Challenge 707

A Cap of Another Color

In Shola Balogun’s “Tiresias”:
1. How might the story of Tiresias (or Teirasias) of Greek mythology apply to the poem?
2. “Tiro” is folk remedy used as a kind of eyeliner for infants. Bonus question: Why is it poisonous?
In Edward Ahern’s “The Passing of the Day,” is the poem smug or cautionary? Is it an exercise in cynicism or self-mockery?
In Charles G. Chettiar’s “The Cracked Ball”:
1. Why does Palu finally puncture the ball?
2. What does it mean to Palu that the ball is made to resemble a skullcap?
In Paul Lubaczewski’s “The Organic Act of 2916”:
1. It’s considered bad form to begin a paragraph — let alone a story — with a personal pronoun that has no antecedent. Why is it necessary to do so in this story?
2. If you were Rklrix’s contact, would you give him the option of disabling nuclear missiles selectively? Or would you make the choice for him: all or none?
3. At what point does Rklrix realize that Jim must be responsible for sending the device that can disable nuclear missiles?
In Dawn G. Patterson’s “Time Hoarders”:
1. Aside from the arbitrarily imposed life span, how does the society in “Time Hoarders” resemble some in the present day?
2. How might one expect York’s society to differ from any that can be found today? For example, York says at one point that she could seek medical treatment. How can doctors exist in a society where no one is allowed to live past age 20?
3. In part 3, the narrative switches from the past to the present tense. Stylistic purists might object, but how do you feel about it? Is the tense shift effective or not?

Responses welcome!