M&D article

[R. Fiero]

On page 5 (287) of the Olster article:
"("Yet if a Jew cooking pork is a Marvel, what of a Negroe, 
working a Room?" asks the astounded colonel [279].) Unlike, 
then, the depiction of slavery in earlier works . . .the 
depiction of slavery in Mason & Dixon makes slavery a function 
of cultural context."

It seems that Olster just doesn't understand the term "working a room."
Just as off, a Google search on "working a room" gives the following:

Amazon.com: Books: Working the Room: How to Move People to 
Action ... Working the Room: How to Move People to Action 
through Audience-Centered Speaking, Nick Morgan. ... Working 
the Room, July 7, 2004, Reviewer ...

WeddingChannel.com - Working The Room ... your guests. How can 
you make all of your guests feel special without spending the 
entire evening working the room?

Working a Room: Tips for Women Who Don't Like Networking 
Working a Room: Tips for Women Who Don't Like Networking by 
JoyLynn Reed Have you ever gone to a "networking event"? Have you ever ...

Working A Room ... Besides the general sense of giving as much 
as you get (from a podium or one-on-one), there are other good 
techniques to "working a room.". ...