You know, do you remember

those viewfinders from the 70s?

I was really into that,

and I had viewfinders

and I had a projector.

I was allowed to bring boys up to my room

IF I was going to show them

these projections I had.

So that was really exciting.

I really liked showing these projections

in the dark and telling stories.

There were certain stories that were

supposed to go with them,

but I would change the order

and make up other stories.

That was a very calm moment for me,

these stories I would make up.

The Red Baron was a favorite one.

[Laughs]

And then mixed with, if you can imagine,

the story about Bessie Smith

and her car accident, that she wasn't able

to get to the hospital,

or she was able to get to the hospital,

and they wouldn’t take care of her.

So these slides would all get

jumbled together and would end up being

part of my slide show and my narration.

[Laughs]

And you know, it kept people really quiet.

I mean, usually I was really territorial

and really fighting with boys

in my neighborhood a lot,

and they were very

--at least momentarily--

obedient and quiet and listening.