Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, 39-83
Study Questions:
1. In "Gold Cure," the second story we discussed from last session, Bennie evaluates the history of rock music as one of diminishing returns. If the high watermark of authenticity was the punk rock of the late 1970s, the present moment of "Gold Cure" is one of thoroughgoing banality. Digitally produced, all the music sounds perfect and all of it is garbage. In "Ask Me if I Care," the narrator, Rhea is an old high school friend of Benny's and a collaborator in his band, The Flaming Dildos. How does she also marshal a discourse of authenticity but how does she also show the instability of such a discourse? How do we know if we are authentic?
2. There are several moments in "Safari" when the narrator breaks up the action to inform the reader of what will eventually happen to the characters long after the events of the story/chapter. Why do you think Egan does this?
