In her youth, Lily Iona MacKenzie, a poet and novelist who also writes nonfiction, frolicked on a Canadian farm in an area almost too small to be on the map. She didn’t practice writing then, but she did learn to pay attention to her surroundings. The clouds in the sky offered images that stirred her imagination and stimulated her dreaming self. Cows, calves, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, and horses were her early teachers and her main playmates. Those years instilled in her the need to honor those in her care and the realization that being successful involves hard work. As a writer, it includes her dedication to the writing craft and her belief that commitment and perseverance form the machinery that writers depend upon. Visit her blog at lilyionamackenzie.com. Here are discussion questions for readers of FLING! Try to answer these questions by using examples from Fling!

1. How is magic (or supernatural elements) introduced in the novel?
2. What is its role in the narrative?
3. What kind of reading agreement has to be established between the author and the reader in order for the magical elements to work?
4. Do the magical realist devices disrupt the logic of the story or enhance it?
5. What specific things give this novel a magical quality?
6. Which character or characters do you identify with the most?
7. How does each character (Bubbles and Feather) reveal herself over the course of the novel. At what point do your sympathies begin to change (if they do)?
8. What role does death have in this book?
9. Does Fling! remind you of any other works you’ve read?
10. How did this novel cause you to think differently about mother/daughter relationships or family dynamics?
11. How does the use of time in Fling! contribute to its magical qualities?
12. What do you think are the novel’s main themes?
13. What role does “the goddess” play in Fling!?
14. In what ways does Bubbles seem mythic or ageless? (not mythic in the sense of implausible)
15. How do the characters in Fling! subvert the stereotypes of older adults?
16. What role does the setting have in Fling!?
17. How would you describe the difference between Heather, Annie, Bubbles, and Feather?
18. What role do the men play in this novel?
19. How does Feather get educated about her mother (Bubbles)?
20. Would you classify Fling! as a coming-of-age novel? Why or why not?
21. Did anything surprise you in Fling!? Did you learn something new about being human? Here are discussion questions for readers of Curva Peligrosa: Discussion questions for Curva: • Curva’s letters from the trail have a unique function in the novel. How does your understanding of Curva evolve based on these letters? What role do Curva’s letters have in the narrative? How does the Old North Trail educate Curva? What difference is there in the first and third person perspectives? • Poems (”Bone Songs”) appear between major sections of the narrative. What is their purpose? What dimension do they add to the work? • Sabina appears mysteriously as Curva’s daughter. How does their relationship shift over time? How would you describe their relationship? How are mother and daughter similar and different? Who is Sabina’s father? • The Weedites collectively play an important role in Curva Peligrosa. How would you describe what they contribute? Who are your favorit