Questions for the Author
Ch: 1 – A Timeless Trance
The Cubs fan Philosophy- “Too much of a good thing isn’t always good… Be careful what you wish for… And of course, ‘wait until next year'”
- What good thing in excess is this referring too? What did the Cubs fans wish for that came back to bite them? What are the Cubs fans waiting for? A victory? A change?
“I decided to be contrary and root for the Cubs”
- Is your love for the Cubs stemmed from rebellion or rooting for the underdog? Or is it both?
- What is it about Chicago that entrances you? Is it solely from baseball or from some other connection?
“One of the charming things about baseball is that fact that you just never know”
- Is this was keeps bringing you back to root for a team that has let you down so many times? Is it faith? Is it hope? Is it pride?
Ch:2 – Kindness of Strangers
- When talking about how the ticket taker at the train gave you a ride to the Cubs convention sole because of your connection through sports was there any hesitation in getting in a car with a stranger? Was it immediate trust because of sports?
- How were you able to recollect the story he told you in the car? Did you record it or take notes?
- “Time may be running out for us Cub fans” – running out for what?
Jake Pavlica's Blog 
Jake, thanks for your thoughts and questions about our final reading of the semester. I tried to answer what questions I could in class on Monday, but here’s a few more thoughts of mine that might provide more insights.
From the day I first encountered the Cubs at age 11 during a weekend series on TV against the NY Mets I believed that they represented a great story of hope, faith, belief , commitment and camaraderie. To me they embodied the whole notion of belonging to something larger than oneself. What compelled me to write the book was being asked a hundred million times in my life: Why are you a Cubs fan? Why are Cubs fans so loyal to a team that doesn’t win? Those questions were my inspiration – I wanted to answer them with evidence beyond myself, but that included myself.
Writing and photographing the story, and the fifteen years it took, did deepen my appreciation for the Cubs, the Cubs fans, and what believing in something come hell or high water is really all about.
Choosing the Cubs at age 11 was perhaps my own way of figuring out how to be different, how to go my own way, how to be rebellious (without getting into too much trouble.) It was the 1960s, after all 🙂
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