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Spoiler Notice: Discussion/Study Questions reveal parts of the plot and the ending.

Question: “Portraits of the victims are rounded out in various ways - using the director’s descriptions to the detective (Sheila, Ben), videotape transcripts (Gordon), and the interview with Zabo’s wife. Which is most effective and why?

One of the more difficult things for me is how to sketch a character in the fewest possible words or actions. This becomes extremely important in short stories, especially if you’re trying to avoid stereotypes and cliches. Weaving backstory material is just as hard.

In PARK RIDGE a presentation of the victim immediately preceded a murder. This meant that all I had was this one shot (no pun intended) at describing the victim. Depending on the reader’s response to this portrayal, they would either be outraged or indifferent (or somewhere in between) when this person was murdered. I was limited by the space I felt that I could allow for the description. After all, the book wasn’t about the victims but the killers.

I looked for other ways that I could introduce information (backstory) that would make these “incidental” characters more three-dimensional. One option came from reality. Teresa (the real center director) told me that they often have groups come into the senior center, generally once a year. These groups are looking for people they can interview — oral history type stuff. Sometimes the focus is even narrower — they just want to talk with veterans. Teachers may bring in elementary school children for an intergenerational activity. Either way, groups do come in to the center and have contact.

I reasoned that videotaping the interviews without any intervention by the interviewer would be a good way to force my characters to speak in their own words. Five minutes on camera with no prompts is a long time. Only bits and pieces would be relevant to the narrative, but as the author I could isolate sections from the transcript.

Another way that I rounded out the characters was by what other people said about them. The discussion question we’re looking at specifically mentions Leonard Zabo’s wife. Even though she’s speaking with the detective, who’s investigating her husband’s death, the conversation conveys a lot of information with the same candor as the tapes.

It’s my personal opinion that comments about the victims, or even the killers, by Teresa Cusentino, the center director, are not as effective. Her views are less objective because of her defensive stance toward “her people.” On the other hand, as a character, she grows in understanding, admits to this defensiveness, and emerges as much more sympathetic and aware.

SPOILER WARNING!

The discussion questions reveal the ending to the book. If you have not yet read, PARK RIDGE: A Senior Center Murder, please consider before reading on.

Question: Teresa’s presentation for the conference in Springfield uses portions of the videotapes and her own observations and conclusions. What purpose does the paper serve in the novel?

First off, for those that might not have read the book YET (hint, hint), the videotapes refer to five minute recordings made by students from Northwestern University. They asked each participant to respond to a single question: “What is the most significant activity you participate in here [at the Senior Center] and why?” I included partial transcripts from most of the murder victims as well as each killers in the novel.

In my mind, at least, these passages give us glimpses into the “real” person, particularly the killers. In the taping of the video each person is alone with the videographer. No one else listening in. Because of this, Jack can say, “Margaret and I could take those two easy.” Which is significant, considering that his partner is Ellie, NOT Margaret. We also learn that Jack was married and is a widower.

We also get a window into the thinking of the victims. For instance, Ben Wilson (retired car salesman) says: “First, you make your assessment of the person. What’s he got that you want? Second, you know what you want – either to sell a car, maybe a certain car – or you need an act for the show or for somebody to sing tenor in the chorus. Third, you need to know what the other person wants. Then you figure the odds of getting what you want based on who you think that person is and what they want.” Which is the first big clue as to the motive behind the killings.

So, answer number one, the fact that Teresa is choosing tapes and making excerpts from them for her presentation makes their reproduction in the novel possible. Answer number two is that the conference presentation analyzes the situation, makes some assumptions, and allows the reader an opportunity to agree or disagree with Teresa’s conclusion.

[NOTE: full text of the discussion questions for PARK RIDGE may be found on the author's website.]

Spoiler Notice - please don’t go any farther if you don’t want to know details about the plot of PARK RIDGE.

While investigating the murders at the Center (brick and mortar), Detective Stan Nevins discovers that his mother, called “Stunning Stella” by the men at the Center, is dating one of his suspects. She agreed to her gentleman’s request to “keep his personal life separate from the Center,” even if it meant keeping him a secret from Stan and the rest of the family.

Using the psychological meaning of “center,” what does Stella’s statement imply about Gus (the Professor).

When you have the answer, ask yourself, “Why did Stella agree to keep his secret?

The first question on the Study Guide came up during the writing of the novel as I was typing. I confess it wasn’t deliberate, maybe it was Freudian. But the word “center” is used in many ways:

1. to represent a physical building — “the Park District crowd had overflowed in the Center’s lot”;

2. to represent a community — “Stella Nevins was a stunning woman in her early sixties, one of the younger members of the Center”; and

3. to represent a psychological core — “After Ben’s death had been ruled a murder, people were frightened to be at the Center as well as drawn to be there.”

Warning! Consider this your “spoiler notice.” The Study Guide mentions several things a reader may NOT want to know before they read the book — like the ending!

I’m proposing to take a look at several of the topics and questions raised by the novel.