Discussion Guide

1. Have you ever known of someone, maybe known them from a distance, or heard others talk about them, and decided you didn't like them? Or maybe you labeled them as a certain "type" whom you are sure you have nothing in common with? Did you ever get to know them more personally and discover more about them? What happened? If someone were to give you a label, what would it be? Does that one word really sum up all that you are?

2. David and Marie become unlikely allies and eventually friends. Can you think of someone who is your complete opposite, and for some reason you are friends with them? Can you explain why?

3. I had fun imagining a non-traditional heaven. I wanted it to be surprising, as I am sure that is what it would be. Is there a wacky, non-traditional thing you think I left out?

4. Did you have a favorite character? Other than David and Marie, I was quite fond of Nardo. I sort of pictured him as John Lithgow (3rd Rock) but my husband said he pictured him more as Bill Cosby. When I wrote the story I kept physical descriptions to a minimum so that the reader could create their own image of the character. How did you picture him? Did his personality and speech lead you to picture him this way?

5. In my first draft of David v. God, I avoided describing God. I was too intimidated. How could I, a lowly writer, describe God? But then like David, I decided to give it a shot, and when I gave myself over to the idea, the words flowed out. It felt right. Did you agree with the description? How would you describe God?

6. While most of David v. God is fictional, there is one scene based in truth. When my husband was in high school he really did lock himself in the intercom room and entertain the whole school. Unlike David, he did get suspended, but even that he had negotiated down to an in-school suspension. I hadn't planned on using that little anecdote in the story but suddenly it was a perfect fit for a character like David. Do you have some unusual event in your life that would make for a good story, or at least part of a story? What is it?

7. Did you have a favorite scene? I had two: the moment David first sees God and the end where David and Marie are reunited. What was yours? Why?

When I wrote David v. God, one of the seeds of inspiration that got me going was a bit of idle wondering. Since most stories start with a problem I pondered: What is the worst thing that could happen to anyone? What could be a really big problem? Getting in big trouble at school? Getting sick? Injured? My wondering escalated until I finally reached the conclusion that "dying" would probably be the worst problem someone could face. But as a writer that does present a bit of a challenge. If your character dies on the first page, where do you go from there? Nowhere, unless you continue the story after they die. That idea intrigued me.

I combined that idea with another seed that had been growing in me. Labels. They are a curious thing. They allow us to neatly explain people we don't even know, and once we have applied that superficial label, we no longer have to think beyond it. But in David v. God, I took two people and made them stretch beyond the labels they had given each other. And in discovering the underlying layers in each other, they discovered a deeper part of themselves as well.

But then with all this heavy stuff about dying and labels, I gave myself another challenge: make it funny! What? Are you crazy, Mary? I thought to myself. But I love a challenge, and I also believe humor is a very natural, real part of life, that often strikes in our most dire moments. Thank goodness for that, right?

I answer a lot of reader's questions about David v. God, but I don't often get to ask my own, so I am taking that opportunity now. Here are a few questions about the story, that if I had the chance to sit down with other readers, I would want to discuss.
Let's talk . . .