Juliet's Answer

by Glenn Dixon

  Ph. Annalisa Conter. www.myeye.com

  Giovanna Tamassia now manages the day-to-day activities and funding of the Club di Giulietta. She is also the daughter of the club’s founder, Giulio Tamassia.

  Jane Baker/The Guardian

  Giulio Tamassia first established the Club di Giulietta as an informal gathering of friends who discussed love, life, and politics. It was more than a decade later when the club became associated with Juliet’s secretaries.

  Just some of the many letters scattered across my desk during my time as a secretary to Juliet.

  Desiree Bilon

  Anna working in her office at the Club di Giulietta.

  Michel Porro/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

  On the walls of Juliet’s house, the faithful plaster their messages using everything from bubblegum to Band-Aids.

  Desiree Bilon

  On the top floor of Juliet’s house, these stars are painted onto the ancient roof, providing the metaphor for Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers.

  Desiree Bilon

  Soa and me collecting the letters from the letter box in the courtyard of Juliet’s house.

  At the ancient Roman coliseum in the center of Verona, twenty thousand people watch the operas that are presented every night during the summer.

  Dating from 1599, this copy of Romeo and Juliet was produced in Shakespeare’s own lifetime, only a few years after he wrote it. It’s currently held in the vaults at the British Library in London, England.

  The vault and sarcophagus said to be Juliet’s grave.

  Desiree Bilon

  Working away at the endless letters on my second trip to Verona.

  Desiree Bilon

  The red bricks of the Castelvecchio, or old castle, with its fortified bridge.

  Manuela, one of the secretaries, is interviewed by Jolyon Jenkins from the BBC.

  The podium where we read our letters during Juliet’s birthday celebration. Behind it is the beautiful staircase that leads up to the Lamberti Tower.

  Desiree making last-minute edits on the letters we read aloud at Juliet’s birthday celebrations.

  Giovanna and her father, Giulio, at the celebration of Juliet’s birthday.

  Desiree and me, on top of the Scala di Ragione, just after Juliet’s birthday celebrations. She’s wearing the locket inscribed inside with “to thine own self be true.”

  Desiree and me on a beach in our tropical paradise, one year after leaving Verona.

  Acknowledgments

  At some point, I knew I wasn’t writing this book anymore. This book was writing me. No one could have been more surprised when Desiree came along in the middle of it. Desiree, you are the love I’ve been waiting for all my life. Thank you, thank you, my surfer girl, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

  As for the secretaries of Juliet, I give you my heartfelt respect and gratitude. You are a most remarkable group of people, without fail welcoming and compassionate. I want to especially thank Giovanna Tamassia and her father, Giulio, who really are the essence of the Club di Giulietta. Your devotion to the letters is nothing short of inspirational. Anna and Soa and Veronica, you are my friends for life, and I thank you for your good humor and companionship. There are others I didn’t have a chance to mention in the pages of this book, and I want to thank you too. All of you made my travels to Italy extraordinary. I want to also say to the reader that, should you ever travel to Verona, Manuela Uber is a first-class guide to the city with a depth of knowledge that goes well beyond the information presented in this book.

  All the letters I have quoted from were real, although I have changed all the names and locations. I want to honor all those who write to Juliet—some ten thousand a year now—and I hope that each of you finds, as I did, the answers you are seeking.

  I did teach for twenty-one years and I’m quite sure I taught Romeo and Juliet every one of those years. The students in these pages are composites drawn from the thousands of students I taught over the decades. To all my real Sadias and Andys and Devins and their classmates—this is not you in these pages. You and your many classmates may have misbehaved, you may have challenged me, and certainly you made me laugh, but I assure you, this is not any of you. I can say, though, that I have represented my classroom as truly as I possibly could and that it was a pleasure to relive it in the writing.

  For Claire, I wish you real happiness in the life you have chosen. I know you will be a wonderful mother.

  The final form of this book would not have been possible without the help and vision of my literary agent, Hilary McMahon. She worked with me for well over a year on the structure of this book. In fact, she kept phoning me while I was working through the initial draft to get the latest updates on what was happening—the two of us in constant disbelief about how the events were unfolding.

  Likewise, I want to recognize the brilliant sensibilities of my Canadian editor, Nita Pronovost, as well as Abby Zidle, my American editor, both at Simon & Schuster. We went through this manuscript so many times I lost count, but every time it did get a little bit better. The entire staff at Simon & Schuster have been exceptional. There was an infectious excitement about this project right from the beginning that kept me going through the long hours and countless drafts.

  Last, I wish to thank the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for their financial support as well as the generous encouragement of my friends and fellow writers at the Writers’ Union of Canada, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and the Creative Nonfiction Collective. To paraphrase Shakespeare: I have been at a great feast of languages, and stolen the scraps.

  Gallery Readers Group Guide

  Juliet’s

  Answer

  GLENN DIXON

  This reading group guide for Juliet’s Answer includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Glenn Dixon. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. Just be aware that this material may contain spoilers!

