Chapter 7 Summary

Paul spends his first year at Canton recovering from Sutton Hill. Canton is a much more historical and refined school. A street separates the boys from the girls and the school emphasizes family history. Paul will teach here for six years. He fits in immediately because, to the people there, being literate means a person is civilized. Paul is certainly literate, having spent his entire life reading. The staff and students at Canton enjoy having a poet around and for his first two years there, Paul sits up late at night writing poetry.

Paul is appointed faculty adviser and avoids getting close to any students. He considers the senior girls safe, however and they enjoy his poetry. Later on, they tell him that they knew he was gay. Paul identifies himself as "poet/not gay," although in '71 many people, especially women, are...