Let Me Hear a Rhyme

Quadir is a 16-year-old boy living in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy), Brooklyn, in 1998. One of Quadir’s best friends, Steph, has been murdered and Quadir is at Steph’s apartment in the Brevoort Housing Projects, or “B-Voort,” for his funeral reception. Steph left behind his mother, 15-year-old sister Jasmine, and younger brother Carl. Quadir is disappointed that Steph’s murder wasn’t really mentioned on the news, which is more concerned with Bill Clinton’s affair with his intern. Quadir aspires to become a reporter or writer one day, so he can tell true, important stories that are currently ignored, such as Steph’s.

Nearly 100 people are at the reception, including Steph and Quadir’s other best friend, Jarrell. Quadir doesn’t appreciate how closely everyone is watching Steph’s family, as if waiting for them to crumble. He also doesn’t appreciate how loudly some people are gossiping about the death. He wishes he could cheer Ms. Davis up, but he also just wants to be alone. He, Steph, and Jarrell didn’t even get to go to Coney Island at the end of summer like they did every year.