A READERS' GUIDE

Anthropology

Today: In one of the selections from today, Hoke describes "the future forest" his friend Brennan is planting. From the perspective of an anthropologist, discuss the possible significance of such an undertaking.

Beyond: In what ways is The Future Forest a cultural artifact? What does it reveal about its authors, the time in which they live?

Art

Today: In many ways, today's event was an exhibition of artful work. Critique today's event as a "showcase" of The Future Forest: Pandemic Letters. In what ways did the exhibition do the work justice? In what ways did it not? Offer at least one commentary and one suggestion for the authors.

Beyond: Pick a letter solely based on the illustration by Los Angeles based artist Andrew Cisneros. Find a different inspiration in that same letter and produce the piece you would have come up with had you been commissioned for the same job.

Communication

Today: One of the cornerstones of Communication is public speaking. From the perspective of a Communication Studies scholar, discuss three things today's speakers did well. Discuss at least one thing that could be improved upon moving forward.

Beyond: In one of the selections from today, Hoke writes that the letters help him pay “better attention to the parts of [his] life that don’t fit into work, that don’t fit into daily emailing or [his] attempts at Twitter or Instagram, that don’t fit into the stream of quippy group text messages dinging through our phones.” Do you agree with him that what we communicate is shaped by how we communicate? Support your answer with at least one vivid example.

Economics

Today: You now understand, after today's event, what The Future Forest is. How might the authors go about monetizing what they've created in 2024, once the entire work is ready for consumer consumption.

Beyond: In his first letter, Wuck admits that he squandered the time and money his recurring role on Orange Is the New Black back in 2017 and 2018 afforded him. Imagine you have access to the time machine Hoke describes in Wuck’s selection from today’s event. Go back in time and tell Wuck exactly what he should have done with his discretionary income of, say, $40,000, in November 2018.

English

Today: In one of the selections from today, Murph employs two specific examples of Hoke’s behavior. What does each reveal about Hoke? How does each example function? To support? Clarify? Specify? Support your answer with textual evidence from the letter.

Beyond: In his letter from March 20, Murph shares his experience of the first days of lockdown. Recount and reflect on your own. In addition to engaging readers with your dynamic use of narration, description, and reflection, make at least one meaningful comparison between Murph's travails and your own.

Ethnic Studies

Today: In one of the selections from today, Hoke—a white, privileged man—writes briefly about his relationships, both personal and professional, with the culturally disenfranchised. Take a close look at the paragraph that begins, “I remembered the last homie’s burial I’d attended here in Mount Vernon.” What does the passage reveal, intentionally or inadvertently, about power and its linkages to race, ethnicity, class, and/or gender?

Beyond: In his letter from July 24, Hoke details his work editing surveillance footage to help exonerate a friend. Read closely the four-paragraph-long passage that begins, "You contrasted the memory-tending, Murph," and concludes "I'm also convinced of how necessary this corrective is to combat denial." What does the passage reveal, intentionally or inadvertently, about power and its linkages to race, ethnicity, class, and/or gender?

Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies

Today: To what extent did Hoke, Murph, and/or Wuck conform to traditional notions of masculinity in today's reading? In what ways did they challenge, openly or inadvertently, gender conventions?

Beyond: The authors of The Future Forest are men, but throughout the letters characters who are women fulfill purposes vital to the work’s overall effect. Do women perform a single—or at least predominant—role in the letters? Do they, on the contrary, perform multiple roles? To what extent do Hoke, Murph, and/or Wuck challenge or observe traditional femininity? Defend your position with examples from at least two letters.

History

Today: Identify and discuss a historical reference from one of today’s three selections. Is the reference accurate? Why does the author reach for it? Is it effective?

Beyond: Hoke, in addition to being a activist and prisons chaplain, is a Biblical scholar--a historian. Take a look at the conclusion of his letter from June 24, specifically the five-paragraph passage that begins, "I've baptized handfuls of homies over the years," and concludes, "What does Grammar call you, Murph?" Why does he seek to place the first baptism in historical context? What is the effect on you the reader? How does the brief passage illustrate the importance of knowing, understanding, and being able to apply "history?"

Modern Languages

Today: How difficult was the sign language interpreters' job today? Did they effectively capture the back-and-forth of the multiple voices so critical to the genre the authors of The Future Forest have created?

Beyond: Translate Murph’s selection from today, comments and all. Capture, to the best of your ability, the different registers used in both the comments and the letter itself.

Performing Arts

Today: Today marks the first time the three authors of The Future Forest have read from their work together in person. What other opportunities for performance might their work afford? Pitch them an idea for future dramatic presentations of the letters.

Beyond: Stage a dramatic reading (or any other performance) of the letter of your choosing. All submissions will be uploaded for viewing at futureforestletters.com.

Philosophy

Today: In one of the selections from today, Murph defends an argument of his by appealing to the classical reasoning at its core. Identify this moment, the reasoning he refers to, and a philosopher associated with this specific style of reasoning. Finally, assess whether Murph’s classical appeal is sound and/or effective.

Beyond: The authors of The Future Forest deal with age-old philosophical questions like "What is the good life?" and "What does it mean to exist?" Take a closer look at Wuck's letter from September 30, in particular, the comment attached to the sentence that begins, "but what am i supposed to do?" Toward the end of the comment, Murph attempts to summarize each of the author's philosophical approach to life. With which approach do you resonate most? Identify and briefly discuss a famous philosopher with a similar outlook.

Political Science

Today: In one of the selections from today, Hoke, almost in passing, acknowledges the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. How are ordinary people's lives affected by the President of the United States? Do people care too much about this office and its election cycle? On the contrary, do they not care enough? Defend your answer with at least once specific example from recent history (since January 2020).

Beyond: In his letter from September 30, Wuck recalls the debate of the 2020 Presidential Election Season. Are candidate debates still important? Relevant? Use at least one example from Wuck’s letter and one example from your own experience or research to defend your response.

Psychology

Today: In one of the selections from today, Murph calls Freud “a famously flawed and ineffective therapist.” How might Freud—or any other noteworthy psychologist you’ve studied this semester—make sense of the fight between Murph and Hoke in this letter.

Beyond: In his letter from June 26, Wuck describes in detail his process of looking for a therapist. What kind of therapy, do you think, would be an ideal match for Wuck? Identify and discuss a famous psychologist associated with this school of thought. Furthermore, how might you approach treating Wuck if he were a patient in your office one day?

Reading

Today: Describe your experience of listening to the authors read their own words at today's event. Which reading strategies did you apply while listening to them speak the lines from the digital page? Which strategies did you not find as useful?

Beyond: Print, read, and annotate Hoke’s very first letter in The Future Forest, from January 28. What expectations do you have of what is to come as regards main characters, themes, and/or events? What is a question you have?

Sociology

Today: Sociology majors, generally speaking, study human behavior and interactions. At the very least, The Future Forest is a unique snapshot of human interaction during a pivotal moment in history. How might a sociologist analyze The Future Forest as a whole? What approaches might prove particularly illuminating?

Beyond: Apply the same critical lens to Hoke's letter from August 11th, in particular the eleven-paragraph passage that begins, "There's also the refusal to name," and concludes, "Keep him dead." What does the passage reveal, intentionally or inadvertently, about power and its linkages to race, ethnicity, class, and/or gender?

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