Thursday, September 27, 2012

Discussion - "What You Do Out Here, When You're Alone"

How has Max and Lilli's move to the suburbs changed their relationship?

Why had they left Harley in jail that second night?  How did his "accident" the second night in jail factor into Max and Lilli's guilt?

What do you think of Max's decision to return to a simpler life and take Harley with him?  Do you agree?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Philipp Meyer

Now 38, Meyer spent 10 years teaching himself how to write.  In his interview with the New Yorker, He says he "decided I would throw everything away, everything I’d heard in college and everything else. I decided I would trust only myself."

His first novel, American Rust, was published in 2009.  It is set in a dying steel town in Pennsylvania, where two unemployed young men try to figure out what to do with their lives. 

In "What You Do Out Here, When You're Alone", Max and Lilli are blown apart by an "accident" that left their son in a coma.  They each have to come to grips with their guilt, and who will care for their comatose son.

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/06/14/100614fi_fiction_20under40_qa_philipp-meyer#ixzz27PWZprtD

Friday, September 21, 2012

"An Arranged Marriage" discussion

The month is passing quickly.  Here are a few questions to think about with regard to "An Arranged Marriage" by Nell Freudenberger.

What do you think about Amina's plan to marry an American to get her to the United States?  Do you think she was honest with George about why she wanted to get married?

Whose viewpoint did you feel the narrator was taking?  Did it feel like the story was told mostly in one person's point of view?

Do you think Amina and George will have a happy marriage?


Next week I'll post information about our last story, "What You Do Out Here, When You're Alone" by Philipp Meyer

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Nell Freudenberger

Nell Freudenberger is the author of "An Arranged Marriage" (p. 147).  A native New Yorker, Freudenberger spent a year teaching English in Thailand, and has traveled through other Asian countries.  In her interview for the 20 Under 40 project, she said that she "thought seriously about applying to medical school, and also about staying on in Asia". 

Freudenberger has since published a novel, The Newlyweds, based on Amina, the main character in "An Arranged Marriage".

More articles about Nell:

Saturday, September 8, 2012

"The Train of Their Departure" Discussion #2

Assuming that everything in the final paragraph happens, what do you think of Polina's choices?

How would you characterize the society that Polina, Maxim and Alec live in?  Would you want to live there?

Would you want to read the book, Free World, that incorporates this story?  Why?

Next week, I will post information about our second story, "An Arranged Marriage" by Nell Freudenberger.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

"The Train of Their Departure" Discussion #1

From The New Yorker Q&A with David Bezmozgnis:

I wanted to write about the peculiarities and contradictions of romantic life in the Soviet Union. I was six when I left the Soviet Union, so I never experienced this life, but I grew up around many people who did. The Soviet Union seems to exist in the American imagination as a dour place, when it wasn’t like that at all. Except when it was.


Post your reactions as comments.
·         What was your emotional reaction to the story as a whole? 
·          How did the story reflect this dichotomy of Soviet life --  "dour" - "not dour"?
There will be another discussion thread started in a few days; but feel free to bring up you own thoughts as comments.