DWIGHT OKITA
Words can fly.
For Book Clubs.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR BOOK CLUBS
The Prospect of My Arrival
1. The Pre-Born Project is an experiment which gives human embryos a chance to get a taste of earth life before committing to being born. This could result in a species of people who, for the first time, were all here by choice. Do you think such an experiment could make for a better batch of humans? Discuss.
2. Let's say you are pregnant and a bio-experiment like this exists. Volunteers are encouraged to participate as they may help speed up the evolutionary process. Would you want to have your future child take part in a project like the Pre-Born Project?
3. Prospect is given the chance to meet a range of humanity. They're called his Referrals. Of the Referrals presented, which one touched you personally the most? The least?
4. In the course of the book, Prospect has the chance to experience many things: friendship, wonder, betrayal, sex, violence, fun. Do you think it was right to expose him to these things?
5. Do you agree/disagree with Prospect’s final decision? Explain why you feel the way you do. If you were knew back then what you know now about life -- would you have chosen to be born?
Above are two versions of the book cover. I liked both versions. Ultimately, I felt the cover on the left left was more compelling and catchy. Loved the image of the man hovering over the escalator, and the way the title appeared on the stairs. The way the man had not fully entered the picture.
The cover on the right was intriguing as it suggested the journey of being born. A kind of falling. The illuminated heart.
I asked people on Facebook to tell me which they preferred and the one of the left was the winner. It was designed by an unnamed man at Createspace, where I self published the book. I asked him to start with the image of a man coming down the escalator. Make his body neutrual, vulnerable. Then I asked him to use Photoshop to make him float. It was perfect.
