Tournament of Books discussion

Lauren: Welcome, readers, to the third day of the tournament! You’ve already seen my introduction, so let’s start with Gwen’s background today.

Gwen: I’m a native Houstonian, and I work as an in-house lawyer for an energy company. My job keeps me pretty busy, but I also have a long commute on a vanpool, which supports my voracious reading habit. I’m a naturally competitive person, so I fell in love with the Tournament of Books as soon as I stumbled upon it about ten years ago. Since then, I’ve worked hard to be a completist most years, and my favorite TOB discoveries so far have been The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling, Census by Jesse Ball, and Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash. I’ve loved many of the TOB selections, but I never would’ve picked up these three books on my own. Now they are among my favorites! When not reading, I’m usually spending time with my husband (also a lawyer) and two kids (ages 6 and 9). I’m also a bit of an exercise fiend and love to find time for Peloton rides or long walks. I’m excited to be discussing these two stories with you.

Lauren: Nice! I'm familiar with Houston and can imagine it's easy to have a long commute to work; the vanpool reading sounds great. I personally found this matchup to be another tough choice when it came to voting. What are some of your initial thoughts on this matchup?

Gwen: I agree with you that it’s tough to choose between these two stories. I liked them both and was surprised by them both as well. Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience (Welcome) is such a clever exploration of what authenticity means (and doesn’t mean). The Tourists pay money to experience something they think is “authentic” but is actually completely contrived. This is a business model founded on false authenticity, and I think that’s fascinating. Welcome takes a turn when White Wolf shows up claiming a Cherokee great grandmother. White Wolf complains about his virtual experience as not “authentic” enough, but who is he to say something like this? Does anyone have that right, particularly someone with only a small fraction of American Indian ancestry?

Lauren: Yes, Welcome explores authenticity in a way that I haven't seen too often. I was intrigued by the concept of Sedona Sweats and how it might compare to experiences in other places (ayahuasca retreats in Peru, for example). I've lived in Peru and worked with a cloud-forest community on building an ecotourism program so they didn't have to clear the forest for cattle grazing. There was always this awkward balance of preserving the local customs, but also making the experience appealing to and comfortable for tourists so they could get that source of income. This story brought me back to that project and I feel uneasy about the ethics at play with that kind of work now.

Welcome also triggered some "cultural appropriation" red flags in my brain. The White Wolf character was quite an example of that, but then we can circle back to your question of who is "authentic" enough. It's a slippery slope down into things like "one drop rules" related to our country's devastating racism. I appreciate how the author brought these issues to light. The Squaw Fantasy idea also pulled out some ties to the objectification of women that can easily be woven into the commodification and fetishification of indigenous cultures. (Could I add any more "-ification" words here? Probably.) In the end I was surprised and appalled by the way both White Wolf and Theresa betrayed Jesse, but it sure made for a great twist.

Did you feel like White Wolf planned his takeover from the beginning, or just took advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves?

Gwen: That’s interesting to hear about your experience in Peru. There are always competing interests in these kinds of projects and plenty of “gray area” when it comes to the ethics issues. In your case, the project saved a cloud forest from destruction, but certain compromises had to be made to attract the tourist dollars. Is it wrong to make those compromises when the opposite result is to destroy the forest and the community completely? I don’t think so. Is it right to still question the cultural appropriation overtones? Absolutely. We are all trying to find the right balance on these issues.

In Welcome, Rebecca Roanhorse writes the story in such a way that it teeters back and forth on the ethical/unethical line. Ethical: Engendering respect for American Indian culture, providing employment for American Indians, enabling tourists to feel “spiritually transformed.” Unethical: Objectifying women with the Squaw Fantasy, reinforcing American Indian stereotypes, monetizing another culture for monetary gain.

I’m unsure about White Wolf’s motivation. Was he simply looking for a job he likes that also makes him feel more connected to his heritage? If so, perhaps he took advantage of Jesse’s absence as a kind of lucky coincidence rather than a premeditated move. Or was White Wolf deliberately appropriating the job (and the wife, house, etc.) in order to control and financially benefit from another group’s heritage? I’m not sure how much I believe White Wolf’s claim to Cherokee ancestry, and even if it’s technically true, I’m not sure it’s an identity he legitimately embraces or merely exploits. What do you think?

Lauren: Yes, White Wolf’s Cherokee background and his intentions are mysterious. I tend to give people (and characters) the benefit of the doubt, so I’ll go with the option that he took advantage of a “lucky coincidence” here, but I’m eager to see what other readers thought about that.

On another note, how did the second-person POV in this story work for you?

