from

Bronx
Masquerade
Novel by Nikki Grimes

When Mr. Ward’s students start reading NOTICE & NOTE

As you read, use the side
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their poems on “Open Mike Fridays,” margins to make notes

they’re surprised by what they learn about about the text.
themselves and their classmates.

Diondra Jordan ANALYZE PERSPECTIVES

Annotate: Mark sentences in

1 If only I was as bold as Raul. The other day, he left one of his paragraphs 1–2 that suggest
paintings out on Mr. Ward’s desk where anybody could see it. Diondra’s perspective regarding
Which was the point. He sometimes works at Mr. Ward’s desk Raul.

during lunch. The wet paintbrushes sticking up out of the jar Infer: What do these sentences
are always a sign that he’s been at it again. So of course, anybody suggest about the way that
Diondra thinks about Raul?
who glances over in that direction will be tempted to stop by
and look.
2 This particular painting was rough, but anyone could tell it
was Raul. A self-portrait. He’ll probably hang it in class. Back in
September, Mr. Ward covered two of the classroom walls with
black construction paper and then scattered paper frames up
and down the walls, each one a different size and color. Now
half the room looks sort of like an art gallery, which was the

Bronx Masquerade 355

 idea. We’re supposed to use the paper frames for our work.
Whether we put up poems or photographs or even paintings
is up to us, so long as the work is ours and we can tie it in with
our study of the Harlem Renaissance.1 I guess Raul’s self-
portrait fits, since we’ve been talking a lot about identity. He’ll
probably put it up next to his poem. You should have seen him
Close Read Screencast hang that thing. You’d think he was handling a million-dollar

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Listen to a modeled close masterpiece the way he took his time placing it just so. If you
read of this text.
look close, you can see the smudges where he erased a word or
two and rewrote it. Mr. Ward must be in shock. He can never
tirade
(tπ´r∑d) n. A tirade is a
get Raul to rewrite a lick of homework or anything else. And
long, angry speech. don’t even talk to him about checking his spelling! He’ll launch
into a tirade on you in a minute. “What?” he’ll snap. “You think
ANALYZE CHARACTERIZATION Puerto Ricans can’t spell?” Forget it. Anyway, I dare you to find
Annotate: Mark details in one misspelled word in that poem of his! Maybe it’s a visual
paragraphs 3–4 that help you thing. Maybe he wants his poem to look as good as his self-
understand Diondra’s character. portrait. And it is good.
Interpret: Why doesn’t Diondra 3 I’ve never tried doing a self-portrait, but why not? I could
want her schoolmates to know maybe do one in charcoal. I like drawing faces in charcoal. I’ve
about the art she creates?
been drawing since I can’t remember when. Not that anyone

1
Harlem Renaissance: Between the end of World War I and the 1930s, Black writers,
artists, scholars, and musicians fled the repression of the Jim Crow South and moved to
Harlem in New York City. The influential literary and cultural movement that began there is
known as the Harlem Renaissance.

356 UNIT 5 ANALYZE & APPLY

 here knows that, except Tanisha, and she found out by accident Don’t forget to
Notice & Note as you
when she came to my house to study once and saw a couple of
read the text.
drawings hanging in my room. Mom loves my watercolors and
she hung one in the living room, but it isn’t signed. Nobody
ever mentions it, especially not my father. He’s not too wild
about my art. Mostly, he’s disappointed, first off that I wasn’t
born a boy, and second that I won’t play ball like one. I’m six
feet tall, almost as tall as he, and he figures the height is wasted
on me since I don’t share his dreams of me going to the WNBA.
I keep telling him not to hold his breath.
4 I hate always being the tallest girl in school. Everybody
expects me to play basketball, so they pick me for their team,
throw me the ball, and wait for me to shoot. Big mistake. I
fumble it every time. Then they have the nerve to get mad at ANALYZE PERSPECTIVES
me, like I did it on purpose! But basketball is not my game. I
Annotate: In paragraph 5, mark
have no game. I’m an artist, like Raul. The difference is, I don’t the elements that Diondra plans
tell anybody. I refuse to give them new reasons to laugh at me. to include in her self-portrait.
The Jolly Green Giant jokes are bad enough. Analyze: How do these elements
5 Yeah, it’s definitely time to try a self-portrait. I think I’ll confirm what you already know
paint myself in front of an easel. With a basketball jersey about Diondra’s perspective
sticking up out of the trash. Then I could hang it in Mr. Ward’s regarding herself?

class. See if anybody notices.

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Bronx Masquerade 357

 OPEN MIKE
If
By Diondra Jordan
6 If I stood on tiptoe
reached up and sculpted
mountains from clouds
would you laugh out loud?

7 If I dipped my brush in starlight

painted a ribbon of night
on your windowsill
would you still laugh?

8 If I drew you adrift

in a pen and ink sea
in a raging storm
would you laugh at me?

9 If I planted watercolor roses

in your garden
would you laugh then?
Or would you breathe deep
to sample their scent?
I wonder.

