How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
By all accounts those storytellers, born Black and male before the turn of the twentieth century, should have been ground into useless dust. Instead they used their intelligence to pry open the door of rejection and not only became wealthy but got some revenge in the bargain. (29.20)
Wait a second, how are Daddy Clidell's conmen friends storytellers? What kinds of stories do they tell? Are these stories any different than the literature that Maya loves so much?
Quote #8
Sitting at a side table my mind and I wove a cat's ladder of near truths and total lies. I kept my face blank (an old art) and wrote quickly the fable of Marguerite Johnson, aged nineteen, former companion and driver for Mrs. Annie Henderson (a White Lady) in Stamps, Arkansas. (34.32)
Looks like Maya's love for literature has paid off. Here, it's helping her write up her not-so-true bio as she's applying for a job. Oh, and if we remember correctly, it also helps her write an award-winning biography.