Gwen: I didn’t pay much attention to it as I was reading, to be honest. Now that I’m thinking about it, though, I think the decision to use second-person POV here is a very smart one. It immediately places the reader into the story in Jesse’s shoes. This makes White Wolf’s actions seem even more aggressive and personal.

Lauren: Agreed! I generally have mixed feelings about second-person POV, but I think it works really well for some stories. For this one, I only noticed it in the beginning, and the story flowed so well I forgot that part of the reason I was so absorbed may have been because of that perspective and how we could easily feel Jesse’s situation.

Gwen: As for The Quiet, this story really surprised me as well. I am impressed how Carys Davies establishes the setting for the story with just a few paragraphs. I could hear the rain and feel the loneliness and desolation of the house. I was creeped out by Henry Fowler’s gaze as much as Susan was. Davies builds suspense about Tom’s (unnamed) problem, and the suspense builds when Fowler shows up at the house after watching Tom drive into town, finding Susan alone. I was primed for the worst kind of encounter between Susan and Henry, and at that moment, the story turns in a wonderfully unexpected way. Were you surprised, or did you see this coming?

Lauren: The Quiet was a beautiful story. I agree with the setting being captured perfectly with few words. I didn't pay attention to the year this story was published while reading it, so I was actually shocked that it was written recently. I would have believed this was written many years ago. I loved the shift from seeing the neighbor as a threat to an understanding accomplice. Although my eyes were wide and my heart raced as he started undressing - quite a gripping scene! As soon as we understood why he undressed I started rooting for the ending I was hoping for, and even though I "saw it coming" at that point it didn't diminish the experience when it did come. It gave me the satisfaction I craved and my heart swelled in that revelatory moment. Did you find the ending predictable or were you surprised?

Gwen: I see what you mean about this feeling like an old story written in another time. In many ways, it’s an old-fashioned story of a pioneer experience, complete with the harsh physical conditions, the loneliness, the scant neighbors and underpopulated town. The story turned very modern (at least to me) when Henry admitted to being brutalized by his wife, an admission that would have been difficult for a man to make at that time and place in history. I loved how that turn in the story made me immediately like and respect Henry. It was a very brave move for him, and I was thrilled that Susan not only accepted his admission but then asked for his help. I liked the humor in the line “and then she asked him, would he help her, please, to dig the hole.” It was the perfect ending! Yes, I was completely surprised by the ending. I admit, in the first part of the story, I judged Henry harshly for his unwelcome gaze. As a woman, I’ve felt that kind of gaze before, and it’s frightening and maddening. My mind immediately went to the idea that Henry was a creepy and potentially violent man who doesn’t respect women (which I suspect is exactly what Davies was expecting). The surprise at the end forced me to reconsider and reject my initial judgment, and I love stories that have that kind of impact. So, to answer your question, the ending was unpredictable for me, and I relished the surprise.

Lauren: Great points and I agree with how that ending line was perfect. Thank you for sharing how this story helped you reconsider some initial judgements. I think as women we are always ready for the worst and on the lookout for potential danger, so it can be a little jarring to come across examples like this that make us question our instincts. I’m interested in hearing from more readers on this issue below.

Gwen: Before turning to voting, do you think these stories resonate with each other in any particular way? For me, both stories touch on the theme of oppression. The Quiet very explicitly deals with the oppressive power a violent spouse holds over the other spouse, but even Welcome hints at the oppression a dominant culture can exert over a minority culture. Do you see other parallels or resonances between these two stories?

Lauren: Good question. As I was making the bracket based on seeding, I noticed that within that structure there were some obvious matchups where the two stories shared some themes and I thought that would help the discussion. This was one of the matchups that didn’t have similarities immediately come to mind, but I agree with your thoughts on oppression. Those parallels are definitely reflected in today’s match and I’ve been trying to find other commonalities. Maybe they also both touch on the idea of self-determination and taking action to change your circumstances? In Welcome, it’s more White Wolf that’s taking the action and Jesse who suffers the consequences, but it’s something to think about. Maybe other readers can help us identify some other ideas here.

Gwen: Thinking about voting, I’m going to go with Welcome. As much as I love The Quiet, it’s a one-trick pony of a story. Yes, it’s a great trick, but I’m running out of things to say about it. I think I could continue discussing Welcome for a few more days at least. Welcome is such a nuanced and layered story, and I think I will remember it for a long time. Which story do you plan to vote for and why?