Tyrone
ANALYZE CHARACTERIZATION 10 If the sista read any faster, I’d be looking for her Supergirl cape.
Annotate: Mark the words and Talk about nervous! Diondra’s hands were shaking the whole
phrases that show what Tyrone time she was holding that poem. She sure spooks easy for
thinks about the readers. somebody so tall.
Draw Conclusions: What do 11 “Yo!” I said. “Take a deep breath. Ain’t nobody going to hurt
Tyrone’s comments reveal about you here.” She smiled a little and tried to slow down. But I swear
his personality?
that girl burned rubber getting back to her seat when she was
through. I guess she’s not exactly used to the limelight.
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12 She’s got plenty of company. Four more kids read their

poetry for the first time today. They were shaking in their
boots, but it was all good. I only had to tell one of them to
loosen up. Guess you could call that progress!

358 UNIT 5 ANALYZE & APPLY

 Don’t forget to
Notice & Note as you
read the text.

Devon Hope
13 Jump Shot. What kind of name is that? Not mine, but try telling
that to the brothers at school. That’s all they ever call me.
14 You’d think it was written somewhere. Tall guys must be
jocks. No. Make that tall people, ’cause Diondra’s got the same
problem. Everybody expects her to shoot hoops. The difference
is, she’s got no talent in that direction. Ask me, she’s got no
business playing b-ball. That’s my game.
15 I’ve got good height and good hands, and that’s a fact. VOCABULARY
But what about the rest of me? Forget who I really am, who Use Context Clues: The word
I really want to be. The law is be cool, be tough, play ball, grief often means “deep sadness.”
However, by using context clues,
and use books for weight training—not reading. Otherwise,
the reader can determine that
everybody gives you grief. Don’t ask me why I care, especially
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Devon uses the word to mean

when the grief is coming from a punk like Wesley. Judging something other than that in
from the company he keeps, he’s a gangsta in sheep’s clothing. I paragraph 15.
don’t even know why he and Tyrone bother coming to school. Interpret: What does Devon
It’s clear they don’t take it seriously, although maybe they’re mean by the phrase “everybody
gives you grief”?
starting to. That’s according to Sterling, who believes in praying
for everybody and giving them the benefit of the doubt. I love
the preacher-man, but I think he may be giving these brothers
too much credit. Anyway, when I hang around after school
and any of the guys ask me: “Yo, Devon, where you going?” I
tell them I’m heading for the gym to meet Coach and work on
my layup. Then once they’re out the door, I cut upstairs to the
library to sneak a read.
16 It’s not much better at home. My older brother’s always after
me to hit the streets with him, calls me a girly man for loving
Getty Images

books and jazz.

17 Don’t get me wrong. B-ball is all right. Girls like you, for
one thing. But it’s not you they like. It’s Mr. Basketball. And if
that’s not who you are inside, then it’s not you they’re liking. So
what’s the point? Still, I don’t mind playing, just not all the time.

Bronx Masquerade 359

 18 This year is looking better. My English teacher has got us
studying the Harlem Renaissance, which means we have to read
a lot of poetry. That suits me just fine, gives me a reason to drag
around my beat-up volumes of Langston Hughes and Claude
McKay. Whenever anybody bugs me about it, all I have to say is
“Homework.” Even so, I’d rather the brothers not catch me with
my head in a book.
19 The other day, I duck into the library, snare a corner table,
hunker and hunker down with 3000 Years of Black Poetry. Raynard sees
(h≠ng´k∂r) v. To hunker down me, but it’s not like he’s going to tell anybody. He hardly speaks,
means to stay in a place and focus
and he never hangs with any of the brothers I know. So I breathe
on a task for a period of time.
easy. I’m sure no one else has spotted me until a head pops up
from behind the stacks. It’s Janelle Battle from my English class.
snicker I freeze and wait for the snickers I’m used to. Wait for her to
(sn∆k´∂r) n. A snicker is a superior, say something like: “What? Coach got you reading now? Afraid
partially suppressed laugh.
you’re gonna flunk out and drop off the team?” But all she does
NOTICE & NOTE
is smile and wave. Like it’s no big deal for me to be in a library
AHA MOMENT reading. Like I have a right to be there if I want. Then she pads
When you notice a sudden over, slips a copy of The Panther & the Lash on my table, and
realization that shifts a character’s walks away without saying a word. It’s one of my favorite books
actions or understandings, you’ve by Langston Hughes. How could she know? Seems like she’s
found an Aha Moment signpost.
noticed me in the library more often than I thought.
Notice & Note: In paragraphs 20 Janelle is all right. So what if she’s a little plump? At least
19–20, mark words and phrases
that show a change in Devon’s
when you turn the light on upstairs, somebody’s at home. She’s
attitude. smart, and she doesn’t try hiding it. Which gets me thinking.
Predict: How might this
Maybe it’s time I quit sneaking in and out of the library like
realization change things for some thief. Maybe it’s time I just started being who I am.
Devon?

OPEN MIKE
Bronx Masquerade
By Devon Hope
21 I woke up this morning
exhausted from hiding
the me of me
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confide so I stand here confiding

(k∂n-fπd´) v. To confide means there’s more to Devon
to share private or secret
than jump shot and rim.
information.
I’m more than tall
and lengthy of limb.
I dare you to peep
behind these eyes,
discover the poet
in tough-guy disguise.
Don’t call me Jump Shot.
My name is Surprise.
360 UNIT 5 ANALYZE & APPLY