Students and authors discussing their works. What else when you study American literature?

1. Swan Huntley’s
We Could be Beautiful
APRIL 27, 2017 SKYPE INTERVIEW BY
LYCÉE INTERNATIONAL NELSON MANDELA, NANTES, FRANCE.
AMERICAN OIB CLASS.

2. Introduction by Swan Huntley
Bonjour!
Thanks so much for inviting me into your
classroom. I hope you enjoyed reading the
excerpt. A lot of people hate Catherine at first. I
wonder if you felt that way if you read the whole
novel. I look forward to hearing more about your
thoughts when we meet on the Internet!

3. Swan Huntley Swan Huntley earned her MFA at Columbia University.
She's received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony
and the Ragdale Foundation. She lives in California and
Hawaii.
We could be Beautiful:
A spellbinding psychological debut novel, Swan Huntley’s
We Could Be Beautiful is the story of a wealthy woman
who has everything—and yet can trust no one.
Catherine West has spent her entire life surrounded by
beautiful things. She owns an immaculate Manhattan
apartment, she collects fine art, she buys exquisite handbags
and clothing, and she constantly redecorates her home. And
yet, despite all this, she still feels empty. She sees her personal
trainer, she gets weekly massages, and occasionally she visits
her mother and sister on the Upper East Side, but after two
broken engagements and boyfriends who wanted only her
money, she is haunted by the fear that she’ll never have a
family of her own.

4. Swan Huntley
One night, at an art opening, Catherine meets William Stockton, a handsome man who shares her
impeccable taste and love of beauty. He is educated, elegant, and even has a personal
connection—his parents and Catherine’s parents were friends years ago. But as he and Catherine
grow closer, she begins to encounter strange signs, and her mother, Elizabeth (now suffering from
Alzheimer’s), seems to have only bad memories of William as a boy. In Elizabeth’s old diary she
finds an unnerving letter from a former nanny that cryptically reads: “We cannot trust anyone…” Is
William lying about his past? And if so, is Catherine willing to sacrifice their beautiful life in order
to find the truth? Featuring a fascinating heroine who longs for answers but is blinded by her own
privilege, We Could Be Beautiful is a glittering, seductive, utterly surprising story of love, money,
greed, and family.

5.  Analyze the excerpt.
 Try and define the genre
of this novel.
 What are the major
elements of this genre?
 Can you find them in this
excerpt from We could be
Beautiful?
 Jot down your notes on
this document.
Excerpt

6. Reminder: focus on…
 Literary devices,
 Themes, motifs,
 Genre,
 Tone, diction,
syntax,
 Allusions,
 Voice,
 Imagery and
 Symbolism…
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7. Skype Interview
Prepare questions about
 Swan Huntley,
 Her influences,
 Her creative process,
 The excerpt you have studied…
 Be creative, original and personal!
 Share your questions and ideas on this
Google doc.
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8. Bibliography
 https://twitter.com/swanhuntley
 https://www.facebook.com/swan.huntley
 We Could be Beautiful
 Swan’s blog
 Review
 GoodReads
 Article
 New York Times Article
 Article
 Our Google doc.
 Online tools (Final project)
 The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, second ed. (Murfin, Ray) /
Literary terms / Meter
 Devices
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