The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

The narrator finds New York bewitching from the moment he arrives. Although he intends to secure lodging and work, he first ends up at a gambling parlor with some companions. The inhabitants of the parlor are so consumed by their betting that some sell their clothes when they lose, and they spend whatever they earn at the gambling tables in impulsive bursts of generosity. These men’s lives confine them to the small space of the bar. The narrator is fascinated by the gamblers, however, especially after he wins $200 at one table. Equally fascinating is the ragtime music (the musical precursor to jazz) the piano player performs at the next club the narrator goes to. The narrator picks the brain of the club’s piano player to learn how to play it. Exhilarated by the music and gambling, the narrator stays out all night.

The narrator spends most of his first several days in New York at the club, which he later learns is a well-known hot spot in New York. Aside from the piano player and gamblers, Black celebrities frequent the club, and they have their own exclusive section of the club, a floor lined with autographed pictures of people like them.