Altshuler in 1964, who wants to assist them in rescuing both their grandparents and his own family. They come upon Baize Shephard in 2013.
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City doesn’t really seem to grasp the underlying message of the poster, or he does and he’s looking past it on purpose.
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I really enjoy.
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As someone who’s had teachers who were friends with my parents, this is relatable and not necessarily a fun experience.
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I like how he provides a lot of information on the character, not just in terms of appearance but also in terms of mentality and outlook.
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I feel his thoughts are symbolizing his age because only young people think this way
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laymon is doing a wonderful job at creating a visual of what the office looks like, and what Reeves looks like.
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Love a good Kanye reference in modern media.
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The reference to Kanye West is another example of the use of satire in the book.
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In Long Division, Citoyen ‘City’ Coldson, a high school student growing up in modern-day Mississippi, is a wave brush-wielding, slick-talking character. City finds himself reading a book called Long Division, whose main character is also a teenager named “City,” in 1984, after getting into some difficulty at school.
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I was really curious about the character’s name, but now we know his actual name
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The saying that the test might take Citoyen a whole year is satire used to mock the American school system
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The imagery implications of this lines describes a visible emotion of betrayal. Sad eyes contrasting with the color red creates an image of pure disdain
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This line feeds into the idea of how progressive America has become, instead of students being beat, they have to settle with things that are arguably more damaging and taxing than beatings could ever be. This is evident due to how complex punishments can be.
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Schools are always implementing policies and punishments that are counterproductive to the curriculum or what they are trying to teach the students.
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I feel that Laymon might be mocking testing in schools/criticizing American education because we are very big on testing in the US.
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There are so many important tests an American child must know. Philadelphia has the PSSA’s and the Keystone Tests, coupled with the SAT’s. Teachers will tell us that these will be the most important tests of our lives.
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This image can be thought of as a reflection of what the average American student is expected to think. Anything can be simplified down to being true or false, despite the complexity of each statement, we as students are expected to simplify these statements to just being true or false.
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City says this after being told a serious story of someone going to prison for having a sit-in. He’s joking about a little detail.
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Holding your teeth in place is a great example of satire that is used to criticize or mock American society since it’s another way of saying your holding on to a grudge that is meanless since it’s doesn’t do anything.
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Knowing that they are siblings surprised me a little bit because I had never imagined that they would be related given that City had spent an entire chapter proclaiming his hatred for LeVander. Now that they hate each other so much, I want to know what had happened between the brothers.
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I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
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What is wrong with using a wave brush? This is definitely using satire to criticize Americans, people are always trying to stop things that people use in one culture to make that race/culture more “American”
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Whilst noticing the amount of dedication given to the brush before, I would say the Brush symbolizes a coping mechanism for City. City uses the brush to reduce his stress or anxiety, such as the case when he pulled it out during the altercation with LaVander.
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Even the staff are okay with saying the N-word so casually, even though they reprimand students for doing the same.
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Considering the possibility that City uses his wave-brush as a stress-reducing device, it seems comically evil that the school suspends wave brushes. This carries two meanings, one is that it’s just absurdly humorous to ban brushes in schools, and the other meaning in City’s case is that the ban basically says it doesn’t care whether or not the brush carries value as a stress-reducer.
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I find some similarity to the “The Hate U Give” as Khalil also had a hairbrush, and got killed by the police over it.
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Are they biologically related? This confuesd me.
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I don’t think they are related, it is a figure of speech to show that they are similar, for example I might call another black female my sister simply because we are alike and might share similar experiences.
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Is the book long Divison written by City to answer the bonus question on the test he’s been asked to take?
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City is taken aback when he notices the peculiar Long Division book on Principal Reeves’ shelf. It is without an author’s name, and the cover offers no clues as to its genre. This sparks the protagonist’s curiosity to find out if it is fictional or nonfictional, a concept that comes to symbolize the author’s exploration of the line between reality and literature.
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He is using his visual imagery to describes this book, which doesn’t appear like any other book.
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The book that we’re reading exists within the narrative itself. Is this an attempt to ground the book in reality of another?
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How does his book exist in his book? I’m curious to see how he incorporates this into the story and what “Long Division” is about in the story. I also wonder if there is some significance to the cover design as he’s given such a detailed description of it.
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I feel like this in-depth description of the book cover may tell us that City may have an interest in the book later.
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He basically straight up describes the cover of the book we’re reading now, I wonder if that is to further show that this is somewhat of true story of his life or someone close to him. It feels a bit meta, and maybe satirical mocking the book we’re reading.
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I never noticed this until it was pointed out, I kinda just thought it was the font since Kiese didn’t have a dot over the i either. I wonder what the significance of this is.
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The author introduces the book cover and I wonder why the placement of the three dots is important.
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My AI creation is of City. The description is a black male, he is funny, confident, and pro-black. He is an advocate for black rights and equality, and he uses his humor and wit to bring attention to important issues. He is outspoken, but also kind and understanding. He is a leader in his community, and he takes pride in being a role model for younger generations.
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This is my Ai creation of CIty. I plugged in " a 14-year-old, small and skinny black boy with a curly top afro and wide body with full lips and slightly low eyes." I created this based on what image came to my head since the book doesn’t get into deep detail about what he looks like. I didn’t think he would be on the larger side because there wasn’t any mention of sports as if he was an athlete or anything.
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I feel this is often a trend in America where older people feel respect is just given instead of earned and that is just not the case at all
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I just realized City’s full name is Citoyen and City is just a nickname.
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Chapter 4
Character is the first thing that stands out regardless of whatever side you start with, notably City, the storyteller. He has to share a lot with you, including his ideas on Lavander Peeler, Principle Reeves, the “Can You Use That Term in a Sentence” contest, Melahatchie, Baize Shephard, and himself. He is self-conscious in a way that prevents him from always giving an accurate picture of his inner thoughts, yet he nevertheless digs much further than the majority of 14-year-old protagonists do. City is worried and depressed about a number of things despite his braggadocio. He occasionally acknowledges this to himself, and other times, he merely acknowledges how it feels in his body
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City acknowledges that he disagrees with his mother’s viewpoint, indicating a conflict between the concepts of individual responsibility and freedom and communal and intergenerational accountability. The paragraph unveils issues on the deep connections between identity and responsibility, as well as how people manage their positions within larger social structures.
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I think what his mom said is true because actions can have certain consequences, and if he doesn’t think what he says is wrong, then others won’t either, which will impact how people see other people in the future.
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This is a fantastic quote that captures the influence that someone may have while speaking for and reflecting on a particular community.
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My initial thought on this was that it was just a joke but now i’m wondering if they intentionally added this for a reason beyond that
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I wonder if this book will actually change how he views things and cause some type of character development.
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This may be foreshadowing future events to where this book actually changes the trajectory of City’s life.
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He’s using his visual imagery to talk about this occasion and goes into specific detail, which helps the reader visualize the scene.
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I think this symbolizes the way something can change, whether that be a mood or a person. Change is rapid.
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I wonder if City is autistic the way he notices the small details of certain things that others would ignore or not catch.
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Kiese Laymon incorporates satire in his writing by utilizing contemporary terms and phrases, such as “nigga” or “homosexual,” as observed through the character dialogue. In the chapter, Principal Reeves avoids drama and negativity, particularly because she is familiar with City’s mother, and instead offers City historical context about the struggles African American students have faced in their pursuit of education. Also informing him of his privacy duties in the bathroom.
