Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

What does the phrase “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” refer to in the book? Why do you think the author chose “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” as the title story for the collection? What is the significance of that story?

The protagonists of “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” and “Geese” are both young black women named Dina, but the text never explains whether they are the same character, and there are no other characters who cross over between stories. Compare and contrast the two Dinas. Do you think they are the same person? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

What major theme do you think connects all eight of these stories? Trace the way the theme manifests in each story, and tell what you think the author is saying about the theme through this collection.

Many of the stories end with little to no resolution, or with the protagonist failing or giving up. Why do you think the author does this? Choose one story that ends this way, and explain what that ending contributes to the narrative. What would have been a satisfying or positive ending, and what do you think the story would have gained or lost if it had ended that way?

Most of the stories take place in the 1990s, which was the recent present when the book was published. The final story, however, “Doris is Coming,” goes back in time to 1961. Why do you think Packer chooses to end on this story, especially considering that it is chronologically first?

Research the Million Man March, a 1995 event that was meant to continue the work of the 1963 March on Washington. How did the Million Man March differ from the original? How did the March formulate ideas of black masculinity, and how are those ideas broached throughout the stories in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere? Use at least two specific examples of masculinity in the book to discuss this topic.

Several of the protagonists in the stories are religious or grow up as members of a church. What function does religion serve in the book? What do you think the stories are saying about Christianity and the Christian Church? What about the Nation of Islam?

In “Geese,” Ari allows Dina, Petra, Zoltan, and Sayeed to move in with him and share his food, although he has very little himself. He even allows Sayeed to stay after Sayeed attacks Dina, and there are other clues in the story that the roommates are not actually close friends who care about each other’s safety. Why do you think Ari lets them stay? How do the group members relate to each other differently in Japan than you might expect them to interact in the United States?