Summary

The essay opens with the recollection of when Laymon lived next to man named Kurt in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, while writing his graduate thesis. Laymon and Kurt’s apartments were very small, especially Kurt’s as he lived with his girlfriend and her children. One day, after Kurt borrowed $10 from Laymon, he told Laymon that he should move to Pennsylvania, because he was not like his kind (and added that he was not racist). Laymon erupted and explained dissonance and white absolution to Kurt. They did not speak again. However, Laymon did run into Kurt’s son, and learned that the son could not read, even though he was of reading age.

About a month later, while Nicole (his white girlfriend) and Layman were returning from a concert, they were pulled over by police. The officer claimed that Laymon threw crack out...