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Laymon continues to use satire to comment on the absurdity of certain cultural practices. The portrayal of the beauty pageant, which City’s girlfriend participates in, is a commentary on the way women are objectified and exploited for their physical appearance. Laymon also critiques the way black people are commodified and marketed in popular culture, as represented by the fictional “We Global” music label.
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SPECIAL GAME uses satire and commentary to highlight the innocence and naivety of youth in regards to love, and the focus on the future and their wish to change it for the better. Laymon uses satire in City’s attempts to impress and win over Shalaya, highlighting his sincere insecurities and misguided efforts to be "special” that speaks to American Culture that emphasizes how praised the desire to be loved is. This dynamic within America affects the youth to a point where it changes people in the wrong ways. Laymon ultimately touches on the complexities of teenage love as a rocky and often detrimental process due to the external factors that are products of American culture. For example, City tells about the New Editions and Micahel Jackson, both two popular masculine artist(s) that were known to be that may have had an influence on City’s confidence for the worst, causing him to act differently to Shalaya Crump. This prompts her to briefly confront him about his changing attitude, affecting the stability of their relationship.
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The chapter “Special Game” in the novel takes a different approach to satire and commentary than the previous chapters. In this chapter, satire is mainly used to express the protagonist City’s unrequited love for Shalya. City uses satire to explore the idea of what something should be and shouldn’t be, which plays a significant role in the commentary of the chapter. He compares his relationship with Shalya to societal norms and expectations. Additionally, City reflects on Shalya’s use of the phrase “the future dot-dot-dot,” which he perceived differently than what others might actually use it for.
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In chapter 3, it shows the inexperience and innocence of youth when it comes to love, as well as their focus on the future and desire to improve it. Laymon used satire to show City’s true insecurities and foolish efforts to stand out which relates to many common stereotypes and stresses how important the desire to be loved is. This is done in the context of City’s attempts to impress and win over Shalaya. Youth in America are significantly impacted by this American dynamic, and as a result, people are negatively changed. Finally, Laymon discusses the complexities of teenage love as a difficult and frequently harmful process brought on by outside elements that are products of pressure from our society.
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The relationship between City and Shalaya Crump is very interesting especially they way they talk to each other. City really likes her, but her mind is more in the future like 2013. She has captured City’s attention, and he cares a great deal about her welfare. City learns about the history of racism and oppression in the South through his quest to save Shalaya, and he also develops a deeper understanding of his own identity and position in the universe.
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In this chapter, readers can see the use of satire through City’s fondness of Shayla. City’s exaggerated affection for Shayla adds depth to his character and provides comedic relief in the story. This use of satire adds an additional layer to City’s character development and serves as a reflection of the adolescent mindset, creating an engaging and relatable reading experience for readers of all ages. Laymon effectively uses satire to highlight the complexities of youth culture and societal expectations in a humorous and thought-provoking manner.
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The relationship between City and Shalaya Crump is very interesting especially they way they talk to each other. City really likes her, but her mind is more in the future like 2013. She has captured City’s attention, and he cares a great deal about her welfare. City learns about the history of racism and oppression in the South through his quest to save Shalaya, and he also develops a deeper understanding of his own identity and position in the universe.
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This chapter uses satire and humor to address City love for Shalaya Crump. It starts of by saying “I never had a girlfriend because I loved this funky girl named Shalaya Crump.” The chapter shows how children love is over the top and exaggerated" This is shown in paragraph 132 when he says “Im coming back to fly to the future with you for spring break, baby.”
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In this chapter, we are seen Satire used by the character to criticize himself explaining why he never had a girlfriend before. It was always by making himself look ridiculous and not smart just to show that his look and his low intelligence could’ve possible been why his first love didn’t like him back.
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In Long Division, written by Kiese Laymon, the author draws attention to problems with race, identity, and power in America through satire and social criticism. Laymon uses humor in the first four chapters to criticize how blackness is portrayed in the media and how black culture is being turned into a commodity. For instance, the protagonist, City, uses sarcasm to undermine the producers’ attempts to craft a stereotyped black narrative when he is asked to take part in a reality TV show. Laymon uses commentary to examine the Deep South’s history of racism and oppression.
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Here is a good example of satire in the form of comedy. Here City uses himself as the butt of the joke. Another thing I noticed about how the author uses satire is he commonly uses similes or metaphors to make the joke. In this example he compares his hairline to a smurf house.
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In this section, Satire is used all over as City talks about his love interest. The one I want to point out is when Shalaya used the words “dot-dot-dot” and how City was confident that she didn’t mean it in the way everyone is.
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City uses alot of humor to cover up his true feelings, calling her funny and insinuating shes using hi,, I wonder what she did to him to make him feel defensive the way he is
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This quote characterize Shalaya’s quote, illustrating her rebelliousness to social norms, living in her own field of influence.
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I pluggin this description into Youth Voices “ African American Caramel skin short curly hair 14 year old girl with full lips and shinny eyes. This image gives the visual that I see of what she may look like.
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City humorously mocks his hip size. These type of jokes are uncommon in this novel.
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I did notice that it could be a piece of physical description.
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From City’s description of Shayla, he really loves Shayla and respects her. One thing I picked up on is that he describes both LeVander and Shayla as people who are “know-it-alls”. However in LeVander’s case he sees this as a negative thing because he hates him, but for Shayla he admires it.
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In my own experience I do notice that some adults do act like they have a bunch of knowledge on topics that they don’t, or always think that they are right. I wonder if LeVander also has this attitude because he learned it from his own parents?
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Throughout the book so far I have gotten to know City as a humorous, sarcastic, and witty person. He makes slick remarks about LeVander, but also finds unique ways to express his feelings or to describe someone or something. In another light I also find City to be self conscious because he carries around a hairbrush fix his waves, and talks a bit about his weight.
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I love how you incorporated the part of the story where he talks about his hair brush.
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This image makes me think about an alternate personality for City. Maybe how LaVander views City?
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Wow this rely surprised me. I love how to took the internal characteristics and made it into physical attributes.
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In this metaphor that Laymon uses, he is essentially comparing the sad stories of mississipi to that of hungry mosquitos and stickler bushes. This overall demeans the value of these sad stories when they are compared to such things and thus creates the narrative that no one really cares about sad stories unless it truly is sad.
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an example of satire
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City’s adamance on loving Shalaya Crump could be a allegory for how hypermasculine men could become, instead of winning over the heart of a women through natural means, men have progressed to men just simply demanding or saying that they love a woman.
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Their conversation regarding each other and the future and relationship.
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I wonder why Shalaya is so focused on the future. Would loving City right now change so much?
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It’s interesting to see that City always uses her full name, “Shalaya Crump.” The way he talks about her makes it seem as though he really idolizes her. He listens to everything she says and thinks all these amazing things of her.
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Thinking about the perspective that this is written in, I feel as though City should be able to see that Shalaya just doesn’t seem to feel the same way about him as he feels for her. The story isn’t being twisted or anything to make it seem as though she does love him. The way she says, “I could love you the way you want me to, really,” makes it feel like she would only ever love him because he wants her to love him.
I’m curious to see how this relates to the rest of the story and/or how it has shaped City as a person.
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What does Shalaya mean when she keeps saying “change the world in a special way”?
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It seems like both in the past and present Cities mom makes him stay with his grandmother no matter what, he still seems to have the same personality
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Honesty and NO F**ks given is something that City appreciates, this falls in line with City’s 2013 counterpart in which he prides himself on simplicity which involves forefront integrity in the form of honesty and unbothered thoughts.
