Summary

In "Drug Fugue": "The Intersecting Cut," Nelson theorizes about "why people take drugs" (127). She notes from personal experience and from references to literature, the ways in which drugs offer the individual an escape from reality and self. She particularly relies upon Avital Ronell's Crack Wars: Literature Addiction Mania to guide her conversation. Nelson believes, like Ronell, that drug literature might offer "inside knowledge" on the subject, yet "is not sociology" (129). Nelson also notes the dangers of relying too heavily on literature for understanding the matter, as most drug narratives are written by white writers, particularly white male writers. Her interest in the subject stems from her interest in considering how drugs reveal humans' simultaneous desire "toward freedom and unfreedom," "control and abandon" (131).

In "To Enjoy a Drug One Must Enjoy Being a Subject," Nelson more closely describes the subject matter and tone of...