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The chats are on-going over at TrevorSpace (and if you're 13 to 24 years old, head on over there and sign up now!) and I thought it would be fun for all the rest of us to open up the conversation here to discuss the book. (And yes, of course, if you're 13 to 24 you're welcome to join in here, too!)
Here are the discussion thread questions so far, and feel free to chime in below in comments to any of these or bring up your own thoughts regarding the characters or situations in SING YOU HOME!
Let's get some book club talk going...
Zoe and her mother argue about her mother wanting Zoe to friend her on facebook. Do your parents try to friend you on facebook? What do you think about that?
Jodi collaborated with Ellen Wilber on the accompanying CD of music - songs to give Zoe a real voice. Which track on the CD speaks to you the most, and why?
Pastor Clive and Wade Preston spew a lot of hateful lies about gay people. Why do you think they're so anti-gay?
Zoe’s identity and attraction to others changes over time. Do you think who you’re attracted to (other boys or girls or both) is fixed or something that evolves as you live your life?
Vanessa talks about the “subtle difference between tolerance and acceptance.” And one example she gives is “It’s the chasm between being invited to a colleague’s wedding with your same-sex partner and being able to slow-dance without the other guests whispering.” Do you see this in your life? And is the goal tolerance? Acceptance? Or something more… celebration of our (and others’) differences?
Is being queer seen as the obstacle to parenthood that it once was?
On page 123 Zoe notes that “It’s been two months since Vanessa and I bumped into each other at the Y, and she has seamlessly slipped into the role of my closest friend.” Do you have any friends in your life that just slipped in and seemed to fit perfectly?
When did you first suspect that Vanessa and Zoe were going to fall in love? When did you realize they were in love?
On page 127 Zoe notes that the protesters outside the movie theater “are not militant, crazy people. The protesters are calm and organized, and wearing black suits with skinny ties or modest floral print dresses.” Why do you think Zoe is shocked by this? Have you ever been shocked by the ‘normalcy’ of people spewing hateful lies?
Have you ever experienced any discrimination or been stereotyped in ways that helped you sympathize with Zoe and Vanessa?
I can't wait to hear what you think (and I'll do my best to approve comments as promptly as I can throughout the day!)
Namaste,
Lee
2 comments:
I haven't read the book yet but now I want to!
I'm not gay but am more accepting then some. I'll still stare at public displays of affect but I think it's because you don't see it enough ;)
The hate amazes me. I just don't understand it. I sometimes wish there was some kind of outward sign of the hate that festers inside.
Facebook: mom of two and I'm friends with both of them...the hard one is my brother's wife!
I've had a couple of friends like that and it's painful when they move away.
Haven't actually read this, but it sounds interesting.
Facebook: I don't know how old the characters in this book are, but if you're younger, it's good for your parents to see what you're doing. IT's a little annoying sometimes, because I'm not out to my parents yet. THat's why this blog is pretty much my only connection to the queer world. (And there's always roller derby.)
Tolerance vs. Acceptance: I think I'm definitely trying for acceptance. I have some friends that are "tolerant", and I still feel like they think I'm doing something wrong by being queer. They don't understand that it's not a choice. Sorry, I got into a bit of a rant there. I want to be accepted for who I am,not just have people try to ignore the fact that I'm queer and be tolerant of the rest of me.
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