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I wonder what Shayla means about changing the future? She never lists anything specific when she says it, but maybe she could be referring to problems in society? I also wonder how far into the future she means, is she talking when they’re adults or when they get a few years older?
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He gives a visual in this sentence.
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Shalaya Crump resembles a goddess or his queen in City’s eyes. In an effort to win her love, he values her opinions, pays attention to everything she says, and makes a conscious effort not to do anything she finds offensive. Nevertheless, despite City’s desire for Shalaya’s love, she appears to be thinking ahead to 2013 and whether or not he will still be with her then. This chapter sheds light on City’s intense desire for Shalaya’s love while also highlighting the difficulties of their relationship and circumstance.
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Laymon uses satire to poke fun at the literary world and the way writers are often celebrated more for their identity and marketability than for their actual writing. The character of Kamikaze serves as a parody of the stereotypical “tortured artist” who is more concerned with self-promotion than with creating meaningful art.
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CHITLEN CITY uses satire and commentary to critique racial inequalities in American society. It highlights the experiences of two African-American boys competing in a national spelling bee and facing discrimination and racial profiling from white people. Laymon also utilizes irony in the story such as the fact that City and LaVender, two black competitors, are told to use “black words” such as chitterlings and hypertension. With these types of satire involved, the author draws attention to issues of race, class, and power, and the ways in which they impact the lives of Black people. The characters’ reactions to these situations also add to the commentary, as they navigate the absurdity of the racism they face while trying to succeed in the competition. This amounts to the message within America that black people can’t escape being put in a box of stereotyping or biases.
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n chitlin city, Laymon satirizes the way that City’s community views blackness as a monolithic entity and how they expect City to conform to these narrow and limited definitions. He also satirizes the way that black culture is often appropriated and commodified by mainstream society. Through the inner thoughts and observations of City, Laymon comments on the harm that these expectations have on black identity and expression and the limitations that these stereotypes place on black people and their ability to fully express themselves. He also encourages readers to think critically about the ways in which societal expectations and stereotypes shape our understanding of ourselves and others, and the importance of breaking free from these narrow and limiting ideas to fully express our individuality.
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The chapter “Chilton City” delves deeply into satire through the experience of City and Lavander during their spelling bee contest, focusing on them being two young black boys. Throughout the chapter, City and Lavander face facing significant unfair treatment while competing in the contest, as they are given harder words to spell than their white counterparts. Lavender expresses his belief that the contest is designed to enable white people to feel good about themselves, highlighting the systemic racism that exists within certain competitive spaces. In this chapter, satire is used to show the issues of racism and inequality that City and Lavander face.
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In chapter three, City begins to describe his emotions and thoughts using satire. Laymon begins to use a satirical tone to critique society and the expectations placed on black males, this connects back to gender stereotypes. For example, when City told LaVander why he wanted to win the competition he said, “I’m winning this for all the real chubby poor niggas in Mississippi with tight waves and contentious demeanors.” Here, Laymon was criticizing society’s standards and stereotypes of black men in America. Obviously, City did not want to win the competition for this reason.
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Laymon’s “Chitlin City” satirizes the narrow and monolithic views of blackness held by the City’s community, and the harmful impact this has on black identity and expression. He also critiques the commodification and appropriation of black culture by mainstream society. Laymon uses City’s inner thoughts and observations to illustrate the limitations that stereotypes place on black people, hindering their ability to express themselves fully. He encourages readers to critically examine how societal expectations and stereotypes shape our understanding of ourselves and others, and emphasizes the importance of breaking free from these narrow ideas to embrace our individuality.
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In Chapter 3, Laymon uses satire to highlight the tension between City and LaVender as they prepare to face each other in the sentence competition. The rivalry between the two is portrayed comically, with City making jabs at LaVender’s supposed privileged upbringing, and LaVender responding with sly remarks about City’s intelligence.
Additionally, Laymon employs satire to comment on the racial assumptions made by the white people in the story. When a white lady assumes that City and LaVender are not actually from Jackson and are there due to Hurricane Katrina, it highlights the narrow-mindedness and stereotypes that white people often hold towards Black individuals.
Ultimately, the use of satire in these passages serves to critique societal expectations and stereotypes, highlighting the harm they can cause and the need for individuals to break free from them to embrace their true selves.
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Author Kiese Laymon used a satirical tone in chapter three to criticize society and false gender norms. When City was asked why he wanted to win, he replied, “I’m winning this for all the real chubby poor niggas in Mississippi with tight waves and contentious demeanors.” In this passage, Laymon criticized societal norms and preconceptions about black men in America.
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The experience of City and Lavander during their spelling bee battle, with a particular focus on their being two young black boys, is at the heart of the chapter “Chilton City,” which digs deeply into satire. City and Lavander experience substantial unfair treatment throughout the chapter when they compete in the competition because they are given more difficult words to spell than their white counterparts. In order to emphasize the systemic racism that exists in some competitive spaces, LaVander states his opinion that the competition is made to make white people feel good about themselves. Satire is used in this chapter to illustrate the problems with racism and inequality that City and Lavander encounter.
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In this chapter, the author Laymon used satire to criticize the way that society views black people. It was used to show how society is viewing the two black competitors CIty and LeVander being in this competition. It also shows the discrimination against black people and how it could possible be the case with City and LeVander being in this spelling competition.
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This chapter employs satire to mock one-dimensional perspectives of blackness prevalent in City’s community. He demonstrates his negative feelings toward the appropriation of black culture. Laymon uses City’s inner musings and keen observations to brilliantly illustrate how stereotypes confine black individuals, inhibiting their capacity for genuine self-expression. City’s experiences serve as a powerful critique of the societal expectations and stereotypes that often limit black identity and agency. Laymon urges readers to critically examine how these narrow notions shape our perceptions of ourselves and others, emphasizing the need to reject these harmful beliefs. By shedding light on the damaging impact of these stereotypes, Laymon encourages readers to embrace their individuality and resist conformity.
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The level of competition and achievement that one wants to be pursued in this chapter. LaVander is more focused on beating his white competitors, but City also is wondering what is happening regarding the past spelling competition. Satire between the both of them from arriving at the competition.
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In chapter 3 I noticed the sarcasm in City’s thoughts and hidden sarcasm at the spelling bee. City explains the lady ignored him and seemed intimidated by his hair brush, which is understood, to me, in the black community. She said, “so cute.” That gives out expressions of sarcasm when you say but after anything.
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Chapter 4 uses satire to discuss City thoughts during the spelling bee. The chapter shows the events that took place during he contest and how raced plays a factor. It starts when LaVander felt embarrassed when City refused to hand over his brush. Later goes into LaVander getting upset while City tries to crack jokes to lighten the mood.
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They have some unique names.
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In this paragraph, the author addressed the view that society still holds of black people in our time, that black people are expected to be less intelligent and less qualified than whites. It’s a very important issue to be introduced and talked about.
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What is Izod? is it a person or what?
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LaVander’s father seems to be abusing his son in an attempt to condition him to always try to “fit in.” This could be a reference to/extension of the tendency for modern people to attempt to fit in with a group or political party, even if they disagree with its ideals, forcing themselves to act differently to fit in.
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Is LaVander doing the spelling competitions because he wants to or because his dad wants him to?
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If LaVander is crying then he seems to be taking his perceived “failure” pretty hard, which indicates that his father has beaten a desire to “fit in” into him.
