Harlem

The stories "A Harlem Game," "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?," "Strike and Fade," "Harlem," and "Riot or Revolt?," are all set in Harlem, New York. In each story, the streets, sounds, sights, and people of the Harlem neighborhood act as the stories' backdrops. In many of these stories, the Harlem setting is defined by the energy of the social justice movement. Characters are depicted protesting on street corners. Some characters throw bricks at police cars, protest the death of black youths by police violence, or preach on corners about the need for freedom and justice. The main characters of these stories are either active participants in these scenes or onlookers.

Holly Spring, Arkansas

Holly Spring, Arkansas is the setting for the short story "Goodbye, Sweetwater." Layton Bridges lives here with his grandmother. Although he loves his grandmother and has some innate attachment to the land where he grew...