Genesis Begins Again: Chapters 22–33

by Alicia D. Williams
Facing prejudice both within her family and from her peers, Genesis Anderson struggles to accept herself and allow her talents to shine.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–21, Chapters 22–33
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. forge
    move ahead steadily
    We forge on, sliding and ducking till we make it to the front.
  2. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    Troy runs his finger down the row of names and turns to me, his face ecstatic. He brings me in for a bear hug, shouting, “You made it! We both did!”
  3. lavish
    bestow or expend profusely
    Jason lavishes his praise to all of us before going into the classroom.
  4. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    “I’m joking, Genesis,” she says flippantly, “but seriously, I heard her hair stinks. She probably doesn’t wash it. Gross.”
  5. bohemian
    unconventional or nonconformist in appearance and behavior
    “You can wash Iocs,” Belinda counters. “They’re kind of cool.”
    “If you’re one of them fake bohemian types,” says Yvette.
  6. raucous
    disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
    “Excited” isn’t the word for how raucous the class is.
  7. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    Mama hits me with a barrage of questions and doesn’t take a single breath before launching into the next.
  8. jubilant
    full of high-spirited delight
    Ella can sing a sad song with a jubilant twist, and she secretly switches your mood.
  9. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    She’s browsing the nonfiction books. She snags one and scrutinizes the cover, ignoring me.
  10. regurgitate
    repeat after memorization
    “Plus, it’s scary up there on that stage, with all the lights,” I say, regurgitating Belinda’s words.
  11. appeal
    earnest or urgent request
    Then I make my appeal to her. “Sophe, remember when we shared those secrets? And I told you the one about me singing in the mirror, with a shirt on my head?"
  12. prune
    cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of
    “Flowers, they don’t have to worry about a thing. They only need water, sun, pruning, sometimes a little talking to, and they’ll bloom so pretty.”
  13. disposition
    your usual mood
    She scrapes her food into the garbage disposal and turns it on. It’s not the grinding that sends chills through me, but Mama’s disposition.
  14. testimonial
    praise of a person or thing as worthy or desirable
    A small, folded piece of paper sits neatly on top of the jar, like a welcome letter. I carefully open it. Inside are testimonials, with before and after pictures.
  15. decisive
    characterized by resoluteness and firmness
    “Yes,” Yvette says decisively. “We thought it’d be better to keep it simple, especially since we now have less than one week to teach you the song and dance steps.”
  16. torturous
    extremely painful or unpleasant
    After I pat my head with the towel, Yvette gently combs it out, and the comb doesn’t get caught. There’s no torturous yanking and pulling at all.
  17. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    Still, once I’m back home, I hobble up to the mirror to see if today’s the day that God has answered my prayers.
  18. muss
    make messy or untidy
    And as I brush my hair, stroking it over and over—my light, bouncy hair that sways with every move—I can feel the small scabs from the relaxer burning my scalp. I muss it up just a little, but it doesn’t matter, look at me!
  19. prompt
    assist by suggesting the next words of something
    “Yeah, I’ve got to know where to stand, what to wear, stuff like that.” Jason looks blank. “For the show?” I prompt.
  20. fraternize
    be on friendly terms with someone, as if with a brother
    “What? Are you fraternizing with the enemy, Genesis?” Yvette smiles, smooth.
  21. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    When Etta James hits the first three notes, I immediately feel the hurt in her deep, raspy voice.
  22. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    Sophia begins, “When I first got diagnosed, I was really upset about it. I tried my best to hide it. But kids would, like, make fun of me when I’d move my desk—you know...linoleum squares? Lining up?”
  23. sift
    check and sort carefully
    A gift? For me? I grin and sift through the fancy paper until I feel something hard at the bottom.
  24. recital
    performance of music or dance especially by soloists
    “I used to get like that too,” Sophia acknowledges. “Every piano recital where I had to play a classical piece, I felt like I had to be extra perfect.”
  25. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    Troy opens the cafeteria door, and a slew of kids are already here preparing for the show.
  26. refrain
    part of a song or poem that recurs at regular intervals
    When she goes into her last refrain, she starts drumming a beat on the face of her guitar and sing/raps about the world and making a change.
  27. spastic
    affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions
    Then I hear my name. My stomach goes spastic. “Genesis, you’re on!” And now Troy’s telling me to break a leg.
  28. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    I recall every bad memory, every negative word, because when I sing, I’m gonna conjure the loneliness of Billie Holiday, the joy of Ella Fitzgerald, the soul and longing of Etta James.
  29. medley
    a musical composition consisting of a series of songs
    “Hello.” My voice cracks. “I’d like to sing a little medley I put together. Thank you.”
  30. egotistical
    having an inflated idea of one's own importance
    Now I’m dealing with Yvette’s egotistical smile, and the attitude she’s giving me with that stupid trophy she’s now parading across the stage with.
  31. grapple
    grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
    Dad grapples with the box again. I push it up to his back, so he can lean on it.
  32. hypocritical
    professing feelings or virtues one does not have
    That’s not just being selfish, it’s...it’s hypocritical!!
  33. levee
    an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing
    “Dad,” I say, “you’re not alone. I’m right here.” And Dad, he takes my hand, and his levees break.
  34. closure
    something settled or resolved
    I even pleaded my case and told her all about Dad opening up about his family and our long talk last night—which was the point of me breaking my punishment in the first place. You know what she said? “Good, I hope it brings him closure.”
  35. cliche
    a trite or obvious remark
    “I married your father for love. Yeah, I noticed his dark skin, but I wasn’t bothered by it....I just wasn’t. To be honest, he was my type—tall, dark, and handsome.” Mama laughs, probably at her cliché.
Created on Thu Feb 14 14:05:16 EST 2019 (updated Thu Feb 14 16:01:04 EST 2019)

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