  Introduction

  A lovelorn, seemingly “star-cross’d” English teacher takes the trip of a lifetime to heal a broken heart and better understand the nature of love in this charming memoir that is part Eat Pray Love, part Under the Tuscan Sun, and part Shakespeare.

  In fair Verona where we lay our scene . . .

  After his long-burning love for a friend goes unrequited for the last time, and in spectacularly dramatic fashion, Glenn Dixon seeks a new perspective on love in the most hallowed setting imaginable: Verona, Italy. A longtime English teacher, Dixon hopes that the setting and historical context of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet will help him untangle his own feelings. While in Verona, Dixon joins the Secretaries of Juliet, a group dedicated to answering each and every one of the love letters from around the world addressed to Juliet. His new, temporary role helps him cope with his own heartbreak while learning that love is an all-powerful force no matter the language or the place.

  While in Verona, Glenn also surveys the historical and cultural impact of Romeo and Juliet. Is their story in fact true? How and why did Shakespeare fictionalize aspects of it? How does this midsize city handle all the tourism—and heartache? Upon his return, Glenn brings the story to life in the classroom, trying to impart the power of love and the brilliance of Shakespeare to his students.

  Juliet’s Answer is a highly personal and historical chronicle of love for the modern age.

  Topics and Questions for Discussion

  1. What was your reaction to learning that there is an enterprise behind answering letters to Juliet? Is there a responsibility to answer the letters?

  2. Do you think that seeking advice from a semifictional character from a romantic tragedy is either romantic or tragic?

  3. Is there a common trait shared by the secretaries? Do you think you could manage to be
one of them?

  4. What has your experience with reading Shakespeare been like throughout your life? Do you think you read and appreciate him differently as an adult than you did as an adolescent? Why or why not?

  5. Can you think of any other literary settings so uniquely tied to their books and characters as Verona in Romeo and Juliet? Have you or would you ever visit any of them?

  6. How would you characterize Glenn’s teaching style? Does he remind you of any teacher you had during your school years?

  7. Were there any new revelations for you about Shakespeare and/or Romeo and Juliet?

  8. Describe Glenn and Claire’s relationship. Are they wrong in how they treat each other? How would you describe Glenn’s reaction to Claire’s big reveal?

  9. Has the digital age changed how we experience love? If so, do you think it’s for better or for worse? If not, then explain your reasoning.

  10. Have you ever taken a trip to heal yourself? Was it cathartic? Do you think that going on an adventure to somewhere new and different helps us learn and heal?

  11. What role do you think timing had to play in Glenn and Desiree’s budding relationship? Do you think that “timing is everything,” acts as a principal factor in all relationships?

  12. How do Glenn and Desiree complement each other? What type of future do you envision for them?

  Enhance Your Book Club

  1. A knowledge of Shakespeare’s play is helpful in reading and understanding this book. Watch a production of Romeo and Juliet, be it on-screen or onstage, before discussing Juliet’s Answer.

  2. Write your own letter to Juliet to read to the group. For anonymity’s sake, ask the group members to type their letters and put them into a bowl to be selected at random. Briefly discuss the letter and provide a group response.

  3. Have each group member name a travel destination s/he might go to in order to learn more about love, then ask to explain his/her reasoning. Why did s/he choose this place and why is it so evocative? If the group is able to reach a consensus, take a trip together to a nearby place to do some reflecting and talking in a new setting.

  Author Q&A

  The book ends on a happy note, but it still begs the question: What is your current relationship status? If we are to judge from your social media accounts, you are still together and happy.

  Yes, things are great. This really is the best relationship of my life. Desiree and I travel often. In fact, we were just in Verona for another visit, and we managed to see almost everyone mentioned in the book. They’re all doing well too. And as the epilogue suggests, Desiree and I go to Mexico (and other warm places) in the gloom of the Canadian winter. She surfs and works on documentary films. I’m building up the courage to start another book. We support each other and both of our lives are the better for it. She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.

  Was it at all hard revisiting your relationship and feelings for Claire while laying them bare for readers? Is there any type of relationship left with Claire?

  It was tremendously difficult. Those are very painful memories. I thought long and hard about even wanting to write about them, but I thought if I’m going to write a book about love, then I need to be honest about everything. Of course, when I began the book, I had no idea what was waiting for me, but once it happened, I knew it had to be in the book. It would be a complete sham if I left that out. Unfortunately, Claire and I barely talk anymore. She has her life and I have mine, but I do want to be very clear that I wish her loads of happiness in the life she’s chosen. I believe I said that in the acknowledgments. I’m quite worried that she’ll be hurt by this book, but this certainly was not my intention. I’ve done everything I can to protect her privacy while still being able to tell the story. I know she’ll be a great mother to her son. I know that and respect that. Maybe someday we can be friends again. I’d like that. But it will take time, probably years, and I guess that’s how it has to be.

