Book Discussion: All Fours by Miranda July

Book is about straddling being a mother/wife and a person.[O]f course, in a patriarchy your body is technically not your own until you pass the reproductive age.”The two women she is with in the novel are younger and older versions of herself. Maybe the book is about wanting what you want and getting it too.

In the novel the narrator sets out to become a driver after being a self professed parker. The terms "Parker" and "Driver" describe two distinct personality types and approaches to life. A "Driver" is someone who can find engagement and joy in everyday life, even when it's mundane, while a "Parker" needs a specific, challenging, and often applause-worthy task to feel alive. In what ways do you think she succeded? 

Duality in the novel: parker/driver, mother/wife, wife/person, men/women, 

What role does the phrase "every day is Tuesday" play in the novel? What does it mean to different characters within the story. 

-Davey doesn't work Tuesdays

-Arkanda doesn't use days of the week

-If you had hormonal consistency every day may as well be Tuesday

How does the narrators father's concept of the walk-in or original soul play out in the book? p. 223

Why did the author decide to fly and not drive to NY in the epilogue.

What does the book say about men?

    -p. 81"The women I had dated were often my own age, that was fine. But the men always had to be older than me because if they were my same age then it became too obvious how much more powerful I was and this was a turnoff for both of us. Men needed a head start for it to be even."

The narrator and her husband have a complicated relationship to one another.

-Page 14 she states "Sometimes Harris will seem to have rapport with a waitress or a cashier and I immediately cede to them as a couple-I internally step aside and give my place to the other woman, just for a few seconds, until the transaction is over.""Being a third wheel is my natural state."

How does Miranda July explore the themes of aging, sexuality, and identity in "All Fours"? How do these themes intersect throughout the novel?

-p 85 "If birth was being thrown energetically up into the air, we aged as we rose. At the height of our ascent we ere middle-aged and then we fell for the rest of our lives, the whole second half. Falling might take just as long, but it was nothing like rising. The whole time you were rising you could not imagine what came next in your particular, unique journey; you could not see around the corner. Whereas falling ended the same way for everyone."

-p249 sad character of Audra was all in the narrators head

How did the narrator come to the conclusion in the middle of the book that  sex and bodily freedom was the secret to everything. That the best way to understand peoples realities is to have sex with them. p 251. What is she really experiencing in this moment (after sex with Audra.)

The narrator's experience with fetal-maternal hemorrhage plays a significant role in the story. How does this traumatic event shape her relationships and decisions throughout the novel?

Discuss the significance of the motel room renovation. What does this space represent for the narrator, and how does it contribute to her journey of self-discovery?


How does July portray the concept of motherhood in the novel? How does the narrator's relationship with her child, Sam, evolve throughout the story?

Discuss the role of art and creativity in the narrator's life. How does her career as an artist influence her personal journey?

How does July use humor and unconventional situations to address serious topics like mortality, menopause, and marital dissatisfaction?

How does July's writing style contribute to the overall impact of the novel? Discuss specific passages or techniques that you found particularly effective or memorable.


Discuss the novel's treatment of marriage and long-term relationships. How does the narrator's relationship with Harris evolve, and what does this say about the nature of commitment?


"All Fours" contains explicit sexual content and frank discussions about the body. How did you react to these elements of the novel? In what ways do you think the explicit nature of the book contributes to or detracts from July's exploration of sexuality, aging, and self-discovery?

Why don't you think the author gave the main character a name? Were we supposed to identify her with Miranda July? Were we supposed to find her universal?
This book was extremely polarizing for a lot of reasons but very much in the way it discusses middle aged womanhood. Do you think it's possible to broach that topic in a way that doesn't create a divide?


