Renee Gladman
In this text we get the impression that Renee is speaking as herself, sharing some of her most intimate thoughts and feelings about the world. Each section starts at the beginning of a day, and Renee then describes how she felt that day. We learn how she feels about interpersonal relationships, how she sometimes feels like an outsider, and what she thinks about novel writing and working at a university. We get an honest and insightful sense of Renee's personality from reading this text, which makes it an interesting read.
Danielle
Renee mentions a woman called Danielle in this text, and we get the impression that they are romantic partners. In one essay, they have different feelings about gatherings with friends. Gladman begins this essay with the following passage: "I began the day trying to explain to Danielle what it was like to be a lesbian in the 90s, and why there were s many ex-girlfriends around who were often in committed relationships with other ex-girlfriends of yours." Danielle is not a fan of having people from the past present at a gathering, and instead wanted "a different gathering of people that comprised of no ex-girlfriends and no friends of ex-girlfriends."
The university president
The president of the university Renee works at is featured a few times in this collection, and in one particularly important section she "disemploys" Renee. Gladman describes how the the president pulls "from her gallery of expressions the phrase slam dunk to drive the point home."
