We've worked our way through the main part of Mothertalk, but I wanted to dedicate one
post here to the other sections of the book we didn't actively discuss: the
intro, the section of family photos and captions in the middle, and the
appendices at the end. By now, we know the themes of Mary's story pretty well,
and I want to know what you think about what these other parts do to enhance
the story. So here's some free-form questions about the overall structure of
the book - feel free to share your thoughts on any or all of them in the
comments:
How does reading "Papa's version" change how you think of Mary's story, and her description of her husband, if at all? Does
the different circumstances of their interviews affect this?
What did you think of the inclusion of Roy's poetry before
each section of his mother's story? Did it add to your experience, or shape
your understanding of Mary differently?
What about Roy's writing in the second and third appendices
- how do they affect how you understand Mary's story, especially considering
that this is Mary's story as written by Roy?
Why do you think Daphne Marlatt chose to include the
photographs and their commentary all together in the middle of the book,
instead of scattered throughout?
Who is most the author of this book, if you have to choose
just one: Mary Kiyoshi Kiyooka, Roy Kiyooka, or Daphne Marlatt? Why? What roles
do the others play in your mind? Who else had a hand in the shaping of the
story?
What else do you want to talk about?
While this is the week for us to have our sum-up discussion online, remember that everyone is also invited to discuss the book in person at Nikkei Centre in Burnaby (6688 Southoaks Crescent, at the corner of Kingsway and Sperling) on April 2 at 2pm in the tatami room. I look forward to seeing some of you there! And don't forget to pick up a copy of Chorus of Mushrooms to start reading for April!
-Carolyn
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