125039 < Simple - 2024 >

that address the intersection of race and the pandemic. How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays

In the context of the essay, represents the official U.S. death toll from COVID-19 as of the specific day Laymon was writing (late June 2020). Key Themes 125039

The essay uses this staggering number to anchor a broader critique of: that address the intersection of race and the pandemic

he uses to blend personal memoir with political commentary. Key Themes The essay uses this staggering number

He reflects on the danger posed to his ninety-year-old grandmother, a Black woman from Mississippi with a compromised immune system, whose caregiver had contracted the virus.

The number is a central recurring figure in the essay "Day 10," written by Kiese Laymon . This piece is part of his 2020 collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays . Meaning of the Number

Laymon juxtaposes the mounting death toll with the refusal of leaders, like Donald Trump and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, to mandate masks or acknowledge policy errors.