
Classified as poetry, Natasha Tretheway's "Letter Home" blurs the lines of genre. The narrative is an authentic bit of history that dates back to 1910. It tells the story of a young black woman who travels to the big city of New Orleans, seeking opportunities, but experiencing daily frustration and dwindling finances. In an era of extreme racism -- of closed doors -- she is trying to pass as white, but wonders who she is actually fooling.