Another meeting that has a big impact on the narrator is her meeting with Audra. After she leaves Audra, she walks for hours and has a series of epiphanies, eventually deciding that the lesson she’s learned is that the road at midlife “splits between: a life spent longing vs. a life that was continually surprising.” (p. 212) After her big argument with Harris about the video, she leans into this lesson even more (p. 218):


Most of us wouldn’t do anything different, ever. Our yearning and quiet rage would be suppressed and seep into our children and they would hate this about us enough to do it a new way. That was how most change happened, not within one lifetime but between generations. If you really wanted to change, you had to believe that you were both yourself and your baby; you had to let yourself be completely reborn within one life.
-What do you think about this lesson? 

-Does it ring true to you? 

-Is this a lesson that applies only to mothers/women, or is it something that fathers/men can also learn from? 

-What does “believing that you are both yourself and your baby” mean in the context of her relationship with Sam, the trauma of Sam’s birth, and her difficulty connecting with Sam except in the bathtub? 

-In what ways does what she learns in her meetings with her married friends in Room 321 change or reinforce this lesson?

Let’s talk a little about Jordi and the narrator’s friendship. We know from part one that Jordi is one of the only people the narrator can be herself with (p. 14). Jordi is constantly both her cheerleader and her voice of reason, pointing out when she’s taking things too far or when she’s missing details (like how if she’s lying to Harris, she’s also lying to Sam (p. 184). She keeps the narrator’s secrets even though she doesn’t like lying (p. 76) and is there whenever the narrator needs her.
-Why does the narrator feel that she can be herself with Jordi but not with Harris or Sam? 

-Why do you think Jordi is still friends with the narrator? 

-What does Jordi get from this relationship? 

-Would you stay friends with someone like the narrator based on what we see of her friendship with Jordi in this novel?

The third important meeting in this section of the novel is the narrator’s meeting with Arkanda, who she learns also had a traumatic birth experience related to FMH. After this meeting, the narrator has another realization as she recognizes that she’s acting as a guardian to Room 321 but doesn’t own it, despite all of the time and money and energy she’s put into it.
-What about her meeting with Arkanda opens up this new way of seeing the room? 

-Do you think that the flashbacks will stop now that she’s been able to connect with someone who’s had a similar experience? 

-What about this meeting and/or this realization led her to the decision to write her story?
-How do you feel about the “narrator is actually the author of this fictional story” trope that is revealed at the very end of part three? Is it better or worse than the “it was all a dream” trope?


After the telephotographer roleplay and their big argument, the narrator and Harris reach an unconventional solution for their marriage: to become a “nonconforming family” (p. 278).
-Which problems does their arrangement solve? 

-What other problems does it cause? 

-Do you think it’s sustainable? 

-Do you think it’s fair/workable for all parties involved?
-Is the goal of a family for it to be fair/workable for all parties involved, or is there necessarily one or more parties who are always going to be short-changed?)

In the end, it feels like the entire novel has been moving in the direction of this solution. How do you feel about this journey? Did it end where you expected it to?

On page 360 Jordi states " Everyone thinks doggy style is so vulnerable. But its actually the most stable position. Like a table. It's hard to be knocked down when you are on all fours." What is your take on this, and what does that idea mean in the larger context of the story?

Did you feel that the epilogue successfully tied up loose ends or was it frustrating to see time move forward without any real acknowledgment of the way her actions effected the people around her?

Book Discussion: My Husband by Maud Ventura

 What parts of the narrators through processes did you relate to?

In what ways did you find the narrators viewpoint unreliable?

-“With the exception of my unexplained itching and my all-consuming passion for my husband,” she says, “my life is perfectly normal.” 

What were your initial thoughts of the husband? Was there a point when your feelings about him changed? Well, aside from the ending of course!

Why does the husband manipulate the wife?

Is she truly in love or just have an obsession?

In what ways does their relationship work?

-an obsessive mind is never satisfied

How did you feel about the ending? Was it effective? Would you have preferred the twist sooner in the story?

On page 34 she pretends her name is Grace while at the hairdressers and continues to keep up the rouse. What is her motivation for this?

