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books. Why? Why do we care about writers' homes in the first place? Do we visit writers' homes because they intensify the feelings we have about their books or because they give us some insight the books do not?

8. Speaking of Lees Ardor: what's her problem? And why does she repeatedly use one particular bad word? And the bond analysts: why don't they stop worrying about writing their memoirs and go back to analyzing bonds? And Sam's mother: if she has to give up something, why not drinking instead of books? And then Peter Le Clair: why doesn't he just talk already? And then all of the other characters, with their ridiculous troubles, most of which they've brought on themselves and deserve: what's up with them? What is wrong with these people?

9. Sam says that "to be a son is to lie to yourself about your father" (page 176). What does he mean? Is it only true for the father and son in the book, or is it true of all fathers and sons? Is this the Human Condition we wondered about earlier?

10. Sam says, "All men are but slight variations on the very same theme" (page 258). Is that true, or is it just something Sam says to make himself feel better? And if it is true, then why do the "capable" women in the book care so much about these men?

A recipient of a 2008 National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, Brock Clarke has twice been a finalist for the National Magazine Award for fiction. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including the Believer, OneStory, The Pushcart Prize anthology, and on NPR's Selected Shorts. The author of three other works of fiction, he teaches creative writing at the University of Cincinnati.

AN ALGONQUIN READERS ROUND TABLE EDITION WITH READING GROUP GUIDE AND OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES • FICTION • ISBN-13: 978-1-56512-601-5

Table of Contents

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five