Suggested Discussion Questions

for

Voices of the Elysian Fields

Format/Style:

Voices of the Elysian Fields utilizes the Third-Person-Close Point of View (POV). Did you find this approach to POV effective? Do you prefer a First Person POV? Or some other approach, e.g., Third-Person-Omniscient? Why?

What part(s) of Voices of the Elysian Fields do you believe could have been cut out or reduced without losing the essence of the story? What part(s) should have been developed more?

How well does Voices of the Elysian Fields balance between narrative description and dialogue?

How well does Voices of the Elysian Fields balance between “showing” and “telling”?

Genre:

What genre do you think best describes Voices of the Elysian Fields?

Are there other genres that describe Voices of the Elysian Fields?

If you had to write a short tagline for Voices of the Elysian Fields, what would it be?

Theme:

What do you believe the major theme of Voices of the Elysian Fields is? Why?

Does Voices of the Elysian Fields have more than one theme? If so, what are they?

Characters:

Who is your favorite character in Voices of the Elysian Fields? What makes that character your favorite?

If you chose the protagonist, Jonathan Gray, as your favorite character, which other character(s) did you enjoy meeting, and why?

Who (or what) do you believe is the antagonist?

Which, if any, of the other characters (beyond Jonathan Gray) do you believe could be the subject of “their own” novel or short story? What story-line would you recommend for them?

Did Voices of the Elysian Fields provide adequate descriptions of the following characters:

· Jonathan Gray

· Emma “Fen” Gray

· Elizabeth “Betsy” Sprance

· Mayor Max Jamerson

· Mitchell “Mitch” Broussard

· Hunter Dejarnette

· Judge Benjamin Haldeman

· Joseph Haldeman

· Molly Westcott

· Archbishop Phillip Fontenot

What was good (or lacking) in how they were described, especially in light of their importance to the story?

How did you react to the story thread involving Beatrice?

Setting:

Voices of the Elysian Fields is set in New Orleans.

For those of you who have lived in or traveled to New Orleans, how well did Voices of the Elysian Fields portray the city and its atmosphere? What struck you most about the narrative and the descriptions of the city?

For those who have never been to New Orleans, how well did Voices of the Elysian Fields capture your concept or expectations of New Orleans? Did reading Voices of the Elysian Fields make you more, or less, likely to visit the city? Why?

New Orleans has a history steeped in mystery and the occult. Do you believe that this made Voices of the Elysian Fields more, or less, believable? Why?

Next time you visit New Orleans, will you look for restaurants that offer CPR?

Do you believe that Voices of the Elysian Fields (under a different title, of course) could have been told in any other location? If so, where? What changes would be necessary to adapt to a different location?

What was something you learned about New Orleans that you didn’t know before reading Voices of the Elysian Fields?

Format/Style:

Ghosts of the French Market is a novelette, which is just a fancy way of saying that it’s a very long short story. How effectively did Ghosts of the French Market tell a full, complete story?

What part(s) of Do you believe Ghosts of the French Market could have been cut out or reduced without losing the essence of the story? What part(s) should have been developed more?

Are short stories (and novelettes) part of your regular reading mix? Or do you concentrate only on novels? Why?

After reading Ghosts of the French Market are you more, or less, likely to read more short stories (and novelettes)? Why?

How well does Ghosts of the French Market balance between narrative description and dialogue?

Genre:

What genre do you think best describes Ghosts of the French Market?

Are there other genres that describe Ghosts of the French Market?

Theme:

What do you believe the major theme of Ghosts of the French Market is? Why? Does Ghosts of the French Market have more than one theme? If so, what are they?

Characters:

Who is your favorite character in Ghosts of the French Market? What makes that character your favorite?

If you chose the protagonist, Solomon Peters, as your favorite character, which other character(s) did you enjoy meeting, and why?

Which, if any, of the other characters (beyond Solomon Peters) do you believe could be the subject of “their own” short story or novelette? What story-line would you recommend for them?

Did Ghosts of the French Market provide adequate descriptions of the following characters:

· Solomon Peters

· Robert J. Poirier

· Sister Mary Esther

· Moira

· Danica Rodrigue

What was good (or lacking) in how they were described, especially in light of their importance to the story?

Setting:

Ghosts of the French Market is set in New Orleans.

For those of you who have lived in or traveled to New Orleans, how well did Ghosts of the French Market portray the city and its atmosphere? What struck you most about the narrative and the descriptions of the city?

For those who have never been to New Orleans, how well did Ghosts of the French Market capture your concept or expectations of New Orleans? Did reading Ghosts of the French Market make you more, or less, likely to visit the city? Why?

New Orleans has a history steeped in mystery and the occult. Do you believe that this made Ghosts of the French Market more, or less, believable? Why?

Do you believe that Ghosts of the French Market (under a different title, of course) could have been told in any other location? If so, where? What changes would be necessary to adapt to a different location?

Suggested Discussion Questions

for

Ghosts of the French Market