A multilingual block in West Philly -- Spanish becomes a secret; language of the dead -- English is for atheism; language of woodworking -- A name that is a mask -- An English cousin comes to visit -- Language of the forest -- Latina health vocab from the late '80s -- Spanglish cousins on the New Jersey turnpike -- Body language -- Sophomore year English -- Things go unsaid long enough... -- Possession's voice -- Sedo buys me an upright; language of Bach -- Taíno petroglyphs -- Lukumí thrones -- Silence=death -- Unwritten recipes -- Yoruba vocabulary -- A racial slur -- A book is its presence and absence -- Mom's accent -- Dad buys me a typewriter -- She said Norf Philly and one-two-free -- Atonality -- Fania everything and salsa out-of-prints -- The serenity prayer -- Sterling Library -- The Foraker Act (on Boriken's-and the diaspora's-language history) -- Gil-Scott Heron asks me a question -- Writing's a muscle, it gets stronger -- Broken language -- On obscenity -- Cold drink became a play -- Silence=death (déjà vu all over again) -- The book of our genius.