The plot of I Have Some Questions for You is that Bodie, a successful podcaster, returns as an alum presenter at her New England prep school to teach about podcasts during a short winter session. One of the high school students chooses to research a murder of a student during Bodie’s years as a student. The murder is part of the school’s lore and has gained some recent attention since a Black man has been incarcerated for the murder. Still, many doubted whether the crime was ever adequately investigated.
The author delves into many “true crime” topics as Bodie wonders whether she would have viewed the circumstances surrounding her former roommate’s murder differently through today’s lenses. However, while Bodie is on campus teaching, her former husband is involved in a scandal involving a lover who has accused him of using his power to seduce her. One wonders about Bodie’s mindset and hypocrisy when she publicly jumps to the defense of her ex. Bodie viewed the age disparity in her husband’s affair as less troublesome than the teachers’ relationships with Thalia, her high school roommate and murder victim.
While reading I Have Some Questions for You, Rebecca Makkai encouraged me to think about how much has changed regarding men preying on women, especially those in power. But it also helped me realize that so much more change is necessary. Bodie encounters students for this winter session who have had antibully training since kindergarten. These modern students have the words to label inappropriate actions. On the other hand, Bodie still thinks and says things such as, “the teacher was “having an affair with Thalia,” rather than describing a teacher having sex with a high school student as predatory. The students can easily classify assaults. However, those in power positions still hesitate to accuse and convict popular, accomplished men.
