1. Choose either Malcolm X or Roxane Gay and do a little internet research on them. Who are they? What is their most famous work? What are they known for? Why are they important voices today? What are some interesting facts most people might not know about them?
2. One of the things Malcolm X discovered as he read more and more was the way literature was curated and cherry-picked for educational purposes, thus effectively erasing entire swaths of history and thinking. Do you think this still goes on today? What gaps do you think were present in your education? What things do you wish school would teach everyone that they didn’t in your experience? What do you think motivates people to erase or downplay certain cultures as educators?
3. Gay’s piece talks about the couch a lot. How is this a metaphor? Explain why you think she included it and what it might symbolize. If you were going to write a similar story, what object (not a couch) would you use?