What was her most cringy action or thought in the novel? What was her most egregious act?

What are the significance of the colors she chose for each day of the week?

Does the cover art make you want to pick the book up? Is it a good representation of the book? What else could have been on the cover?

On page 101 she quotes the philosopher Blaise Pascal "If we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable that we will never be so." How do you agree or disagree with that sentiment? Is the narrators preparations towards her husband what keep her happy.

This book has some similar relationship themes and dynamics to Annie Bot which we read over the summer. What are some similarities?

Why does the narrator cheat on her husband?

Book Discussion: Stories From the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana

Flip back to the "Intro." The final lines of the opening poem are "Everybody got a story, everybody got a tale/ Question is: is it despair or prevail?" As described in "Rent Manual," Banneker Terrace is under new ownership and a rent hike is looming. When you reached the end of the collection, did you feel optimistic about the future of Banneker Terrace and its residents? Why or why not?

In "Rent Manual," Mimi keeps a running tally of her finances as she goes from gig to gig to make rent. Why might the author have chosen to begin the collection with Mimi's story? What are some themes that are introduced here, that will recur throughout the book?

Gentrification is a central theme in this collection; it is also a central economic pressure in nearly every American city. What is gentrification? How have you observed its effects for yourself?
"lite feet" is the only epistolary story (a story written in the form of a letter) in the collection. Why might the author have chosen to write this story in this way? How does the story's epistolary form affect your reading experience?

In "Camaraderie," we encounter Darius for the first time since "Rent Manual." How have Mimi's decisions from "Rent Manual" impacted Darius?

At the beginning of "The Young Entrepreneurs of Miss Bristol's Front Porch," Kandese Bristol is confident that the news station will report on their candy store. All the young entrepreneurs need to do to make it happen, she says, is write them a letter. A response from the news station arrives at the end of the story, and the story's narrator assumes the worst, even before she's read it. In your opinion, what purpose do these details serve in the story? What might the hope for news coverage represent, and what can we make of the narrator's pessimism at the end?

In the following passage, Ms. Dallas describes teachers like Mr. Broderick: "They fresh out of college with a magic wand. They done read all the articles. Believed every news show that said public schools and teachers in the ghetto is falling apart like pie crust. Watched every feel-good movie, thinkin about twenty-two they can come in here and set the world right in minutes. All the while, they bidin they time til law school." Later, she says "I also believe that people who don't learn lessons should still get taught." In your opinion, what is the "lesson" she wants Mr. Broderick to learn?

In the final story Mr. Murrary says he deosn't know why anyone didn't ask his opinion before taking up arms for his cause of being allowed to play chess across the street from the restaurant. What ways have you seen people in society take up another persons cause without consulting? Is it helpful or harmful?

Book Discussion: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

 In what ways do you think some of the details of an AI Robot might become a reality in our world?

There has been a lot of talk lately about ChatGPT, AI, and the future. Do you think “robot partners” are a possibility? Do you think they are a good idea? Can you imagine who would want to buy them? Do you think they would look and act like Annie?  

While you were reading the novel, at what point, if ever, did you start to see Annie as essentially human?

Considering that we get to know Doug in the privacy of his own home through the gaze of a robot, how reliable is the portrayal of him?

• Why do you suppose he evokes such powerful reactions? 
• Is he familiar, normal, a monster, or something else? 
• How does Doug’s ability to command Annie change him? 

Doug designs Annie to resemble a specific person from his past. Why is this important? What does this tell us about Doug’s character, his understanding of women, and his desire for control?  

What are the different episodes of betrayal that happen in the novel, and do the reactions to betrayal seem justified to you?

Doug is highly motivated to keep Annie, and she has no choice in the matter. In real life, couples stay together for many reasons even when their relationships are unhealthy. What are some of those reasons, and do you think the novel treats the issue of domestic abuse sensitively?

