On the Divinity of Second Chances (36 page)

BOOK: On the Divinity of Second Chances
10.8Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
Ursula Hegi is another favorite of mine. Lots of flavor. Lots of quirk.
The funniest book I ever read was
Letters to Rollins,
a collection of real fan mail to Henry Rollins. It shows that truth is always stranger than fiction.
Surfing the Himalayas
and
Snowboarding to Nirvana
are great books for people who love snow sports and are interested in Buddhism.
Advice for aspiring writers? Trust that you have a story in you that no one else can tell. When it’s time to take it to the world, don’t give up and don’t take rejection personally. It’s like dating. Not everyone wants what you have to offer. It doesn’t mean that it’s not good. It might. Or it might just mean what you’ve created doesn’t fit into the niches agents and publishers are looking to work with. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. Read about it.
How to Get Happily Published
by Judith Appelbaum was my guide. I read it cover to cover and followed all her advice.
 
What are you working on now?
I’m working on cleaning my house and getting report cards done. I’m also working on maintaining a level of physical fitness where I can maximize my fun in life and avoid back pain.
Writing-wise, I’m still finishing
How I Came to Sparkle Again,
my third title. I’ve begun to type the whole thing over from start to finish because it’s been through so many revisions that I need to address continuity. It’s good to question whether each word is worth being typed again.
I have two more books that have been dying to get out of my brain. They’re getting intolerably impatient with me. I can’t wait until
Sparkle
is done and I have all kinds of time to dive in and write them. There’s nothing like the first draft. It’s like a honeymoon.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Forrest, for the first time, sees his father as vulnerable. When did you realize your parents were just human beings and not, for lack of a better word, superheroes? How did that make you feel?
2. Which of the narrators was your favorite? Why? Is he or she also your favorite character? Why or why not?
3. Phil observes that effort and awareness sometimes work at cross purposes. What are some examples of trying so hard that it almost certainly ensures you won’t perform your best? How do you relax into or prepare your mind for activities where this can be a problem?
4. In what ways do you think Jade was better off at finally having found Aretha? In what ways would her memories of her be different had she not gotten those last few moments? What part does closure play in our lives? In what ways is an emphasis on closure realistic? Is it a healthy emphasis?
5. In what ways might Anna be doing more harm than good in insisting that Phil almost completely cut himself off from the occupation he once loved? Are there ways she could have found a middle ground?
6. Anna, at a rather pivotal moment in her daughter’s life, reflects that she’s not having a very good birthday. In what ways are her thoughts selfish? Put yourself in Anna’s shoes—how do you think you’d react? Now put yourself in Olive’s shoes—how do you think you’d want your mother to react?
7. If your spirit guide were to materialize, what do you think he or she might look like?
8. If you were Jade, would you have kept Forrest’s secret? What would be the benefits of telling Phil and Anna where he was? What about the drawbacks? Do you think his crime merited running away?
9. Discuss the relationship between Pearl and her burn-happy neighbor Dean. In what ways could their feud have been avoided? How do you think their relationship will progress?
10. What people—or animals, for that matter—were granted a second chance during the course of the book? Did anyone who didn’t get a second chance deserve one? Or vice versa?
11. What are some second chances you’ve been given? What are some you’ve granted? Were they successful?
For more information about or to order other Penguin Readers Guides, please e-mail the Penguin Marketing Department at [email protected] or write to us at:
Penguin Books Marketing Dept.
Readers Guides
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014-3657
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
To access Penguin Readers Guides online, visit the Penguin
Group (USA) Inc. Web site at
www.penguin.com
and
www.vpbookclub.com
BOOK: On the Divinity of Second Chances
10.8Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

A Touch of Summer by Hunter, Evie
New Year’s Kisses by Rhian Cahill
A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
Back to Battle by Max Hennessy
Farnham's Freehold by Robert A Heinlein
Mathilda by Mary Shelley
More Than I Wanted by Ava Catori
I Could Love You by William Nicholson