1. On their journey to San Francisco, Taxi and Sib work together to improvise a musical piece that reflects the preoccupations of the 1960s. Explain the various ideas and qualities that go into the piece and discuss whether these values are expressed elsewhere in the novel.

2. Many novels about adolescent protagonists develop as novels of education in which the central character grows up and becomes more mature.

Does this happen to Sib, or does her decision to return to Washington with her father reflect her need to be his child for a while longer?

3. Choose one of the composers or musicians mentioned in the text and explore his or her life and work. If possible, listen to the musical works mentioned in the novel.

4. The 1960s are often characterized as a period of individual searching for spiritual, nonmaterial truths. Conversely, the...