Gabrielle Zevin
By date, it looks like this was the first 'Tomorrow' question on Goodreads, and it's a great, if complicated, one.
Sam is someone who experiences intermittent, intense romantic attraction, and rare to nonexistent sexual attraction, so the ACE label, as I understand it, is accurate. But I think Sam is the kind of person who eschews labels, and the fact that he was born in 1974 means that he grew up with a historically limited set of identities. So I don't think, even by the book's end, the terms ace or aceflux have ever crossed his mind. But if they did, he might think, "Yes, that's me, but I didn't know that could be me." And I do think, through games and play, Sam finds a way to more precisely express himself and his desires.
That said -- Though I wrote Sam, there are things I don't know about Sam, because these are also things Sam doesn't know about himself. Sam's defining characteristic is, in many ways, that he is unable to solve the puzzle of himself. For instance, I cannot conclusively say how much of Sam's identity is tied to his injury and his ongoing health problems, or if Sam's identity would have been the same in the absence of his injury, or if Sam's identity will shift again as he ages past the end of the book.
But yes, I feel like we're completely good for PopSugar!
Sam is someone who experiences intermittent, intense romantic attraction, and rare to nonexistent sexual attraction, so the ACE label, as I understand it, is accurate. But I think Sam is the kind of person who eschews labels, and the fact that he was born in 1974 means that he grew up with a historically limited set of identities. So I don't think, even by the book's end, the terms ace or aceflux have ever crossed his mind. But if they did, he might think, "Yes, that's me, but I didn't know that could be me." And I do think, through games and play, Sam finds a way to more precisely express himself and his desires.
That said -- Though I wrote Sam, there are things I don't know about Sam, because these are also things Sam doesn't know about himself. Sam's defining characteristic is, in many ways, that he is unable to solve the puzzle of himself. For instance, I cannot conclusively say how much of Sam's identity is tied to his injury and his ongoing health problems, or if Sam's identity would have been the same in the absence of his injury, or if Sam's identity will shift again as he ages past the end of the book.
But yes, I feel like we're completely good for PopSugar!
More Answered Questions
Robine
asked
Gabrielle Zevin:
"The NPC" is one of my favorite chapters, not just because it's such an emotional and complete chapter, but because it keeps me coming back to decipher every sentence to see if I missed any message or new meaning to take away from it. But I have to know, how did you come up with the metaphor of Marx flying through the field? What does him being a bird at the beginning and end of the chapter signify exactly?
Marcia B
asked
Gabrielle Zevin:
I’m enjoying the book but I noticed on page 147 Donkey Kong ia described as a ‘little Japanese Italian plumber’ - but that’s Mario, not Donkey Kong. I’m wondering if that was on purpose to make us pause or if you never played Donkey Kong and hence why the confusion? :)
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