New York City

New York City is the backdrop for the majority of Crosley's essays. The essays "Wheels Up," "Outside Voices," "A Dog Named Humphrey," "You Someday Lucky," "The Grape Man," "Right Aid," "Relative Stranger," "Immediate Family," "Cinema of the Confined," "Wolf," "Our Hour Is Up," and "The Doctor Is a Woman" are all set in New York. For this reason, the essays' central conflicts, stakes, and subject matter are dictated by this common urban environment. Although Crosley often expresses her frustration with living in New York, the city is a fundamental part of how she understands herself, relates to others, and perceives reality.

West Village

The West Village is the neighborhood in Manhattan where Crosley moves in the essay "Outside Voices." When she first secures her new apartment, she is thrilled by how quiet and peaceful the neighborhood is. In many ways, Crosley acknowledges that living in...