Jessica Chiarella - And Again

I’m not sure I would fare any better than the characters in the book if I had to go through SUBlife; I’m not great with change as it is, so the idea of such a profound physical alteration would be incredibly difficult. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about losing my tattoos, and it’s always an upsetting idea. Then again, the idea of a fresh start is very appealing. I would probably spend a few months falling apart, and then thank my lucky stars I’m still alive and march myself straight to a yoga class.

Enhance Your Book Club

1. Re-tell a chapter of this story from the point of view of the main characters’ partners: Sam for Hannah, Beth for David, Tom or Katie for Hannah, and Dr. Grath for Connie. Share your chapter with the group and see how the narrative changes.

2. Create a piece of art that you feel conveys your physical body as it is today, affected and informed by a lifetime of experience. Then have a friend in your group do the same, objectively drawing your body as a physical entity. How is it different? What surprises you?

3. Research articles in the news today about stem cell research and the advancement of cloning underway. Then look back on archived stories about Dolly the Sheep dating back to the mid-nineties. How have our society’s views on cloning and even stem-cell research changed? How do you think they will continue to change?

© SHANE COLLINS

Jessica Chiarella grew up in the Chicago area and has a Master’s in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. She is currently a student in the University of California, Riverside’s MFA in Creative Writing program, where she received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship Award.

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