Patrick Allen | Editor
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.Does the book capture the true essence of Nashville? What are common themes associated with each city?
2.Are the literary works chosen for Nashville an effective collection of literature to represent the city? How do the letters, poems, and short stories compare to one another? Which is the more effective medium in conveying the spirit of Nashville?
3.Choose a particularly enjoyable excerpt and discuss the main idea of the work and how it contributes to the book as a whole. What are the themes of that particular excerpt and how does it compare to the themes of the other works?
4.Are there any other authors that you feel should have been included in the book? Which authors do you feel are not associated with Nashville? Should they have been included?
5.Are there any aspects of Nashville that you feel that the book did not include? Why are these important to Nashville? Which aspects should not have been so heavily emphasized? Why?
6.What aspect of Nashville was most emphasized? Are there any aspects of Nashville that should have been emphasized more?
7.Have you visited Nashville? Do you feel the book is accurate? Which author’s experiences mirror your own experiences of Nashville?
8.Which story would you have liked to take part in? What aspect of the work did you like the most? Is this the reason it made you want to take part in the story?
9.Had you never visited Nashville, which story would want to make you go and visit? Which stories would not make you want to go? Why?
10.Do you think Nashville has become something of a legend in the United States? If so, why do you think this happened? What contributed most to its current status?
11.Which excerpts do you find most interesting, those by natives or those by visitors? Do you think the visitors’ insights were accurate? Why?
12.How do the excerpts that were written long ago compare to those that are contemporary? Is Nashville depicted the same or differently? Which interest you more?
13.Do you feel like you know Nashville just from reading the book? Why? Which stories gave you the greatest insight into the local society and lifestyle?
14.Which places in Nashville do the stories make you most want to see for yourself? If you have already seen them, did you feel the same way on your visit(s)?
15.Which stories made you feel as if you were already in Nashville at the time they were set? How did the author make you feel transported?