The Queerish Book Club June 2024: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Megan HemsleyShare
The Queerish Book Club is a monthly book club that specialises in LGBTQ+ literature. It typically runs on the last Monday of the month at 7pm and takes place at The Queerish Bookshop.
Our June book is The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta and our meeting will take place on Monday 24th June at 7pm.
All of our free seats are booked so there are no space left open.
Below are the questions we will discuss at the club. Please note the questions contain spoilers.
The Black Flamingo - Book Club Questions
1. The novel is written in verse - a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Was this your first time reading a verse novel? Did you enjoy the mixed media format, (poems, text messages, image)? Why/why not?
2. Identity impacts Michael is so many ways—his mixed heritage, his sexual identity, his family roles (son, brother, grandson, etc.). Which identities impact your life the most and how so? Despite his mother insisting that he isn’t “half anything” (pg. 35), Michael often feels he doesn’t neatly fit into his identities. When does he feel this way? When have you?
3. Did you have a favourite poem written by Michael?
4. Look at ways that Michael uses flamingos in his story and his poems, including his stage name. What makes this an effective metaphor in his story?
Bonus Question: If you had a drag name what would it be?