Summary

Brandon Wilson anchors a television newscast that is regularly trounced by reruns of The Facts of Life. When a new producer, hell-bent on raising Channel 13’s ratings, decides that his middle-class African-American anchor with a penthouse just isn’t “black” enough, he has a brainstorm.  Brandon is to redefine himself by doing a series from a basement apartment in the inner city.  There, Brandon meets the resourceful Nita, who manages the apartment building in addition to juggling three kids, night school, and a job.  Brandon sees his move as a Faustian bargain that will allow him to tell the stories of “real folks.”  But when the station demands something more sensational, Brandon and Nita find their loyalties caught up in a media circus that only Nita can tame.

Recommended by: Jill McCorkle

“David Haynes is blessed with a wonderful sense of humor and a perfect ear for dialogue.  As soon as his characters open their mouths, you’re hooked.”

Author Biography

David Haynes, named one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists, is the author of All American Dream Dolls, Somebody Else’s Mama, Heathens, and Right by My Side.  Formerly a classroom teacher and still a teacher-in-residence for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Haynes lives in St. Paul, MN.

Topics to Consider

What are the choices that Brandon and Nita each has made for survival in their world?  Do you think they made good choices?  Compare their experiences with your own.

When meeting someone new, what kinds of assumptions do you make about the other person?  Are Brandon’s and Nita’s perceptions about each other on target?

Do you think that television news “creates” stories or does it cover “real” news?

It appears to Nita that “the line between right and wrong was not so much dotted as it was wavy and ever-changing like the surface of a flag in a breeze.”  Do you agree or disagree?  Explain.

The author, David Haynes, captures the essence of everyday conversation.  How does he make his characters’ dialogue so convincing?

What does this book have to say about the issues of race and social class?

David Haynes taught in urban schools for 15 years.  He says, “I listen to all this rhetoric about welfare mothers, and I know it’s just not true.  These women are involved with their kids and their communities. ... Yeah, there were some people who were just plain lost, but it has nothing to do with their economic circumstances:  if they were rich people they’d be idle, lazy rich people.”  What do you think of David’s point of view?

What are your feelings about a male author depicting strong women characters and capturing the black female voice?

Is Nita the only strong woman in this novel?  Explain.

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