Part 3 of 2666 follows a 30-year-old journalist from New York. Oscar Fate (the pen name of Quincy Williams) works for a Black-centric magazine titled Black Dawn, based out of Harlem, New York City.

Fate is told that his mother is dead. He arranges her funeral, though he is unsure of how to proceed. He asks for “something simple and intimate” (233), mistaking the name of his mother’s church and hoping that the service can be arranged as quickly as possible. Returning to his office, he collates his notes on his latest story for his magazine. He is writing a piece about Barry Seaman, a former member of the Black Panthers who is now famous for writing a recipe book. At the office, he learns that the magazine’s sports correspondent has been stabbed to death by “some black guys from Chicago” (235). Fate attends his mother’s funeral and prepares for his interview. He travels to Detroit, listening to other people’s conversations. In Detroit, he rents a car and visits Barry Seaman. They talk about Barry’s history, lectures, and time in prison. Fate watches Seaman deliver a lecture on five subjects: danger, money, food, stars, and usefulness. After the lecture, Fate drops Seaman at home and returns to his hotel.