Significance of Stokely Carmichael's chair - "Words and Music"

Stokely Carmichael's chair is a symbol of Wendy English's sister Candice, who was once a political activist. After Candice's death, Wendy often came to her house and sat in the chair thinking of her sister and listening to the sounds of New York City through the window. She admits that it is possible the chair never belonged to Carmichael at all and this was just a story her sister liked to tell, but that "Death converts everything to treasure, everything gets fixed in place so you can spray it in gold" (38). With her sister no longer living, the chair, and the story about the chair, have become a symbol of her life.