When Skateboards Will Be Free (30 page)

But I also want to believe there’s another reason that my father will not read the book: He doesn’t want to have to face the consequences of his absence. He doesn’t really want to know what his son lived through after he walked out the door. Perhaps we need to add an additional line to Castro’s aphorism: “The truth must also be heard.”

RHRC:
Your memoir ends with you settling down with your girl friend, Karen, having apparently come to terms with your childhood to a large degree. Could you speak a bit about what’s transpired in your life after the events of the book? Why do you think the present-day relationship with Karen became a natural part of the story you told?

SS:
My relationship with Karen is for me the indisputable evidence that I’ve managed to build a much different life for myself than where I started. On the surface we’re very different, and I’ve often joked that if we had gone through a dating service we would probably have never been matched. She has a very optimistic view of the world, for one thing, which might have come from her upbringing. This was one of the reasons why I think it was important to include scenes of our relationship periodically in the book. It served as a reminder for both myself and the reader that things ultimately changed for me. The interludes with Karen helped to bring some breathing room and levity to those darker elements from the past. As for my life now, Karen and I are married, happily. The only drawback was that I had to give up my cherished rent-stabilized apartment, which I still miss. (She had to drag me kicking and screaming.) But we recently bought a beautiful one-bedroom apartment on the Lower East Side. Of course, it’s a betrayal of the Socialist Workers Party who would never endorse private ownership. But I’m okay with that.

Ten blocks from where I live now is the birthplace of my grandfather, whose name was Carlyle Finkelstein. He was born in 1895. Whenever I happen to walk past it I think about how my family’s story has come full circle.

1. How do Sayrafiezadeh’s feelings toward the socialist cause evolve from his childhood into adulthood?

2. Acting is a kind of escape for Sayrafiezadeh during his childhood years. Do you think its purpose changes when he becomes an adult? If so, how?

3. Sayrafiezadeh likes to keep his things as neat as possible. What do you think this provides for him?

4. Sayrafiezadeh’s interactions with his father often seem uncomfortable and awkward. Why do you think this is? Do you think that his father ever tries to make him feel at ease?

5. Sayrafiezadeh and his mother are constantly on the move during his childhood. How might this inform his feelings about an impending worker’s revolution?

6. Sayrafiezadeh describes a broom that his mother brings to two unusual places—a bus and a restaurant. What is the significance of the appearance of this broom?

7. What are the implications of the book’s title,
When Skateboards Will Be Free
, on Sayrafiezadeh’s story?

8. Describe Sayrafiezadeh’s relationship with his brother and sister. How does he compare himself to them?

9. How do Sayrafiezadeh’s feelings about his mother change over time?

10. What effects does his relationship with Karen have on Sayrafiezadeh, particularly on his political beliefs and his sense of himself?