Talk Stories

by Kincaid, Jamaica; Frazier, Ian

• ISBN13: 9780374527914
• ISBN10: 0374527911
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-09
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Summary

From ""The Talk of the Town," Jamaica Kincaid's first impressions of snobbish, mobbish New York "Talk Pieces is a collection of Jamaica Kincaid's original writing for the "New Yorker's "Talk of the Town," composed during the time when she first came to the United States from Antigua, from 1978 to 1983. Kincaid found a unique voice, at once in sync with William Shawn's tone for the quintessential elite insider's magazine, and (though unsigned) all her own--wonderingly alive to the ironies and screwball details that characterized her adopted city. New York is a town that, in return, fast adopts those who embrace it, and in these early pieces Kincaid discovers many of its hilarious secrets and urban mannerisms. She meets Miss Jamaica, visiting from Kingston, and escorts the reader to the West Indian-American Day parade in Brooklyn; she sees Ed Koch don his "Cheshire-cat smile" and watches Tammy Wynette autograph a copy of Lattimore's "Odyssey; she learns the worlds of publishing and partying, offashion and popular music, and how to call a cauliflower a crudite. The book also records Kincaid's development as a young writer--the newcomer who sensitively records her impressions here takes root to become one of our most respected authors.

Author Biography

Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John's, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, and My Brother. She lives with her family in Vermont.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction	p. 3
West Indian Weekend	p. 15
Daytime Dancing, A Report	p. 25
The Magic Is Blue	p. 29
A Commercial Party	p. 32
Time with Pryor	p. 35
Bells and Drells	p. 38
Lunchtime	p. 42
Free-ee-ee	p. 45
Junior Miss	p. 48
A Civic Gathering	p. 51
In Central Park	p. 54
The Fourth	p. 57
Boz Scaggs	p. 60
A Gathering	p. 62
Notes and Comment	p. 66
Notes and Comment	p. 68
Interests	p. 72
Charm	p. 75
Garland Jeffreys	p. 78
Nothing in Mind	p. 83
Notes and Comment	p. 87
Notes and Comment	p. 94
Pippo	p. 97
Honors	p. 100
Dinosaurs	p. 102
Kenya	p. 105
Cheese	p. 108
Notes and Comment	p. 111
Soap	p. 114
Collecting	p. 116
Memorandum	p. 119
Recollections	p. 123
Off to China	p. 126
Office Workers	p. 128
The World of Letters	p. 130
Over Here	p. 132
Cat	p. 134
G-L-O-R-I-A	p. 137
The Ages of Woman	p. 139
Festival	p. 141
Unveiling	p. 143
Miss Jamaica	p. 145
Hair	p. 148
Thirty Years Ago	p. 151
Noon	p. 153
Notes and Comment	p. 156
Mayor	p. 158
Books	p. 160
Colloquy About Sting	p. 162
Three Parties	p. 164
Expense Account	p. 169
The Governor's Party	p. 171
Sara	p. 174
Runner	p. 176
Party	p. 179
Royalty	p. 182
Two Book Parties	p. 184
Audition	p. 188
Benefit	p. 191
New	p. 193
Great	p. 196
Romance	p. 199
Novel	p. 202
Cat Story	p. 204
The Exercise	p. 206
Car Questions	p. 209
Tableware	p. 212
Prince	p. 215
Notes and Comment	p. 218
The Apprentice	p. 220
Meeting	p. 224
Birthday Party at an East Side Town House	p. 227
Foam and Brass	p. 230
Knitting	p. 233
Notes and Comment	p. 236
Luncheon	p. 242
At Mr. Chow's	p. 245
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.