Pulitzer Book Club Inclusion Guide
"Empire Falls" by Richard Russo
INCLUSION MILESTONES
2002
• Halle Berry first Black woman to win Best Actress Oscar
• No Child Left Behind passed to reform educational outcomes
• Godless Americans March on Washington
AUTHOR INSPIRATIONS
Richard Russo grew up in an abandoned Mill Town, Gloversville, in upstate New York. Lives in Maine with his wife and daughters.
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Featured Reader Wanted!
Featured Reader
– Share your key take-away about inclusion in this book in a sentence or two.
– Write a paragraph or two (up to 250 words) to describe your thoughts on exclusion/inclusion in the book, why you related or did not connect with the book, and why you think reading, inclusion and dialog about inclusion matter.
– Identify the name and website address of a cause you support with an inclusive mission.
Life is complicated for single-dad diner manager in Maine
Outcast boy befriended by diner dad and his daughter loses it in the classroom.
This novel is a master class in bullying and a loooong striptease on dealing with repression in a dying town, yet manages to be a lively, addictive read.
483 pages, 20+ listening hours move fast.
Self-love. Bullies require a victim. Beware that self-love is only one-piece of addressing bullying.
A student marginalized by teacher as well as most peers; boss lady hurts an entire town; townie versus tourist mentality.
Steamer clams not found on the menu or burgers and beer.
“People like you are the reason other people get answering machines to begin with…in fact, people like you are driving a lot of modern technology.”
Depressing bar, diner, or lovely seaside restaurant.
If you’re in a situation where it’s not possible to avoid another adult who behaves badly, how can you cope? What if the bully is your boss?
How can events from your past get in the way of how you interact with people?
Compare the moral imperatives and typical responses of teachers, administrators, fellow students, and the community when it comes to bullying.
How should a community respond after a community disaster involving children?
How does a dying town influence its residents?
Diner tour of small towns in Maine that have lost their industrial core; recovery side trip to Martha’s Vineyard.
2005 HBO two-part Mini Series Empire Falls
2016 sequel “Everybody's Fool”