  Was the structure of the book—alternating between your personal story and travels, the classroom, and research about the nature of love—one you envisioned from the outset? Or was it something that happened organically, weaving itself together as you wrote?

  Ha. I often say now that about halfway through the writing, I realized that I wasn’t writing this book anymore, this book was writing me. My agent was phoning me almost every week, asking, “What’s happening now? My God, what’s happening now?” I couldn’t possibly have predicted what took place. I had no idea at all of the calamitous events awaiting me when I first had the idea to go to Verona and answer letters. And of course I had no idea about Desiree. If you must, call it star-crossed. I’m just saying that I couldn’t possibly have planned any of this. This was the surprise of a lifetime.

  Writing about a topic as broad and universal as love had to be a daunting task. Were there any such moments that felt that way? As a writer, what was your process for synthesizing such a big theme?

  I looked at a tremendous amount of research on love before I began to write. Initially I thought I’d include a lot more of it in the book, but the story sort of took over and the research largely got left behind. Still, it gave me a grounding and an overview. I think for me, there was always that . . . well, tension is not the right word, but push and pull between synthesizing the research and the very real things that were happening to me (and what was happening to the hundreds of people whose letters I answered). I guess all of it was also wrapped around Shakespeare’s exquisite story too, something I knew inside and out from my long years of teaching. In the end, it all came together: all the pieces of the puzzle fit, and I do think that I was given a real answer about love. I hope something of that comes through in the pages of this book. I hope that every reader will find part of his or her own answer in this book.

  Any advice for teachers about bringing Shakespeare into the classroom? What did you find that worked well to engage students? What caused them to tune out?

  Shakespeare is meant to be acted, not read. I think that’s key. A line-by-line analysis is dead boring, even if Shakespeare did produce some of the greatest writing in the English language. More than anything else, Shakespeare is meant to be seen and heard. I never had the students read silently on their own; we always read it together—out loud, sometimes even in a Scottish accent. We analyzed the films too, acting as film critics. We looked at how texts can be adapted and what decisions directors make in filming. I think all of that is important in today’s world. We live in a media culture, and I wanted the students to have some familiarity with how films are put together, what works emotionally and what does not. And of course they were at the age when sex and love is predominant in their brains, so it wasn’t really that hard to get their attention with Romeo and Juliet. I’d like to think there were takeaway points, things they could apply to their own lives. And that is pretty much why Shakespeare is so great. His stories and his words really do transcend time and place. He really does speak to what’s human in all of us.

  While you are teaching Romeo and Juliet, you have to handle the fact that one of your students is being thrust into an arranged marriage. What was it like having classroom discussions on the power of love and the sacredness of marriage, but then realizing that it’s not always a possibility for others in some cultures? Do you regret involving yourself?

  For most of my career as a teacher, I worked at a high school that was incredibly diverse in terms of the students’ cultures and language groups. I’d done a MA in sociolinguistics, so I was always fascinated by different mind-sets and how those are encoded in language or clothing or, yes, even different ideas concerning sex and marriage. We spoke openly in class about all of this. The story of the girl in the arranged marriage was absolutely true (though of course I can’t say anything about the actual student it happened to, only that her name wasn’t Sadia), and the situation did end the way it ended in the book. We were also lucky to have at that school some tremendous outside resources—cultural interpreters (not j
ust translators) who worked with families and, yes, in that particular year, a social worker who specialized in working with immigrant families. It might not have turned out that way if these people had not been in place. I just drew on their resources.

  Were there any other Shakespeare plays that you enjoyed teaching? Why? Just for fun and purely hypothetically, could you see a project similar to Juliet’s Answer based upon another Shakespeare work?

  I taught a few other Shakespeare plays—although not every semester, not like Romeo and Juliet. I did also teach (and love) Macbeth, and yes, I’ve toyed with the idea of writing about that. It would involve not love, but aggression and ambition and assassination, and I’m not sure I’m ready to take that on. I also loved Hamlet and taught it many times. There’s no doubt in my mind that it is the single greatest work of literature in the English language. There, I’ve said it. The soliloquys of Hamlet (and not just the famous one) are pure genius. There’s no other way to put it.

  Are you at all in touch with the Secretaries of Juliet? It appears that you were in Verona in September 2016. If so, what was it like to be back?

  Yes, absolutely. They are all thrilled about this book. As I mentioned, Desiree and I were just back in Verona. Among other things, we filmed interviews with Giovanna and Manuela and Anna (and Elena, who was mentioned only briefly in the book, but who has been working there for a long time). We asked them very simply what they had learned from answering all these letters over the years. You have to think that they may be among the world’s leading experts on love because of this experience, and they really did have some wonderful wisdom to impart. Look for the video. We’ll post it shortly. It was lovely to be back in Verona again. It really is a beautiful ancient city, with so many things to see. I know I’ll be back again and again and again.