Summary

Randolph, a young black academic, moves into his new office at Wilma Rudolph University, a historically black college. The narration comments that he had not liked being called Randy, but had felt like he had behaved like a Randy for some time before moving into that office. The narration then describes how he bought new lamps for the dark corner office, and how he had hopes his bonsai would be comfortable in the under-lit office in a back corner. There is also a description of how he had dirtied a picture that a woman named Isabela kept on her desk. The narration describes how Isabela was the latest in a succession of women at the university whom Randolph had found particularly irritating. This includes a senior member of the faculty who is Randolph’s supervisor, whose true name is...