'The glass bottle trick' by Nalo Hopkinson

Reading roundtable #4: Session two

On the first of January—the first day of this year—we shared our first post, introducing the short story we’d be discussing with you for Issue four: Nalo Hopkinson’s ‘The glass bottle trick’. We’ve already enjoyed a robust conversation about the story in the comments section on that post. So the first thing I want to do here is thank everyone who’s dived in and commented with such lush, wild, generous and insightful responses to the story.

Your responses there remind me of what a pleasure it is to read in company with other astute and engaged readers.

In this follow-up, I want to offer some of my own thoughts on this piece of fiction, and see if we can’t continue our conversation about this fascinating short story. What follows are some rather rambling musings. Among those musings are questions, which I’ve highlighted in bold. In responding to this post, you’re welcome to address those questions themselves or pick up on anything else here that interests, troubles, or amuses you. Perhaps, after reading these musings, you’ll go back to the story and look at it a little differently, and come back here, to this thread, and let us know how the story has shifted for you (if it has), or how your relationship to it might have changed.

I (we) welcome your responses and musings, and look forward to reading them, and engaging with you in the comments.