Structure

The book has a light chronological threat guiding its events. It follows Smith from around 2010 to 2012, in her life in New York and her various travels. However, it is filled with so many memories, dreams, and ruminations that the chronology is not very explicit and often quite difficult to trace. Smith moves hazily between the present, past, dreams, and thoughts, blurring the boundaries between them.

There is repetition which also guides the content. Smith reliably visits Café ‘Ino or another café and consumes coffee on a regular basis. She writes on most days, and always returns to her apartment in Manhattan, no matter how far she has travelled. She also has a recurring dream of a cowpoke by a solitary café in the middle of the desert.

The title of the book can be seen as the guiding metaphor for its structure. Patti and the reader take...