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If LaVander is upset to the point that he’s crying, it makes me wonder if he is doing this for himself or his father.
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LaVander’s relationship with his dad, I think that’s where his self hatred and side remarks against black people come from. Although his dad means well he tries to erase the black culture of aave, and teach him about code switching which is a defense for a lot of black people so they aren’t looked at as less than capable, smart, etc. This quote represents culture and race in America and how sometimes as black people we conform to speaking a certain way because it has been combated against us.
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He seems like he really supports Lavander
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To me, it seems less like he actually cares for LaVander and more like he’s pretending to care for him. It seems like he’s conditioning LaVander to act a certain way by alternating between abusing him when he does something “wrong” and then comforting and correcting him, molding him to associate certain actions and thoughts with punishment and other actions with comfort.
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Maybe this is the reason Lavander says “all things considered” all the time. Like most people, Lavander probably thinks highly of his father and wants to make him proud. Because his father tells him to say, “all things considered,” to make himself seem more composed, this is probably the reason he has incorporated it into his daily vocabulary.
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Does LaVander peeler not like city as a human being?
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City considers his mother’s warning that his actions might have an impact on Black people in the future. Despite acknowledging the validity of her point of view, he ultimately rejects it and suggests placing pressure between individual authority and community responsibility. This pressure brings up more general issues about the difficulties of morality and obligation as well as how individuals organize themselves within social institutions. The section emphasizes the ongoing struggle to balance individual opportunity with societal and intergenerational responsibility in the aim of social change via City’s internal conflict.
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This is very similar to what Principal Reeves was saying earlier to City about how his actions today represent others from the present and the past. Perhaps this is a recurring theme throughout the book…
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This is a reoccurring topic and phrase in the book said in different ways. That as an African American we have to constantly break barriers and that how we represent ourselves not only reflects on us but the whole community. I think the author is trying to communicate that to the reader.
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I like how the author used imagery to show the intense emotions being felt at this moment in the book. Why is LaVander getting emotional about this though?
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This described LaVander’s face and emotions well, you could tell he was emotional
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They said the title of the book in here
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Are they doing a competition in the coliseum? didn’t they do gladiator fighting in there?
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This comment may be just a punch to LaVander and a sense of competitiveness, but I see something slightly larger. I believe Laymon here is criticizing the inherent competitive nature that is present within each aspiring student or child. This causes them to adopt a mindset that which concerns them about others to a fairly obscene degree.
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I think he is using humor here, City is trying to be funny and a little bit sarcastic because obviously, he wouldn’t say that but he is definitely thinking it.
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The character I chose to create was City, the main character. There are few concrete details describing City in the book. He’s a fourteen-year-old, African American boy, and waves as his hairstyle. Knowing that City is fourteen and in ninth grade contributes to why he responds and acts the way he does in the book. The characteristics described shows his immaturity but also his seriousness when it comes to being a black boy in America.
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He looks much different than what my City looks like but we had very common things. But overall a great description of a character.
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The way the author writes the book authentically represents the life of an teenager and african american in general, the cultures, the language (how they talk) which is highlighted through the narration.
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but why did he think about chunky vomit?
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So book two is basically the book City is reading in book one. I find that so intelligent, the author really worked so creatively.
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I wonder why the book City is reading in book one, which is also book two is written with his name and characteristics but just at a different time. Was the principal writing this book?
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-obama’s comments on missing children
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Plot Point 1: Baize Shephard goes missing, garnering attention for being an honor student, wannabe rapper, and that some say she liked girls.
“Folks made it a big deal because she was an honor student and a wannabe rapper and some folks say she liked girls.”
Plot Point 2: Baize Shephard’s rhyme about Trayvon Martin and James Anderson circulates and catches the attention of Barack Obama.
“Baize did this rhyme over this Kanye beat about Trayvon Martin and James Anderson called ‘My Hood to Your Hood,’ which got around 18,000 hits. When Obama visited Mississippi after his reelection, he said we needed to treat all our missing children with the same care and vigilance.”
Plot Point 3: The protagonist finds their name in a book with no author together with Baize Shephard.
“I understood it could have been coincidence that my name and Baize Shephard’s name were in this book with no author, but it still made me feel strange and lightweight afraid to keep reading.”
The protagonist is now feeling uneasy, wondering what the connection between them and Baize Shephard could be. Grandma and others have started their own search for Baize, and with the protagonist’s connection to her, they could begin looking into the book as well. With the nation’s attention on this missing person case, anything could be possible. What do you think might come next in this story, and why?
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What does the fact that she like girls have to do with her being missing? Loll
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To put more into this field of satire, Laymon is ridiculing American Culture by its obsession with famous figures. Only after when Obama visited Mississippi to comment on missing children, Baize Shephard is constantly updated. It makes you ask the question, why weren’t they doing reporting missing children before? The answer may be that Obama’s fame finally catalyzed people to act.
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The way City is describing “Long Division” in the book, is also a description of the actual book “Long Division” that we are currently reading. I’m intrigued by this weird overlap and dimension in a dimension. Is someone possibly writing a story about him from his perspective? Is this method supposed to make readers feel as though they are City in this situation and reading a book about themselves?
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I can perfectly imagine the face on the white people due to the amazing description that Laymon provides here.
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He was using irony because clearly, these kids weren’t giving out $400!
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This really jumped out to me, because it is believable and relatable. There have been plenty of times when black people were looked at funny or in shock when they entered a room, that other people are not "used to seeing us.
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To explain, Hurricane Katrina severely affecting states with high-black populations and low-income and ill-prepared neighborhoods. It’s obvious that Cindy assumed City and LaVander were victims of Hurricane Katrina solely because they were black. This peels back the layers of just how simple-minded some Americans truly are.
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He seems to be a smart man from seeing that he and LeVander were the only ones who are in the national competition. I also feel like he is a competitive person which could probably be the reason why he also fights and criticize LeVander.
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She called his brush a “prop”
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She called his brush a prop and basically said that City wasn’t special enough for rules to be changed
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Did they call them special due to their race
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I’m not sure how I feel about this comment yet, but it made me feel some type of way
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Reminds me of the “token black friend concept” or people of color being used for diversity points
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LaVander just went from 0 to 100 really quick and changing randomly while being really honest
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City is refusing to follow rules because he doesn’t feel like it, and as such is dragging LaVander down with him.
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The character I decided to create was City. Briefly, told the AI that he was a young African-American boy who uses satire and humor throughout the book. I personally think this is a pretty accurate depiction of what he would look like. I imagine him to have a slightly boxier face and a more structured cheek area.
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I like the detail and description he puts into describing reactions and social interactions.
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In the first chapter of the book LaVander calls City a “Fat Homosexual” because his house is like a rich white lady’s garage or it’s big. Now LaVander is claiming that he wants to live in a huge house with Malia Obama.
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City has a point that Malia Obama doesn’t know LaVander exists, but I don’t think LaVander was serious when he said that, I think he more meant it to represent “When I’m successful, they need to know they will never beat me.”
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this stood out to me
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I think this whole paragraph is funny, city is definitely using satire here because he is being sarcastic toward LaVander.
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Although both understand that their win proves something to america, their motives are different. LaVander is doing it more so in spite of white people and selfessiously proving his better than African Americans and that he’s special whereas City is doing it for better representation for people like him.
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For some reason LaVander getting infanticide is really funny to me.
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The way that they gave City the word Chitterlings instead of a true vocabulary word is weird. I feel that they were trying to play his intelligence, maybe this is a way of Laymon criticizing Americans because they have stereotypes about the intelligence of black women.
