Pulitzer Book Club Inclusion Guide
"The Collected Stories of Katherine Ann Porter" by Katherine Anne Porter
INCLUSION MILESTONES
1966
• Special Olympics launch
• Edward Brooke first popularly-elected Black senator
• Dr. Harry Benjamin prescribes gender transition hormones
• NOW founded
AUTHOR INSPIRATIONS
Callie Russell Porter was born in Texas and raised primarily by her grandmother, Catharine Ann Porter. Callie was a teacher of elocution, singing and dance; she never had formal higher education. Mexico was Katherine Anne Porter’s “much loved second country.” She was a journalist and traveler in Mexico during the 1920s. “Flowering Judas” is the title of Porter’s first short story collection, published in 1930.
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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.
Short Story: "Flowering Judas" Young American woman teacher/volunteer deals with Mexican revolutionary's advances
Laura comes home exhausted after a long day’s work and, yet again, must listen to the awful serenades of the besotted married physically unappealing guy who is paying her salary.
Won both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award. Collected Stories combines every story Porter had published at the time -- three previously published story volumes -- plus four new stories for a total of 26 stories.
26 stories told in 495 pages. Reading that many stories back-to-back is not the best way to enjoy them.
Thoughtful service. Giving of yourself involves what you do as well as what you don’t
Young woman pressured by older boss; she volunteers with young Mexican students and political prisoners.
A cup of chocolate (be careful as it might thicken your singing voice) and a plate of rice. Up the atmosphere with bleeding Judas flowers.
“She wears the uniform of an idea and has renounced vanities.”
Somewhere you are sure to hear bad singing accompanied by bad guitar playing/singing. Or play some bad YouTube performances.
Someone dislikeable wields the power, influence or resources you need. What do you do?
Your boss is a womanizer who hits on you/someone you love. Your response?
If you ran a prison, what would you to help prisoners feel less isolated and more hopeful?
How will you choose your next volunteering opportunity?
Attend a rally, help a teacher, bring something to brighten the day of prisoners. Someday you can find flowering judas in Mexico City and do a garden tour and take in the Floating Gardens, Garden of Art, Parque Hundido, Parque Luis G. Urbina, and Jardín del Alcazar.
Several of Porter’s stories have been made into TV episodes; her one novel, Ship of Fools, was made into a movie in 1965.
“Pale Horse, Pale Rider” (1939 a collection of three Porter novellas)