New York City

New York City is one of the novel's primary backdrops. This is where David lives in the narrative present. He lived in Harlem as a little boy, and after living in Chicago for a few years, moved back to Manhattan's Upper West Side with his mother. In the narrative present, David is living with his mother again. He recently dropped out of school and spends most of his time at home, visiting with his two-year-old daughter, or tutoring his student Thadd Whitlock.

David's relationship with New York changes when he starts working on the Senator's presidential campaign. He not only begins spending more time out of the apartment and at the campaign finance office, but starts to meet new people and have new experiences. When he returns to the city after his LA trip, he starts spending most nights with Beverly, with whom he has begun...