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Now why would they give him that word? I think it is pretty funny how he was able to spin it and actually put it in a sentence. But I definitely see racism in the context. It seems that they are purposefully giving him “black words.”
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Why would they give him that word for his sentence? It makes it seem like they aren’t serious about him at all…
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specifically “black words”
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This is a slight insult to African American people because saying the those are " black words" and looking at those word compared to others they just look simple.
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They touch and hint on the topic of how the system works in America, and how Americans will sometimes give other people (african americans) a spot to show representation but seeks average because they don’t want them to be too good/“better”/ or “the best” This is how they try to keep us below them, but still keeping things and people civil. City is supposed to be that average African american that is only invited for representation but thinking there’s not a possibility of him winning. They don’t see him as a “threat”
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I like City’s response here. Feigning ignorance of the word’s meaning whilst dissing black people is quite a humorous combo.
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City really doesn’t seem to get the point.
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This is an excellent way of summing up many examples of modern inclusion and diversity. In most cases the people behind it don’t actually care about diversity or inclusion, they’re just doing it to make themselves feel better or to boost their reputation by pretending to have the moral high ground.
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This is a funny situation because they don’t get along yet they spend a lot of time together. Also, LaVander must be comfortable enough with City to not think twice about changing in front of him.
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Either that or he simply doesn’t care if someone sees him change for whatever reason.
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WHAT IN THE-
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WHAT LOLLL! Why did he give a full, in-depth description of that! That is just crazyyy.
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The author uses imagery in this sentence to let us into the mind of City and show more of City’s identity. City goes on to give further descriptions off LaVander body comparing himself, he seems insecure but also like he payed a lot of attention to LaVander, this reveals a lot about City. Not only insecure but maybe homosexual and has a love hate thing for LaVander.
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Why is he talking about this, just why? Consciously I get that it might be some sort of comment on gender or something, but why did they have to go into detail – and the word choice as well, just eugh.
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But why does this matter, City thinks about the most random and irrelevant things
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Having a wave brush is considered a cultural difference to the white people in the competition.
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Really? Having a brush isn’t something that’s “culturally different” from any other person. This is just a lower form of racism to think that a black person having a brush is considered part of their culture.
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These things are not permitted on campus because people (often outsiders) deem them to be associated with gangs etc. But in reality its apart of “black culture.”
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What culture are they comparing it to?
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They are basically using the city as a dummy. I get that they let him have his brush on stage, but why did they feel the need to give him the shirts?
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They’re missing a bunch of lines from the story within the audio vs the reading
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This is my A.I generated an image of City. The description that I used to create the image was " a young black teenage male, with low hair and full lips sitting in the principal’s office, wearing a white button up paired with a loose-fitting tie.
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Great image I kinda imagined City to look like this. Also I added that he was a young black male and that he looked professional.
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Wow! I love your image. It is very clear and eye-catching! Do you think that this matches the image of City you had in your head while reading?
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What happened, why is LaVander upset all of a sudden when he noticed there weren’t just White people at the competition?
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Was he irritated because he and City weren’t the only non-whites in the competition, as his father had told him, or what was the real reason?
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LaVander and City share a common experience of participating in a spelling contest, where the atmosphere of competition is intense. LaVander is determined not to lose to the white competitors and displays a strong sense of confidence. However, upon observing the setup of the competition, he realizes the implicit bias against black participants, and this realization affects him emotionally. City, while noticing LaVander’s distress, still chooses to make light of the situation, using humor as a form of satire.
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Laymon uses satire to comment on the legacy of racism and its impact on black identity. The character of Mama, a black woman who is ashamed of her race and tries to pass as white, represents the internalized racism that many black people struggle with due to centuries of oppression and marginalization. Laymon also critiques the way white people often appropriate black culture without truly understanding or respecting its significance.
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I find this to be an example of satire in the context that City literally sees LaVander on the verge of tears but City still tries to resort to a joke, never breaking character. There are some cases in which you need to break character to get to someone emotionally, but City, a product of American Culture, is not capable of doing that.
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Laymon’s use of satire in WORDS, WORD ,WORK is a powerful tool for exposing the harmful effects of racial stereotypes in literature and the need for greater diversity and representation in storytelling. He comments on the harm that these stereotypes have on black identity and expression and the limitations that these stereotypes place on black people and their ability to fully express themselves. He also encourages readers to think critically about the ways in which literature and media shape our understanding of race and the importance of seeking out diverse perspectives. Overall, Laymon’s use of commentary in chapter 4 is a powerful tool for challenging readers to break free from stereotypes and to question their own biases in order to create a more inclusive and just society.
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I feel this chapter didn’t use much humor, but I feel it used a lot of sarcasm. When City began to go off on the judges and others at the competition he began to bring other races into what he was saying. He asked a rhetorical question to make sure his point of how he was being treated was getting across. In chapter three, City describes his emotions and thoughts using satire. For example, he asked, “You think it’s hard for y’all in Arizona?”
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This image was created with AI to try to portray what City would look like. I wanted to incorporate how I think City looks when he is on the podium during the competition. Originally I wanted to include a hairbrush in his hand, but unfortunately, AI does not allow that. City here looks like an average African American male, but as readers, we know more about him.
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I can see this as City if he was in a movie.
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a very interesting image, I like how u incorporate the audition into the image I liked it.
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I think this is a really interesting depiction of this scene! As Hayley said, I can definitely see this as a movie depiction of this part of the book.
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In Chapter 4, Laymon employs satire to highlight City’s frustration with the competition and its use of offensive language like “niggardly” for Black kids to use in a sentence. City’s incorrect usage of the word leads to his elimination, causing him to lash out on live TV. Laymon uses City’s outburst to comment on the pressure for Black individuals to conform to societal expectations and stereotypes, as well as the harmful impact of using offensive language to reinforce these narrow views. The quote “No. Um, I truly hate LaBander Veeler sometimes more than some of y’all hate President Obama and I wonder if LaBander Veeler should behave like the exceptional African-American boy he was groomed to be in public by his UPS-working father, or the, um, weird, brilliant, niggardly joker he really is when we’re the only ones watching,” further emphasizes this critique of societal expectations and stereotypes.
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In chapter four author Kiese Laymon used sarcasm to critique society and racial stereotypes. There weren’t many elements of humor, but Kiese Laymon really talked mainly about race in this chapter. He states, “Now look at them Mexicans.” The buzzer went off again. I turned around and looked at the Mexican girl on my row. “You think it’s hard for y’all in Arizona”. This highlights one of many forms of racial issues.
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In this chapter Laymon’s writing uses commentary as a powerful tool to drive readers to question and dispel prejudices as well as to consider their own biases, ultimately fostering the development of a more just and equal society.
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LaVander Peeler is an infamous character in Long Division. He is a tall, muscular, and handsome African-American man with a deep voice. He is confident and charismatic, but also can be aggressive and confrontational particularly those who challenge his authority or beliefs.. Peeler’s confidence and charisma make him a magnetic figure, drawing people towards him and making him an influential figure in the black community.Despite his negative traits, Peeler also serves as a mentor and friend to the protagonist, City. He offers City guidance and support, helping him navigate the complexities of race relations and social inequality in the book’s setting. In this way, Peeler represents a figure of hope for City and other black characters in the novel, offering a path towards empowerment and self-realization.
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I think this portrait of LaVander is very accurate, I can imagine this is what he would look like, especially as he thinks throughout the book.
