Picnic

The city was a marshmallow of sticky smog and I wanted out. I carried bags loaded with beach towels and sandwiches down the front steps while George checked the oil of the old car. I had to step around a couple of languid coffee drinkers who’d spilled out of the café on the corner and made themselves comfortable on our stairs. Everyone was in my way.

Trade: Snapshots of African Traders in Hong Kong and China

Wendy Thompson Taiwo received a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland and was a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of History at the University of Minnesota from 2009–2010 where she began a research project documenting the everyday lives of African traders in Hong Kong and China. She is currently turning this project into a book.