Summary
Highlights
Stella receives an 'F' on an incomplete paper from Mrs. Grayson. Mrs. Grayson advises her to write about herself, as she is the expert on herself, and asks her to bring a finished paper the next morning, or she will visit Stella's mother. Stella is anxious about her mother discovering her academic troubles.
After struggling to fall asleep, Stella ensures her family is asleep before carefully sneaking outside. She retrieves a hidden school notebook and a cigar box wrapped in leather from under the steps. The cigar box contains numerous yellowed newspaper clippings she's collected, detailing national news like Amelia Earhart, Laurel and Hardy, Amos and Andy, Hitler, and the Lindbergh kidnapping, as well as local stories such as contests and arrests.
Stella struggles to write her paper, feeling frustrated. She decides to take Mrs. Grayson's advice and write honestly about herself. After several attempts and erasures, she finally writes a description of herself and her family, focusing on her identity and characteristics, despite not being entirely satisfied with the result.