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I do agree that LaVander seems to be more fit.
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The way you described LaVander Peeler changed my thoughts about him. We only learn about him based on City’s perspective, which is very biased. I applaud you for being able to look past that and see the benefit and importance of his character in the book.
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I had never put much thought into a more in-depth image of what LaVander would look like. However, I feel like this AI interpretation is really accurate! I also like how it looks like a painting- which I think adds more depth to the image. Really cool!
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Nice AI image. Can you share the descriptive words you used to get the image like this, please?
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My question is, what is LaVander so uspet about? What’s got him rattled like this?
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”
This is a significant plot point because it introduces the main conflict of the story – the disappearance of Baize Shephard. It builds up the suspense as to what could have happened to Baize that caused him to be missing, as well as creating the tension of whether or not his disappearance will be solved.
The next plot point is when City finds the patch of blackberry bushes in the woods and starts to remember things:
“There was a patch of blackberry bushes off the path where I used to pay, and I remembered being there with Baize before. I could remember him picking the blackberries and tell me to keep watch.”
This plot point shows how City’s memories, and possibly his guilt, are slowly starting to come back about what happened to Baize. This creates more suspense and tension as it brings us one step closer to discovering what happened to Baize.
What might happen next because of these plot points? City will continue his search in the woods, piecing together more memories and evidence to find the truth of what happened to Baize. We will get a better understanding of the circumstances that caused his disappearance.
Do you think City is close to finding out what happened to Baize? If so, why? Yes, I think City is on the right track to finding out what happened to Baize. He is starting to remember more and more details about their time in the woods, which indicates he may be close to uncovering the truth.
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The story in the book mentioned a Baize Shephard while the real world is also on the lookout for Baize shephard
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The novel Long Division, which City is reading, also indicated that Baize Shephard had gone missing despite the fact that the book set was in 1985 and it was written before City borrow the book from the principle office
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I wonder why LaVander didn’t take any time with it and why most of the sentences in this competition have some joking feel to it
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HUMOR ALERT
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What’s ironic about niggardly is that it’s not a black word. It means stingy, but I think the importance of getting this word is its appearance and not its definition.
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I agree that this word is weird when you read it but I find interesting that the author chooses to include this word.
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The word that is given to an African American person which looks similar to a racial slur makes me question out of all the words in the dictionary this is the only word they found?
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I was curious as to what the word meant, and after looking into it I found that it means “ungenerous” or “stingy.” I also learned that despite its meaning having nothing to do with race, as recently as 2009 there have been people getting in trouble or called racist for using it. For instance, in 2002 a teacher was formally reprimanded for teaching the word and told to attend sensitivity training because a black parent protested the use of the word, saying it offended her.
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“in a stingy or meager manner.”
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Before i looked up what the word meant, i was trying to figure out what it meant. I thought maybe it was towards a certain type of race, since it sounds so similar to the N-word,but in reality it meant “Stingy”, or “Close”.
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This is a social commentary on how Black kids are treated in competition. Although this isn’t a racist word it’s strange that they would give the Black kid this word to use in a sentence.
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City made a really good point in this sentence to say that LaVander was groomed to act the way he does by his father. It shows that it’s not completely his fault.
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When I picture the motion of City pointing a brush to the light, it kind of reminds me of City pointing a gun at the camera, with all his aggressive confrontation in mind. In a way, it’s also a satire on how City tries to confront the judges in a manner that is stereotyped due to his race. As a black person, he chose the aggressive route, knowing that it wasn’t the right way. This brings attention to a bigger American satire that represents the cycle of struggle, you can’t get anywhere in your cause if you play into the stereotypes people hold against you.
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Why would you say that in public, Why would you say that anywhere???
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Due to the word’s resemblance to a racial slur, its use immediately conveys pressure and annoyance. The use of the honorific “Citoyen” adds a feeling of tradition and distinction and helps to highlight how awkward the minute is. The story paints a subtle and complicated picture of the difficulties in examining many social situations and the developing struggle for correspondence and justice via one frequency of preference and heartlessness.
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The story offers a deep and complex portrayal of the difficulties in evaluating complex social situations and the ongoing fight for equality and justice, which cannot be attained from a single perspective or with callousness.
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Although this is not humor, I think that Laymon is using sarcasm to criticize the way people are unaware of mistreatment.
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In the first chapter of Long Division by Kiese Laymon the use of satire can be found frequently. The character City is often referred to as a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” because he lives in a nice house, the logic is that only white people live in fancy and nice houses. In chapter two people who use the restroom without saying “kindly pause” are considered homosexual. This is satire because realistically you wouldn’t be homosexual if you didn’t say “pause”. In the third and fourth chapters, the author uses satire through the words in the word competitions. Considering some words to be “Black words” and asking someone to spell “Niggardly” in a word competition is a comment on how Black people are treated after they fairly win something.
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The final quite came extremely familiar to the rapper Bggie Smalls song “juicy”
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I thought of this lyric:
“well Mama, I know I act a fool” – Jesus Walks
People, like City here, think of their parents when they do something they either immediately regret or know it’s going to cause a stir, which Kanye is referencing in this line due to his rude behavior at the top of Stardom.
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I like how Kiese alluded to the song Juicy by The Notorious B.I.G (biggy)
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sounds like a song lyric
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In the first chapter of Long Division by Kiese Laymon the use of satire can be found frequently. The character City is often referred to as a “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” because he lives in a nice house, the logic is that only white people live in fancy and nice houses. In chapter two people who use the restroom without saying “kindly pause” are considered homosexual. This is satire because realistically you wouldn’t be homosexual if you didn’t say “pause”. In the third and fourth chapters, the author uses satire through the words in the word competitions. Considering some words to be “Black words” and asking someone to spell “Niggardly” in a word competition is a comment on how Black people are treated after they fairly win something. (Pg 48)
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City is Guilty by the fact that he has failed Mississippi in representing their state on national television. The language used, such as City stating each mile he had to walk back home, symbolizes the massive burden he has to carry while walking back to his home.
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I remember in another one of Kiese Laymon’s work “Hey Mama” his mother tells him to stop being political and speaking out on social media, and in this book, now it’s City’s grandmother who disagrees with him speaking out on TV
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I find it so funny that he’s talking about his mother giving him a beating because it’s very common in the black community. It kind of brings me closer to the book in a way.
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Sometimes I wonder why my mom would sometimes berate me over minor offences. It was because she wanted me to be ready. When I demonstrated behavior that said I wanted ready, it meant that my Mom failed, when she wanted me to be ready.
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I couldn’t believe this statement to describe the City of New Orleans, it is quite the insensitive statement that definitely wouldn’t make it to television in 2013.However, it did anyway, just to subvert expectations about how people undermine bias and racism in the 21st century.
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I think that City’s speech had an effect on the other contestants like Stephanie because she also spoke out about the discrimination she was facing while being entered in this competition
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I truly liked how she used the word to express and talk about the discrimination that she and her brother went through without causing a scene like City did and still being able to possibly win. I thought of it as a more mature action because some folks just want the simplest thing to create a stereotype about a specific race but if she won she could prove that she’s better than them.
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HUMOR ALERT: This sentence should be enthusiastic and an exclamation point should be present, but the lack of it implies that the person behind the voice just doesn’t want to be there.
I want to praise Laymon again for his ability to draw imagery from text in a flavorful manner. This line from the voice tries to animate the person behind the voice, but simultaneously dehumanizes the voice due to the LACK OF AN EXCLAIMATION POINT. This all but confirms the voice is somewhat robotic and perhaps not even human.
