Glitter and Glue (26 page)

Finally, it’s widely suspected—and I’m going to tell you now that it’s true—that a writer on deadline is a wretched creature: moody, needy, distracted, weary. And so it is that I need to thank Edward and the girls, who did a fairly convincing job of pretending I wasn’t (intermittently) insufferable these past few years. In the end, all my tap-dancing is for you, to make you smile, to make you proud, to make you think I’m cool.

K
ELLY
C
ORRIGAN
is the author of
The Middle Place
and
Lift
, both
New York Times
bestsellers. She is also a contributor to
O
,
The Oprah Magazine
,
Good Housekeeping
, and Medium. Kelly co-founded Notes & Words, an annual benefit concert for Children’s Oakland featuring writers and musicians on stage together. Her YouTube channel, which includes video essays like “Transcending” and interviews with writers like Michael Lewis and Anna Quindlen, has been viewed by millions. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, Edward Lichty, their two daughters, and a poorly behaved chocolate lab, Hershey. You can find her essays, videos, and tour schedule at
kellycorrigan.com
.

1. As a young woman, Kelly thinks, “Things happens when you leave the house,” and books a round-the-world trip to Australia. Do you think that these types of adventures are necessary to gain life experience? Does Kelly’s maxim change by the end of the book?

2. Milly and Martin respond differently to Kelly’s entry into their lives. Why do you think this is? When (if ever) do things begin to change with Milly?

3. Like the characters in the book
My Ántonia
, Kelly wants to be someone important to Evan. What does she mean by that? Based on what Kelly reveals about Evan at the end of her story, do you think she was successful? Why or why not?

4. During her time in Australia, Kelly realizes that it’s only when she’s away from her mother that she can truly appreciate her. Do you agree? Kelly hears her mother’s voice in her head, offering advice as she tries to care for Milly and Martin. Has something similar ever happened to you?

5. What is the significance of Walker the American? How does he influence Kelly’s understanding of life experience?

6. Are daughters’ relationships with their fathers inherently different from their relationships with their mothers? Does Kelly’s relationship with Greenie support this? What does the fact that Mary kept Kelly’s shoplifting a secret from her father suggest?

7. John Tanner is barely hanging on by a thread when Kelly arrives. How does he change over the course of the book?

8. When Kelly works at her mom’s real estate agency, she is shocked to hear co-workers describe her mother as “the life of the office” (
this page
). Why is this an important moment for Kelly?

9. On
this page
, Kelly explains the phenomenon called “Reader Response.” Did you find yourself interpreting
Glitter and Glue
through the lens of your own personal experiences? How so?

10. Kelly remembers many vivid moments from her stay with the Tanners, including her trip to the beach and Martin’s tantrum while walking home from school. Why does Kelly still remember these events so clearly twenty years later? Why do you think she chose to write this story after her cancer scare?

11. Of all the ideas juxtaposed in the pages—mothers and fathers, adventure and life experience, stepping out and stepping up—which resonate the most with you? Why?

12. On
this page
, we learn where the title
Glitter and Glue
comes from. What do you think of having one parent as the glitter and another the glue? Is this what it was like in your family? Was this always the case?