One Book One New Paltz

Get ready for the 2010 Read!

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Dave Egger's Zeitoun has been selected from dozens of books suggested by participants in last year's One Book/One New Paltz program. Let us know what you think!

Help Us Select the 2010 One Book One New Paltz Read!

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Here are the 4 finalist under consideration for the 2010 Read. These 4 books were selected from suggestions by participants in

the 2009 One Book/One New Paltz program. Let us know what you think!

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Events Planned for our CommunityRead!

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Click here to view a schedule of events planned for One Book One New Paltz 2009.

One Book One New Paltz 2009

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It has been decided that the 2009 read will be Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, a mythic tale set in the Hudson Valley but known throughout the world. Here are but a few provocative questions inspired by a contemporary reading of Rip Van Winkle:
1. What if you were alive but "slept through" an event such as the American Revolution (or 9-11 or Vietnam or whatever) ? What are the consequences of being apathetic or passive about life? To what extent, are you a participant in your own life?

2. Is RVW a prototype for an American "hero?" What does RVW suggest about the American Dream? Does hard work lead to success? What are strengths and drawbacks of a commitment to the Work or Protestant Ethic?

3. How do a people develop a collective identity? What contributes to a sense of nationalism or national unity? How did Washington Irving contribute to the development of nationalism, beginning in the 1820's? How important is tradition for a people?

4. Aging in America. Is it true that people reach an age where they "can do nothing with impunity?" How do previous generations contribute to lasting societal change?

5. From today's perspective, is RVW politically correct?

6. In the portrayal of Dame Van Winkle as a "cultural villain," what is learned about the historical role and status of women? How are other women portrayed in the story? Learning about the Van Winkle husband-wife relationship reveals much about their culture. To what extent are we a product of our own culture? How much control do we exercise over the lives we live?

7. Was RVW a success in his life?

We are interested in your thoughts for discussion questions, thematic activities and events. Blog your ideas here!

One Book One New Paltz 2009

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In anticipation of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's first contact in North America and his sailing up the Hudson River, the committee decided that the book selection for the 2009 One Book One New Paltz will focus on the region, its character, history, or cultural significance. Community members are welcome to suggest possibilities by writing to onebook@newpaltz.edu

Registration is still open for Memoir Writing Workshop

2008-11-18T18:04:00.002-05:00

The registration for the Memoir Writing Workshop is still open. If you would like to participate, please e-mail np.wordplay@gmail.com

11/23/2008 Sunday
Memoir Writing Workshop
Time: Noon to 2:00 p.m.
Location: SUNY New Paltz, Honors Center (College Hall), New Paltz, NY
Wordplay, the SUNY New Paltz student creative writing organization, will conduct a memoir writing workshop related to themes in Sleeping Arrangements. Please email np.wordplay@gmail.com to register for the workshop and to receive writing prompts.

Food Event at Unison on Friday

2008-11-17T11:09:00.004-05:00

Interactive Social Event
Community members are invited to share food ("Uncle Food"), stories and music relevant to Sleeping Arrangements. The author, Laura Shaine Cunningham will participate. Unison Arts Center, 68 Mountain Rest Road, 6:00pm
View this handout for a list of recipes..

Discussion Questions for Event at St. Andrews Episcopal Church

2008-11-12T10:12:00.007-05:00

Community Book Discussion
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 163 Main Street, New Paltz.
Discussion will be led by Mary Ann Lis-Simmons, Library-Media Specialist, New Paltz Middle School, New Paltz Central School District.

Discussion to consider the question: "Where does your life meet Lily's?" Have a photo you've carried around because of what it represents? Know an eccentric older woman (grandmother or not) who's brought drama to everyday life? Had a special relationship with an uncle? Neighborhood antics from youth that you're willing to share? Let's let Lily's story connect to our own.

"Children Exist in a State of Grace"

2008-10-17T12:59:00.001-04:00

“Children exist in a state of grace” recites a character in L’Argent de Poche (Small Change), Truffaut’s warm, bittersweet film about the vulnerability and resiliency of children. In Sleeping Arrangements, Laura Shaine Cunningham lifts the veil from her past to share the dangers, discoveries, losses, and affection as she experienced them in childhood. Sleeping Arrangements does not read like a retelling, rather Cunningham seems to re-inhabit her childhood and allow her young life to materialize before you as you read. Growing up largely unsupervised until her mother’s death at age 8, Lily wanders into perilous and potentially scarring situations; yet she emerges unscathed and wonder struck, knowing that she is loved and capable of loving. If you enjoy Sleeping Arrangements, I strongly recommend that you read Childhood and Other Neighborhoods by the great Stuart Dybek.
-Valerie Mittenberg

An Enjoyable Read

2008-10-16T20:11:00.001-04:00

I knew I wouldn't get the chance to read this book during the One Book One New Paltz week, but a librarian had recommended it to me, so I've been reading it over the past couple weeks. I was sad to finish it a few days ago. Lily's life is presented with no censorship or awkwardness ... nothing is edited out. All of her memories are vivid and detailed; that the book is written in present tense makes it very real to the reader.
I also felt that I got to know the characters well. All aspects of their personalities were described and they grew throughout the book. Uncle Len and Uncle Gabe found a special place in my heart for caring for their little niece even though it caused a dramatic lifestyle shift for them.
I really enjoyed this book, and I know my housemate did too. She finished it in two days!