In the entire backdrop of this entire competition, they couldn’t get a host, or actual human to provide commentary or instructions to the contestants. When you consider the fact that a lot of the contestants are minorities, the fact that they only use unenthusiastic voice says something even worse.
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In contrast, this is a word relating to black people. The importance of this word is its definition and historical context and not its appearance.
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Saying that the people of color were only at the contest for decoration lets readers understand the situation
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“yeah, we were all decoration in a way” reminds me of how University are trying to include in more diversity and those few color students are like decoration for them
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White Guilt is a concept that has had a relative resurgence within the 21st century due to internet access and social media. It explores an idea that white people are collectively responsible for the past actions of African-americans. Laymon describes the perspective of how some African Americans feel about this concept. It has good intentions of being something like a birthday party, but it is overall fake and a façade that white people do to feel good about themselves.
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It really shows not even just with Lavander but period in a society that when you think your a “model minority” you’re looked at as just the same as anyone else. No better. And Lavender being given that word proved that.
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I am shocked at this, I cannot believe they would give him this word
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This piece and very nostalgic from my perspective in 2023, but new and popular to City in 2013.
Harlem Shake isn’t some sort of celebratory piece of music, it’s meme-music, intending to be funny and lighthearted.
I think Kiese Laymon used this specific meme song from 2013 to describe the subtext that this competition was just a joke in the first place. A long-winded, stupid, and disgraceful joke.
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They gave him the word “Chitterling” and then made it seem like he did something unexpected. This is actually crazy…
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So the voice is acting on the presumption that LaVander Peeler is not capable of giving thanks to everything that has gotten him to this point. I don’t know if this is just ignorance or implicit racism that is on display here.
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I love how LaVander throughout the book has repeatedly stated he hates City. He picks on him, messes with him, etc. In the end, he uses a sentence that originated from him. I feel as though there is a tight relationship between Lavander and City that hasn’t been really seen yet by eitherof them
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good example of satire
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If he didnt say anything I think he still would’ve won
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What was so shocking about what LaVander said?
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I like how Stephanie had enough pride in herself not to pretend nothing happened and just go and take LaVander’s place, it shows she has pride in herself and her actions and achievements, that she’s not going to just endure the bullsh*t racism and pretend it doesn’t exist. This is basically her stating that if she wins its going to be on her own power, not because just having it handed to her because someone else got fed up with the racism.
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And despite the twins “winning” the trophy, anyone with a brain who knows what happened knows that they only won because the other 2 competitors decided the trophy wasn’t worth it, that Katrina’s finest was just a backup.
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It’s touching that City stated this because it shows City understands how LaVander felt. LaVander is shown as a winner. He wants to show people his greatness, even when he has to do stuff that isn’t alright. Throughout the competition, they gave words that each contestant did not like or was portrayed as race-based like LaVander told City in the locker room. City on the other hand wants to represent his people, and not play by silly rules. when LaVander won, it showed City what LaVander meant when he said I will win the competition. Not just represent, but actually win the competition, even if they gave him a weird word.
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City imagining himself talking to his mom and saying “All things considered” might be considered satire. Before he mocked LaVander for always saying it.
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“Whenever I do anything at all, he calls me “White Homeless Fat Homosexual” or “Fat Homosexual” for short because he claims that my “house” is a rich white lady’s garage, that I’m fatter than Sean Kingston at his fattest, and that I like to watch boys piss without saying, “Kindly pause.” 13”
Seems unsure of sexuality
Does he like Lavender?
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The common parent after something diasterous along this magnitude would do what City would’ve done. They would’ve beaten their child and gave them another berating talk.
This sentence is dangerously brilliant in the fact that it ultimately communicates Mom is done trying to right City’s wrongs. She has no reason to try to work for City any longer when he lashed out and made himself look like a joke.
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You can tell that City’s mom is obviously distressed, but also disappointed. She stepped up and work hard for City, just for City to throw it all away and start cursing on stage embarrassing him and his family. He told LaVander he wanted to represent his people, which he did, however, he represented outlandishly dishonorable in front of the world.
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Before this I thought City denying that he is “homosexual” was because he wasn’t.Now I know it was more of a defensive thing
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I agree with you ola the way city talks about lavender he definitly dont like him in that way but sometimes I do question the things city says.
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This sounds like more of a platonic love than a romantic one. There isn’t anything sexual to it, just the knowledge that “this person matters to me in a way that no other thing can.”
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I honestly wonder how City’s mom is feeling at this moment. Is she disappointed in herself? So mad at him that she can’t physically look him or speak to him?
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The invisible man is someone who has seen the horrors and truths of a racist modern America. He willingly chooses to only listen, and not speak to anyone as he fears they may go mad or become distraught at the deplorable truths he has observed. As such, he chooses to become a hermit and urban legend within the story of Long Division. His role in the story follows a fortune teller that is to be looked for with a twist, he wouldn’t tell City or LaVender their possible futures. Instead, he would support his clients with a written reassurance. Whatever strife they are currently going through isn’t a problem revolving around them, it is a problem revolving around the complex issues of America’s deep-rooted difficulties attaining to racism, sexism, etc.
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I think that this is a very interesting picture and portrays the spirits of the city and the history of what they hold
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This showed that Sleepy Eyes had a changed perspective on private schools; before, she had a negative opinion of them, but now that her friend attended one, she had a more positive view. This shift in opinion allowed Sleepy Eyes to better connect with her friend, as they could now share new experiences. Let’s look again to what other shifts in values or beliefs the writer might have made, or how their behavior or interactions with others might have been affected by the new perspective.
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Why does it matter if he is from a private school or not?
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I thought this was funny talking about how big her eyes are. Also saying how can she sleep.
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This sentence was just really funny to me because of how corny it sounded.
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I think this was funny to me, why are they fangirling over him?
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She smelled it?!?!
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Isn’t that weird to smell someone’s brush?
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The girl actually made me wonder why did City just go after the girl and not the guy. Did he forget he was there, or did he just go after the one person he saw.
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this makes me think about how many times black people just want others to be in our shoes and understand how we have been oppressed.
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Why censor this word, but not others? Before this, there was a long description of LaVander’s private area, what makes this bad?
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I think this is more of City talking and relaying his thoughts on the word. It should be censored because I think he has a threshold for the amount of disrespect that women go through, considering that he sees his mother and grandmother and as a important figure in his life. He would never call them such a word as it demeans the legacy or effort that both his mother and grandmother has put into his life.
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Throughout the book, Kiese , showed us that City is very uncensored, but when it came to saying the b-word, it was censored, exactly why is it censored?
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This might also be something that we don’t about City, maybe his respect for Women, and maybe City doesn’t see fit of this word in his language, or vocabulary
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The fact that LaVander isn’t famous is kinda sad because I’m pretty sure to City, LaVander is the one who deserves to be famous.
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I particularly liked how this novel avoided making the magic of its mythical components the focus of the narrative. Why or how these things are happening is less significant than their occurrence, and how they impact the characters is what truly distinguishes this book. Long Division touches on a wide range of topics, including love, hate, sexuality, racism, and responsibility, yet it is ultimately only ever about one of them.
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I also got a weird feeling when City was asked to say stuff on camera for a group of white boys. It felt as though they were making a show of him, an image. I understand he’s internet famous, however, it still felt as though they were just using him.
