Ship of Souls

Wish After Midnight . She currently lives in Brooklyn.

Ship of Souls
    Discussion Topics and Writing Activities
    The novel begins with D overhearing a conversation between his mother and a stranger he thinks is his father. Why do you think D’s mother wouldn’t let the man inside? Pretend that you are D’s father and write a letter to your son explaining why you’ve been absent for so long.
Cemeteries are considered “sacred ground,” yet the African Burial Ground was nearly destroyed by construction in lower Manhattan. Visit the site (or the Web site: http://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm ) and learn what life was like for the enslaved men, women, and children who were buried there. What jobs did they perform? What clues were found during the archaeological dig that prove these people still felt connected to Africa?
What important historical sites can be found in your community? Choose one site and write a magical scene that might unfold there late at night.
Many historical sites don’t have a plaque or monument to explain their significance. Design a marker, sculpture, or sign to pay tribute to an important person, place, or event from your community’s past.
Enslaved Africans built the wall that ran along Wall Street, and they widened the Lenape Trail that became Broadway. When did slavery end in New York State? Learn more about the history of slavery where you live. What contributions did enslaved people make in your state?
Some blacks fought alongside the Americans in the Revolutionary War, and others sided with the British who promised them their freedom. Pretend that you are Jake, Billy’s enslaved friend. Write a monologue in which Jake explains why he wants to fight in the war. Which side would Jake choose?
Keem is a popular school athlete, yet he still gets teased because of his religion. Keem tells D that everyone has to fight for respect. How do you earn the respect of others?
Nyla calls D a “freak.” Is that an insult or a compliment? What is “the freak’s Golden Rule”? Write five rules that you expect your friends to follow.
Nuru never explains how she escaped from the nether beings, though she admits that she had help from “burrowing creatures.” Write a scene that explains how Nuru managed to become free.
Nyla resents the way she’s treated by guys on the street, yet Keem says some girls enjoy that kind of attention. What kind of behavior do you find offensive, and what do you do when someone disrespects you? Write a “survival guide” for teenage girls or boys to help them avoid and/or address sexual harassment.
Forty percent of the remains found in the African Burial Ground belonged to children. Imagine that D met one of those children in the Chamber of Souls. What kind of conversation do you think they would have? Write a short play in which D, Keem, Nyla, or Billy talks with an enslaved child about his or her life. What might they have in common? What are the advantages of being a child in the twenty-first century?