"The Gilda Stories" by Jewelle Gomez

“Life was indeed interminable. The inattention of her contemporaries to some mortal questions, like race, didn’t suit her. She didn’t believe a past could, or should, be so easily discarded.”

Themes: Morality; Immortality; Creativity; Romance; Found Family; Belonging

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think our main character  chose to adopt Gilda’s name?

2. What was your favorite historical vignette?

3. In what ways are Gilda and Eleanor different, in terms of their vampirism? What does Gilda learn from Eleanor?

4. How did you interpret the relationship between Gilda and Julius? Why did she decide to change him?

5. How does vampirism function as a metaphor for Blackness, legacy and survival?

6. How does the making of vampires in The Gilda Stories differ from other forms? Why do you think Gomez chose this specific form of blood exchange?

7. What do you think about Gilda’s creative pursuits throughout the book? Where does Gilda find belonging?

8. Where does Gilda look for intimacy? Where does she find it? Is the intimacy she finds romantic, familial, platonic, etc.?

9. How did you find the pacing of this book? Did the pacing of each period feel similar to you, or where certain periods faster or slower than others?