 Through the poem's lens, Madame Rostel is darkened and lit by many forces, called by some the wickedest woman in New York. I needed to go on this journey, and my interest in her and my curiosity about her and my interest in the way that the real Anne Loman and then the character of Madame Rostel kind of coexist, that's really what the poem is about. It's not really about these historical details, even though it's full of historical details.