Heads of the Colored People(54)
And finally, to my editors, Dawn Davis, Clara Farmer, and Charlotte Humphery, and to Lindsay Newton—a million thanks for your hard work reading and sculpting draft after draft, line after line. And thanks to all the people working behind the scenes in sales, publicity, copyediting, and art design at Atria/37 Ink and Chatto and Windus. There’s no way this book would be what it is now without you, and I am forever grateful.
An Atria Reading Club Guide
Heads of the Colored People
Nafissa Thompson-Spires
This reading group guide for Heads of the Colored People includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
In Heads of the Colored People, Nafissa Thompson-Spires grapples with black identity and the contemporary middle class in twelve compelling, boundary-pushing vignettes.
Each captivating story plunges headfirst into the lives of new, utterly original characters. Some are darkly humorous—from two mothers exchanging snide remarks through notes in their kids’ backpacks, to the young girl contemplating how best to notify her Facebook friends of her impending suicide, while others are devastatingly poignant—from a new mother and funeral singer who is driven to madness with grief for the young black boys who have fallen victim to gun violence, to the teen who struggles between her upper-middle-class upbringing and her desire to fully connect with black culture. Thompson-Spires fearlessly shines a light on the simmering tensions and precariousness of black citizenship.
Topics and Questions for Discussion
1. In the opening story, “Heads of the Colored People: Four Fancy Sketches, Two Chalk Outlines, And No Apology,” what similarities arise in both Riley and Brother Man? At the height of the conflict between the two men, Thompson-Spires writes, “it was just like Naruto v. Pain, only with two black guys, so you couldn’t tell if either one was the hero.” Discuss why their race would help dictate knowing which character was the hero.
2. In the same story, before Thompson-Spires shares a few details of the shooting, did you already predict them? Were your predictions correct?
3. As Randolph speaks with DIY in “The Necessary Changes Have Been Made,” she says to him:
“Sometimes the problem is the environment; sometimes you are the environment. In your case, you think you’re making changes, but you take the problem with you, like you did exchanging your old job for this one,” she said, tapping one side of her head. Then she gestured with one hand for him to leave. Randolph left the meeting furious with DIY, though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly why. He asked Carol about the new office that day, and though it looked like another demotion of sorts, it represented, for him, a battle he won, growing a pair.”
Do you agree that Randolph is the problem here? Who won the battle: Randolph or Isabela?
4. In “Belles Lettres,” how does the feud between Dr. Lucinda Johnston and Dr. Monica Willis highlight the challenges upper class black families face? Which letter did you find the most offensive and yet comical, and how do the two women reconcile?
5. Fatima and Christinia are now adults in “The Body’s Defenses Against Itself.” As Fatima reminisces on childhood, we learn more about what really happened in their school-age years. What did Christinia’s mom call “the body’s defense against itself?” In closing, what does Fatima mean when she says, “I’ve been doing this yoga since I was a child?”
6. In the opening paragraph of “Fatima, The Biloquist: A Transformation Story,” Thompson-Spires writes, “Fatima felt ready to become black, full black, baa baa black sheep black . . . if only someone would teach her.” Describe how Violet teaches Fatima to be black.
7. Fatima spends weeks hiding her relationship with Rolf from Violet, her new best friend and the person who has helped her become comfortable being herself. What would make Fatima hide Rolf from Violet, or was she hiding Violet from Rolf? Where did Rolf go wrong in meeting Violet at the mall?
8. On page 81, Thompson-Spires writes, “ . . . other things she hadn’t told Violet because she wasn’t sure which lip she was supposed to use.” What does she mean by “which lip she was supposed to use?”
9. In “The Subject of Consumption,” Lisbeth and Ryan are fruitarians practicing detachment parenting while filming a reality TV show. While the tension in their relationship is sensed early on, it does not reflect the love the couple had in years prior. What is the main issue in their relationship now?
10. In Heads of the Colored People, we see just how dynamic relationships can be, both in person and digitally. In “Suicide, Watch,” Jilly leans on her online Facebook community as she drops hints of her coming suicide. In “Whisper to a Scream,” Raina feels safer in her ASMR videos. What are the pros and cons of social media in these instances? How and why does Jilly’s attempt to warn her “friends” fail?
On page 126, we see Carmen’s response to Raina feeling unsafe.
“Her mother had said she wanted to ‘deal with this situation,’ but she also asked Raina, ‘Did you do anything to make him think he could touch you like that? Did you give him any ideas?’”