How do Annie’s other relationships—with Fiona, Christy, Delta, and Cody—cause her trouble or help her grow? How do you think third parties can affect, for better or worse, romantic relationships?

How do the concision and pace of Annie Bot add or detract from the novel? Are there places where you wish you knew more?

The novel includes references to many other books, writers, and poets. Have you read any of the mentioned works? How do you think the allusions mirror the situations and themes of Annie Bot? How are the books, and Annie Bot, related to the ways men and women are socialized in our culture?

• Borges "The Labyrinth Stories"
• The Lottery
• Hills Like White Elephants

What does Doug feel after finding out Annie Cheated? Is Doug responsible for Annies betrayal because he designed and trained her?

Were you surprised by the ending? Was it satisfying? What events do you imagine might follow?

How would this novel have been different if a human woman had purchased a robot boyfriend, or if the relationship involved LGBTQ+ partners?

What leads annies desire to learn programming?

What do you think of Dougs friend Roland?

On Page 66 Doug gets angry with Annie and tells her to never tell him what to think of feel again. Why do you think he reacted so strongly in this instance?

Why does Doug want Delta to think Annie is a human. Do you think Delta knew?

At the end what changes for Annie that she distrusts Doug?

How does her feeling about the way he treats her change over time?

Book Discussion: While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger

Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why or why not?

How does this book compare to different memoirs you have read in this genre?

Did you find the author’s writing style easy to read or hard to read? Why? How long did it take you to get into the book?

Who was your favorite character? What character did you identify with the most? Were there any characters that you disliked? Why?

Did any part of this book strike a particular emotion in you? Which part and what emotion did the book make you feel?

Did the book change your opinion about anything, or did you learn something new from it?

Did the direction of the book surprise you?

Were there any parts of the book that frustrated you?

Did you highlight or bookmark any passages from the book? Did you have a favorite quote or quotes? If so, share which and why?

How would you adapt this book into a movie? Who would you cast in the leading roles?

Were there any instances in which you felt the author was not being truthful? How did you react to these sections?

Book Discussion: The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel

Colossal Labs aims to introduce mammoth genes into the Asian Elephant for conservation purposes. The project claims: "The return of the Woolly Mammoth to the Arctic tundra it roamed thousands of years ago has significant benefits for combating climate change. Mammoths will stir up the icy surface of the landscape, stomp out-thick, low-oxygen trees, and expose healthy, carbon-trapping grasses. That action can restore the tundra, which in turn protects the climate and balances greenhouse gasses."

Read more: https://colossal.com/how-de-extinction-works/#:~:text=The%20return%20of%20the%20Woolly,healthy%2C%20carbon%2Dtrapping%20grasses.

My critiques:

• Dialog is clunky and unbelievable. All three female characters have the same voice and personality. 

Eve’s and Vera’s young lives involve constant travel: “They had grown up on the road, on the move, in countries all over the world. They had been brave, or else they had had no choice.”

What does this nomadic life give to Jane and Sal’s daughters, and what does it take away?
Consider how the family functions when they are abroad versus when they are home in Berkeley. Which lifestyle do you think is better for them as individuals or as a family?
Jane is the only female scientist on her research team. In what ways does her gender hold her back? Do you think this phenomenon is limited to science? What does it mean that Jane’s daughters observe this kind of sexism in action? Do you think Jane would make the same daring choices in response to it all if her daughters weren’t in the picture?


How would you describe Eve and Veras relationship to each other. What do each of them desire in life?

How do Eve and Veras vision of the future differ?

In what ways does Jane fail and succeed at parenting the girls?

