Tobias Wolff

Here are some short stories by Tobais Wolff from his collection Our Story Begins that we could use.
1. Leviathan
2. Say Yes
3. Mortals
4. The Other Miller

Every Man for Himself

The Unbeatable by Mo Willems

1. What super power would you choose to have and why?

2. When someone challenges you or picks on you at school what is your response?

3. Bill’s powers have the limitation that any pain he inflicts on someone else he feels like it was happening to him. He decides that is not worth it to get back at his classmates but what is the cost?

4. How are you limited in the real world? Do you have family that depends on you? What makes you hold back and think before you act?

5. Would you have fought the bullies at school if you were Bill? Even if you knew that it would hurt you? Why?

6. Do you experience situations like this in real life, situations where people abuse power or where they know how to use it well? Who are those people? Why do you think they choose to abuse their power or use it well?

7. Why does Bill confess to Rose? What makes him trust her?

8. At the end of the story, when his limits are lifted, why doesn’t Bill take his revenge on his classmates? What would you have done?

No More Birds Will Die Today

Characters: Charlie, Liam, Chevey

1. What kind of man is Chevey? What do you remember about him from the story?
2. Is he a good father? (buying his kids presents vs killing the birds)
3. Why do Charlie and Chevey decide to tell Liam his mother died? What do you think of their decision? What would you have done?
4. What happens with the BB guns? Why does Chevey start shooting birds? What is Charlie’s reaction?
1. Why does Charlie care about the birds?
2. What does Charlie do? What would you do?
3. What is Chevey’s reaction (to Charlie’s actions)? Why do you think he feels that way?
4. Does this change the relationship between Chevey and Charlie? How? (beer)
5. Why does Charlie make fun f the movies on TV?
1. He saved Liam from hurt with the birds
2. He purposely tried to hurt Liam with his words about the movies
3. He is trying to be a “man” with this father
6. How do you think Chevey defines being a man?
7. How do you define being a man? What are some of the things men do or don’t do?
8. Do you think Charlie is a man at the end of the story?
9. Who are some men in your life? Why do you think of them as men?
10. Are you a man? (obviously not for girls)

"Halfway" by Coe Booth

Do you remember getting your drivers license? What did it mean to you?
If you don’t have a driver’s license do you want one? Why or why not?
Who taught you how to drive? (or who will?)
Driving makes the narrator feel “free”. When do you feel free?
What does the driver think about driving without a licensed adult in the car? Is that illegal? Do you think it is wrong? At what point is something bad enough that it becomes wrong?
What would you do if you were the main character? Would you visit your dad to tell him off? Visit him and not be able to stay mad? Or turn around?
At the end of the story the main character makes a choice? What do you think that choice is really about? Visiting his dad or the way his life is headed?

"The Kindness of Strangers" from Traveling on Into the Light

Questions before Laker makes the phone call home:
1. Do you think Laker makes the call? Would you? Why/why not?
2. If he doesn't make the call what do you think will happen to him?
3. If he makes the call what do you think his mother will say?

Questions at the end of the story:
1. What will happen to Laker now?
2. Why do you think Henry Olsen helps Laker out?
3. Who has helped you out before? Have you helped someone?
4. Why do you think Laker's mom doesn't want him to come back? What would you say or do if this happened to you?

Daedalus and Icarus

Labyrinths – Phillippe Mignon – mazes out of the letters of the alphabet
Father & Son Tales – Josephine Evetts-Secker

Daealus & Icarus – Greek Myth

Begin by giving each person a maze to work
-listen to comments
After they complete the maze –
How was the experience – frustrating, confusing, hard
What else in your life is like this experience?
What “winds around, changes direction & turns unexpectedly”?
-Legal system – furniture stores – department stores
–school (physical building & system in general) - JDC

Read the story –
Possible stop at the end of page 12 – ask what they think happens.
Discussion Questions:
Who is your Daedalus – who warns you, who gives you advice?
How do you determine to whom you listen?
Why didn’t Icarus listen to his father?
How do you find your way if you are in a maze/lost?
What do you have to prove?
What struggles have shaped you?
Is “do as I do” pg 12 good advice?What happens when we only follow orders/When we never go our own way?

New Idea for the JDC

What about if instead of short stories we took out notebooks and the opportunity for residents to express themselves creatively through writing and poetry. We could do writing workshops.

Possible names for this brain child:
Write and Wrong
It's Your Write

"What's Expected of Us"

This was a story on the sci fi podcast Star Ship Sofa. I haven't found a print version of it but it would be a fun short story (5 min) to use about fate and free will. It is the second story about 5 minutes into the podcast.

http://cdn2.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_Aural_Delights_No_37_Alastair_Reynolds.mp3?nvb=20080815154457&nva=20080816154457&t=0d169af0598a30ecba6d3