-Erin R., New Paltz student

Share and Discuss Your Reaction to "Sleeping Arrangements" With The Community

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Share and discuss your reaction to "Sleeping Arrangements" with the community by posting comments to the One Book/One New Paltz blog.

Discussion Questions for Sleeping Arrangements

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Here are some discussion questions to stir up conversation on this blog. Please comment and/or add more questions.

These questions are from ReadingGroupGuides.com:
1. The first sentence of Lily's memoir reads: "I began my life waiting for him" (p. 3). How does this perpetual state of longing for her father affect her development? What does she mean when she writes, "Soon, I became the prisoner of war" (p. 7)? Why does her mother Rosie embellish the facts about Larry? Do you think Rosie is right to shield her daughter from the truth? Why, or why not?

2. How does Etka's arrival at AnaMor Towers make it easier for readers to understand Rosie, in retrospect? Has Lily inherited her grandmother's and mother's "habit of ducking unpleasant truths? (p. 5) How does sitting shiva for Rosie change Lily's ability to confront reality (pp. 48-54)?

3. Though just kindergarten-aged, Lily is already a girl "on the loose" ( p. 15), a latchkey child more days than not, whose play with her girlfriends involves more than a touch of sex, violence, paganism, and tribal ritual. Why does this wild play appeal to Lily, Diana, and Susan? And why does Lily ultimately turn out to be the most stable, least damaged, of the three? What is Rosie's greatest gift to her daughter?

4. What are the sacrifices Gabe and Len make in order to act as Lily's guardians? What gifts do they receive in return? What are the unique benefits to Lily from being raised by this peculiar pair of "O.B.'s" (old bachelors)? Why does Lily come to believe that "Larry's absence may have benefited me more than his presence" (p. 194)?

5. Throughout Lily's childhood, she explores several 'religions' presented to her in a variety of ways-including Judaism, Catholicism, Native American ritual, and Greek mythology. Discuss the appeal or lack of appeal of each to Lily. What role does the person who introduces each of them to Lily play in her identifying with them? By the end of the book, does she seem to have accepted any one system of belief over the others? Or has she grown to believe in something else?

6. How do Grandmother Etka's eccentricities help to awaken and develop Lily's capacity for empathy? Why does Lily respond with understanding to Etka's behavior, rather than with resentment and anger?

7. Why do you think Len is so secretive about the details of his life? What does it mean to Lily when he takes her on a 'secret assignment' to Cuba? Do the differences in Len and Lily's characters lend stability or, rather, imbalance to Lily's life? How do these two men change as a result of becoming instant parents?

8. How does Lily's childhood prepare her for her career as a writer? What does it teach her-or us--about the art of writing memoir?

9. What is the role of fantasy in Lily's life? In your opinion, are the imaginary scenarios enacted by Lily and her friends harmful or beneficial? What are the differences between Lily's 'White Eagle,' Susan's 'The Sailor,' and Diana's episodes in the park?

10. What does Lily's memorable stay at Camp Ava (pp. 60-82) teach her about friendship? About her family? About the world's sense of justice? About herself?

11. Lily writes, "If tragedy has brought us together, it's comedy that keeps us close" (p. 123). What do you think would have happened to Lily if it weren't for her family's sense of humor? And why is it important to her that, no matter how much laughter filled their home, they "chose to live with a degree of pain, to preserve memory" (p. 190)?

About Blog

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An open forum for the discussion of the One Book One New Paltz book "Sleeping Arrangements" by local author Laura Shaine Cunningham. You are invited to read this "funny, enchanting memoir of a Bronx childhood." Post your comments and reactions on this blog and then join your friends and neighbors for community discussions about the book, a dramatic reading, a film showing, a memoir writing workshop, an academic panel discussion, and an interactive social event with the author from November 16-23, 2008. For more information: http://www.onebookonenewpaltz.org

All posts and comments on the blog are subject to moderation by the committee and will be discarded for inappropriate content.

Blog Etiquette

2008-10-10T10:55:00.001-04:00

This blog was created to encourage a dialogue on the One Book One New Paltz community read selection Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham. All posts and comments on the blog are subject to moderation by the One Book One New Paltz committee and will be discarded for inappropriate content.

We encourage comments and discussion!