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During the competition, City made it known that he was doing it for black people. He didn’t like, nor care for white people. Now that he’s internet famous, and has taken pictures with white people, his entire reasoning of not appeasing white people has been ruined. He’s now taking pictures with them, and doing what they want.
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This is so weird to me…
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Based on what the girls were saying about what they would’ve done if they were in City’s situation I think they’re black. With that in mind, I wonder if they stopped turning and smiling at City because of how he handled the situation with the three white boys.
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I’m curious to see how City will use his small amount of recognition later on in the book.
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We see this contrast of not only City contradicting what he was trying to portray at the contest but also trying to go against the “model minority” stereotype. While I infer Lavender would’ve, before the contest been in cities position doing the same.
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I like the imagery that the author is grading
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General Document Comments 0
In “The Long Division,” Kiese Laymon offers a powerful exploration of the experiences of a young black man named City in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Throughout the book, City confronts numerous obstacles and hardships due to his race and the oppressive societal structures that surround him. Laymon sheds light on how institutional racism impacts communities in terms of issues such as police brutality, poverty, and limited access to resources. The challenges faced by City and his community mirror the larger struggles of the black population in America and serve as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice. Despite the difficulties he faces, City’s story also highlights the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
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This image is really good, I like how you related City’s struggles to things that people experience in real life.
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First off, I love the backdrop of this image, it represents a black man overshadowed by the “blackness” of the city behind him. It towers over him, but he still stands out above all else. City is represented here as a person who is up to eliminating the things around him that detriment him in the first place. Ironically, he is displayed as a “light” in this photo. It’s brilliant and well made!
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I like how your character is in front of the skyline. The image shows how much power City holds in the book.
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Does this comment touch base with any of the instructions for making comments?
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Chapter 1:
City Coldson, a young black man from a small Mississippi town, is introduced to readers in the first chapter of “The Long Division” by Kiese Laymon. Through City’s internal monologue and interactions with other characters, the chapter explores the themes of identity, race, and language, revealing the complex and often contradictory nature of these concepts. What sets this chapter apart is its distinct narrative voice, which expertly blends colloquial language and profanity with more formal and literary modes of expression, creating a unique and memorable style. Additionally, the chapter contains several moments of satire and social commentary, such as City’s teacher’s use of “niggardly” and his mother’s warning about the intergenerational impact of his actions. Overall, chapter 1 establishes the framework for the novel’s exploration of the challenges and opportunities of growing up in a divided and unequal society, while introducing readers to a memorable and complex protagonist in City Coldson.
Chapter 2:
Chapter 2 of “The Long Division” by Kiese Laymon continues City’s journey of self-discovery and understanding of the world around him. Through his conversations with his granny and Shalaya, the chapter delves into the complexities of memory, history, and the malleability of time, highlighting the importance of our past experiences in shaping our present and future. Furthermore, the power dynamics between City and Shalaya, a young white woman, are explored, revealing the subtleties of race and privilege. The dreamy aspect of the chapter contributes to its exploration of the fluidity of reality and the possibility of transformation, making it a thought-provoking and introspective read.
Chapter 3: In the third chapter of “The Long Division,” City and his friends create a group called “Dark Box” with the aim of exploring their town and discovering hidden treasures. The chapter provides insights into City’s views on race, identity, and privilege as they move around the town. City acknowledges the advantages they have over other Black people in their community, despite their self-proclaimed status as untouchables. However, the group faces opposition from white residents who give off an intimidating vibe. Amidst their exploration, City’s complicated feelings for Baize, a white young woman, are highlighted. He wonders if she genuinely likes him or just uses him to satisfy her fetish for fair-skinned Black people. This introduces a creepy undertone that persists into the next chapter. Overall, Chapter 3 continues to develop the themes of race, identity, and place while injecting a contemporary vibe to City’s personal relationships.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4 of “The Long Division” follows City and his friends as they continue their exploration of their town and meet new people. One of these people is Jimmy Sway, a white man who owns a confederate flag and lives in a run-down house. City engages in a heated discussion with Jimmy about the flag and its meaning, but eventually starts to see Jimmy in a more sympathetic light after learning about his legal troubles. The chapter also explores City’s growing feelings for Baize and the complex racial dynamics at play in their relationship. As City begins to question his own biases and assumptions, the chapter further develops the themes of race, identity, and empathy.
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I didn’t ask for this. I’m confused by this comment.
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What are you referencing?
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While reading chapters 1-4 of Long Division book one, I was easily able to catch on to Kiese Laymon’s writing style. His commentary, social and political, and use of satire plays a big part in the book. It adds on to the relatableness and shows how contemporary the book is. In the first chapter the use of satire, “I don’t think he understands what the sentences he be using really mean” for example, helps build the foundation of the book to understand the characters. In chapters 2-4 I noticed more of Laymon’s commentary, from talking about Obama to cultural references like “black words”.
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Does this type of commentary assist you? I have not asked for summaries in the instructions.
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I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
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Wow, what a powerful excerpt from There There! So much depth in this narrative, exploring themes of identity, struggle, and self-expression. The experience of City and LaVander Peeler at the contest is charged with intensity and emotion. It highlights the difficulties of navigating personal and collective identity within institutional and societal structures.
City’s outburst and subsequent reflection show a young person coming to terms with who they are, how they are perceived, and the sometimes harsh realities of speaking their truth. The confrontation with Sleepy Eyes on the bus serves as a moment of introspection, prompting questions about the impact of one’s actions on others.
The use of language as a tool for empowerment and a weapon against oppression is also prominent in this excerpt. City’s interaction with the white boys toward the end indicates discomfort with how his identity is commodified and showcases the fine line between fame and exploitation.
Also, interestingly, there’s a recurring motif of water and waves, from brushing his hair as a comfort action to the description of his and LaVander’s emotional states. It’s a poignant reflection on the fluidity of identity and how it can be shaped or disturbed by external forces.
The narrative captures the unique voices of young Black individuals in the South and opens up a space for conversations around race, language, and adolescence. Would you be interested in diving deeper into any of these themes, or perhaps discussing a particular character or event more thoroughly?
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I’m the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. I… (more)
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Absolutely, this narrative is rich in themes that are ripe for exploration. What stands out immediately is the role of language in the story — not only as a means of communication but as an embodiment of power, identity, and resistance. City’s confrontation with the orthographical politics at the contest essentially becomes an arena where racial tensions and historical injustices are laid bare through words like ‘niggardly’ and ‘chitterlings’.
The way City uses language as both shield and sword in his outbursts connects deeply with the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) tradition — using language as a form of self-assertion and community resonance. Furthermore, his introspection on the bus ride about the consequences of his public display of anger and how it ties into his identity reflects the complexities young people face when carving out their sense of self.
City’s relationship with LaVander Peeler is also layered. There’s an intense rivalry that seems to be underpinned by both respect and resentment, a duality that perhaps speaks to a broader narrative of competition and companionship within the Black community. Their dynamic takes on a new perspective after LaVander’s act on stage, hinting at a shared experience of being pawns in a larger game not of their making.
Lastly, City’s interaction with Sleepy Eyes and the college boys towards the end provides a stark contrast between how he’s seen by peers in his community versus others who view his actions through an external lens, possibly as entertainment without understanding the deeper implications.
If we were to delve deeper into a specific part of this narrative, it might be worthwhile to focus on City’s internal conflict and how his understanding of identity evolves through these events. Has he had a moment of clarity about his place in the world, or is he more confused and isolated than before? What do you think?
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