Lauren: Yes, I also voted for Welcome even though The Quiet was a moving piece that will stay with me. As soon as I finished reading Welcome I thought, “Wow - this story could win the whole thing!” I don’t know if that’s true, but we’ll find out soon whether this one can come out on top of Side A at least.

Bretnie: Excellent commentary Lauren and Gwen!

I really enjoyed Welcome - such a different story with so much to think about. How easy it can be to be "tourists" with other cultures. What it means to be authentic. Businesses that exploit other cultures. I just found it fascinating.

The Quiet was ok but it didn't hit me like most of the other stories have so far.

Jason: Welcome opens with a quote from Sherman Alexie saying something like 'all Indians will be white people' and then with very little subtlety tells a story where an Indian's life, work, world is conquered by a white person even down to the plausible deniability of any responsibility for the takeover. I'm guessing the white person giving him a blanket before he got sick was edited out. The genius of the story is that the person who got the Authentic Indian Experience (no trademark) was Jesse Trueblood (Turnblatt).

Cassidy: The Quiet & Welcome were an interesting match-up. Both had the final-line twist ending that made it hard for me to choose where to put my vote. In the end, I went for the one with the more interesting premise & world - Welcome.

Lauren: Jason wrote: "Welcome opens with a quote from Sherman Alexie saying something like 'all Indians will be white people' and then with very little subtlety tells a story where an Indian's life, work, world is conqu..."

I had forgotten about that opening quote, but that adds a whole new layer of meaning to the title. Great observation!

anna: I read Welcome first and was sure I wouldn't vote for it - something about gaming/alternate worlds story lines keeps me at arm's length. I read Quiet immediately after Welcome and found myself in a comfort zone with its (initial) Little House on the Prairie feel.

I sat with both stories for a couple hours before voting and was surprised that I ended up continuing to think about Welcome much longer. (So much to say about culture, dominant culture, appropriation.) Quiet was certainly a solid story, but after the experience I didn't engage with it as much. I'm not sure that's a good or fair rubric to use, but in this case it's why I ended up voting for Welcome.

Amy: Like Jason, I read White Wolf as a white poser who plays at a heritage he claims with barely a hint of justification and he does the ‘playing” so well by white people standards that he’s embraced as the authentic one. And Jesse has been hearing/playing into what white people (as the authority on Indigenous people) expect for so long that he’s essentially gaslit himself into yet another dominant culture stereotype about Indians; that of the addicted, failed, lazy mooch.

Amy: Anyone think that ‘The Quiet’ is what made the two spouses so crazy abusive? Or were they like that all along and just happened to take adjacent lots? The marks and viciousness seemed akin to isolation horror-stories.

Tristan: Amy wrote: "Anyone think that ‘The Quiet’ is what made the two spouses so crazy abusive? Or were they like that all along and just happened to take adjacent lots? The marks and viciousness seemed akin to isola..."

I thought about that as well. It reminded me of the expected rise in domestic violence brought about by the shelter in place orders. That clearly wasn't something Davies even contemplated when she wrote this, but struck a chord for me.

I voted for The Quiet. I realize it is a one trick pony, as Gwen mentioned, but it's an incredibly short story. That's the point. Had that been the entire point in a full novel, I'd hold it against it. For me, Davies used the perfect amount of space to convey her point.

I also really liked Welcome. It reminded me a little bit of George Saunders' writing style.

Gwendolyn: Tristan, Great point about the style in Welcome. It is reminiscent of George Saunders. I’m seeing that now as I am reading The SG diaries for tomorrow. Glad you pointed that out!

Gayla: I didn't love either Welcome or Quiet, to be honest, but in the end I voted for Welcome. The Quiet didn't really work for me at all, the characters didn't feel plausible and it felt to me as if it existed just for the twist.

Lee: I liked Welcome, as an obvious allegory of the American Indian experience, which the Alexie epigraph sets up from the very start. It's structure was better than its details I thought; I didn't feel like these characters were very real, or well sketched, they just existed for the story to get its point across.

Quiet surprised me. Up until he started talking about the abuse he suffered, I totally had the song "Caleb Meyer" by Gillian Welch going in my head - in which the title character, who lives alone distilling whiskey to pass the time, watches and waits for a woman's husband to be "gone to Bowling Green to do some business" to attack her in her isolated home. So the revelation that he had discerned her to be an abuse victim, as he was, was quite a surprise, as I agree, Davies certainly intended.

I voted for Quiet therefore, as that little pleasure of being surprised by a story exceeded the appreciation I felt for Welcome's allegorical structure, and in which nothing surprised me. Quiet is a little gem of a story. I agree the isolation could be what turned the spouses violent... who among us can't think of The Shining, haha.