• Jane is a woman achieving alongside her family, not in spite of it
• When Pearl is born why isn't Jane documenting anything. Is this a science experiment or just a wild, fun adventure for her?
• On page 121 why all of the sudden does Jane give the girls a pass for drinking but reacts so strongly about Eve being sexually active?
• When Pearl is born Jane is totally unprepared. Has no idea what to feed her.
• Jane is constantly texting Helen about Pearl when Helen is in the hospital with George. She texts as if she is the priority.
• When Jane sends the girls out to get baby formula and coconut milk why didn't she think to tell them to get a bottle too!
• pg 211 the girls escape from the boat with a hole convinced Helen is trying to kill them all only to then go their mom and ask if they can leave her there alone and go find the place their dad died. If they were so concerned why on the next page are they trying to leave their mom alone with perceived danger?
• Jane avoids ever asking for her husbands police report of his death. Why?

Okay WTF is up on page 123 with Eve artificially inseminating herself with caveman DNA. Was that believable?

Also WTF is up on page 180 when Jane instinctually tried to breast feed Pearl?

Describe Vera’s relationship with Lars. In what ways does this teenage romance point to shifting dynamics between Eve and Vera? Jane’s reaction to learning that they are dating causes Vera to do something very unusual with the remnants of her father’s research. What do you think she is trying to prove to her mother—and more importantly, to herself?


For a nonspeaking character, Pearl plays an essential role in this story. What did Pearl make you feel? What did she symbolize for you? What do Eve’s and Vera’s reactions to Pearl show us about their feelings toward their mother and their status in the family?


Do you think Helen was trying to kill the girls by sending them out on a boat with a hole in it? What motives would she have?


What events lead Eve and Vera to start becoming distrustful and suspicious of Helen and george?


Did The Last Animal make you think at all differently about the history or future of the planet?

What do you think of the idea of bringing back extinct species? What might happen if science takes gene editing more into its own hands?

Book Discussion: Death Valley. by Melissa Broder

Has anyone been to the Mojave dessert or Death Valley?

How did you find the short chapters in the book?

What were some memorable humorous moments in the novel?

On page 1, the narrator’s friend texts her this philosophical quote from Kierkegaard: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” How does this idea resonate throughout the rest of the book? How can we as humans embrace that philosophy?

What is the narrator’s relationship with her father like? Consider the quote: “It is easier to have an intimate relationship with the unconscious than the conscious, the dead than the living. As my father slumbered, I created a fantasy version of him --- resurrecting the man from my youth” (page 4). How does this fantasy of her father come to play a role in the novel?

What does the giant cactus represent to the narrator?

• asylum for both her greatest wishes and everything she was attempting to escape.

How does this novel of transformation in wilderness solitude differ from other books within that genre like Wild or A Walk in the Woods?

• sometimes the peace of solitude can reveal horrors

What are some of the coping mechanisms the narrator uses to deal with her father's convalescence?

Why do you think the author chose to not reveal the narrators name?

What do you think is the difference between empathy and compassion? Which is harder to achieve?
empathy-when we experience the same thing or feel what another person is feeling. We need to pur ourselves in their shoes to relate. Compassion you don't need to put yourself in their shoes in order to have sympathy.

 
On page 59 the narrator says "realization: love is not always a feeling, sometimes its a verb." What does the narrator mean by that?

In chapter 18, Jethra brings up the five love languages when talking about her own father’s passing. What is your love language?

On page 56 the narrators says “Being human, always new things to forgive”. Where do we see forgiveness in the novel?

Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation because you underprepared? How did you handle it?

At one point while lost, our narrator remarks: “It dawns on me then that I must really want to live. And it surprises me” (page 162). How does a brush with her own mortality influence her outlook on life?

What was your impression of the narrator’s novel-in-progress? Why do you think she is stuck figuring out the “desert section”? Does her own time in the desert lead to some sort of epiphany?

Throughout DEATH VALLEY, the protagonist longs to feel less alone and talks to receptionists, anonymous Reddit users and even rocks. What does she get out of these interactions? Why is it sometimes easier to talk to strangers than the people we love? Do you think the talking rocks are an example of magical realism or a fabrication of our lonely narrator’s imagination?