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Packet B (Dragged) 2

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30 views

Packet B (Dragged) 2

gfnbdsvbc

Uploaded by

Jared Williams
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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6o Shorter Views

shop, souvlaki a n d h o t d o g a n d an a n a l o g u e o f whites and white


pizza stands, hardware stores, liq- culture within that A m e r i c a n /
u o r stores, drugstores, cafeterias, Western c o m p l e x . Perhaps the
coffee shops, a n d the s e c o n d story major appeal o f the analogy was
rehearsal studios a n d the dry that the reversal, the subversion,
cleaners—the h u m a n services that, the overturning o f m o r e usual an-
a l o n g the g r o u n d - f l o o r fronts o f alogical alignments o f primitive
the two- a n d three-story buildings a n d sophisticated, o f white and
(now d e e m e d wholly unprofitable non-white, initiated (at least mo-
for the T o w e r i n g City), scattered mentarily) its ow n critique o f pre-
a m o n g the p o r n shops, peepshows, cisely the failures o f such racially
sex palaces a n d fuck-film houses, analogic thinkin g (the overriding
o n c e k e p t the area alive a n d livable characteristic o f the culture it sym-
for a considerable residence—have bolized) in the first place.
b e e n b o a r d e d u p o r shut d o w n . T h e kid w a t c h e d the movie a
" T h e crackers are drivin' o u t few m o r e minutes; finally he
the c o o k i e s , " has b e e n the call o n p u s h e d his c o c k bac k into his j e a n s
the street for a year, now. ( ' C o o k i e ' a n d z i p p e d u p . A minute later, h e
refers to the b e n t s p o o n or bottle- stood and w a n d e r e d to the bal-
cap in its hairpin h o l d e r — t h e cony d o o r to g o d o w n .
c o o k e r — w i t h w h i c h h e r o i n users "Man," Rose was saying to R e d
traditionally boil u p a fix, as 'crack' ( s h e ' d already said it n o w as many
refers to the faint Rice Krispie times as s h e ' d said "Huh?" b e f o r e ) ,
crackle o f the b u r n i n g rocks as "what the fuck is he g o n n a c o m e
they h e a t to an o r a n g e glow in the b o t h e r m e for if h e ain't g o t n o
screened-off e n d o f the sooty glass money? T h a t ain't right. I gotta get
tube t h r o u g h w h i c h the drug's in- m e s o m e m o n e y . W h a t does he
haled.) B u t the crack trade, far think I am?" Still half asleep, R e d
vaster, cheaper, m o r e visible, a n d was r u b b i n g b e t w e e n Rose's legs
m o r e visibly d a m a g i n g than the n o w — h i s reparation for sitting
h e r o i n traffic o n c e was, is only part beside her, offering what protec-
o f the g e n e r a l d e c l i n e . tion h e can while she sleeps or
T h i s is the Strip: this is the works. "Man, what the fuck is he
n e i g h b o r h o o d that, like n u m e r o u s g o n n a c o m e b o t h e r i n g m e for if
n e i g h b o r h o o d s b e f o r e it ( C a n n e r y h e ain't g o t n o money, y o u hear
Row, Farrell's or Bellow's C h i c a g o , what I'm saying . . . ?"
R u n y o n ' s Broadway) yearns to be- T h i s interior?
c o m e a m e t a p h o r for the w h o l e All three whites there—or per-
g r e a t A m e r i c a n outside. T h e r e is haps just the relationship between
n o r e t r e a t / a d v a n c e e x c e p t within. t h e m (its cultural, analogical rich-
Rose was d o z i n g in the ninth ness) —I f o u n d, o n o n e level or an-
row o f the b a l c o n y o f the C a p r i other, sexually attractive: both guys

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