Bronx Masquerade Literature and Writing Quotes

I can't believe I'm getting up in front of people and talking about personal stuff, and liking it. I'm saying things that I would never tell anybody, usually. But, I don't know. There's something about reading poetry. It's almost like acting. The room is kind of set up like a stage, anyway. Mr. Ward turns most of the lights out, and we stand in a spot in front of the video camera. Once he switches it on, it's like you become somebody else, and you can say anything, as long as it's in a poem. Then, when you're finished, you just disappear into the dark and sit down, and you're back to being your own self. Gloria says it's the same for her. (23.4)

Open Mike Fridays help. We kind of have our own little clique now. The whole school knows who we are, that we're "the poets." It's weird. For the first time in my life, I'm part of a group that's cool. Who would believe it?

Last month, Mr. Ward gave our class an assignment to write a poem about what frightens us most, in honor of Halloween. A year ago, I might have written about something silly, like ghosts, which I don't even believe in, and even if I did, ghosts would not be at the top of my list. The scariest thing I can think of now is being all alone in the world. (26.14-15)

Me, writing poetry! What a scream. I'm not smart enough to be writing poetry in the first place, though Mr. Ward says I'm smarter than I know. Yeah, well, I wouldn't have bothered trying to write anything except that Open Mike Friday is one time I know I can get Tyrone Bitting's attention, and I've got a thing for Tyrone. Of course, he's got a thing for Tanisha Scott— like every other boy in school. (29.3)