Night of the Living Rez

There is no overlap between the friends David has in his stories and the friends Dee has in his stories. Why might this be the case? How does this narrative move help characterize David/Dee?

Food appears in nearly all these stories—Frick is associated with pork rinds and fiddleheads, David’s mother with corn fritters and moose meat. Choose one story that prominently features a food item and discuss the narrative role of that item.

David’s mother is the only character who is never named by either her first or last name. What is the significance of this choice? Support your answer using evidence from at least one “Dee” story and one “David” story.

Ghost-like creatures called “Goog’ooks” are referenced throughout the collection. How do they function as a symbol? In what ways is David/Dee haunted?

Characters vomiting is a repeated motif through these stories; Dee and Fellis both vomit in “In a Field of Stray Caterpillars,” and David vomits repeatedly in “The Blessing Tobacco.” Why is vomiting a significant motif? What is expressed through this form of embodiment? Develop your response using evidence from at least two stories.

Many characters, including Dee and Fellis, feel the need to “prove” their Penobscot identity at various points in the collection. What commentary does the collection produce about the relationship between authenticity and Penobscot identity?

What is the narrative function of the white film crew in the story “Night of the Living Rez”? Connect their presence in this story to a broader theme Talty develops through the collection.

The collection’s title references George Romero’s classic zombie movie. Why is this horror film reference a fitting title for the collection as a whole? How, if at all, is the collection in conversation with horror/zombie stories as genres?