1. Missy’s estimation of the “kept men” is harsh: “Not for nothing, Jarvis, but where I come from, we’d call these guys maricones.” Do you agree with her assessment? What is your impression of these characters?

2. Jarvis’ observations about Williamsburg, Brooklyn --- a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood --- form a running thread throughout the book. Why do you think the author chose to set her story in this location? What do Jarvis’ thoughts about her neighborhood reveal about her character? Is there a thematic significance to this setting?

3. Jarvis is fascinated by Sylvie Porter’s series of photographs depicting a cat on the streets of the East Village. Another cat hisses at Jarvis in Martin’s room, and Sylvie Porter later connects the two in her deteriorating mind. Discuss the symbolic importance of the cat, and how it connects to the larger themes of the novel.

4. Jarvis is very aware of appearances: her fondest images of her family revolve around the way they dressed; her first impression of the “kept men” is based on their looks and their style; her selection of a dress for Scott’s dinner party is calculated to produce a specific effect. How does this focus on appearances shape Jarvis’ character? How does it inform her relationship with her husband and his work?

5. At one point, Jarvis reflects on her relationship with her father, asking, “Is she cruel for abandoning her father? …the man she knew as her father is no longer there.… There is an exterior, there is a shell, a skin, but inside, he’s gone.” How does this relationship affect the choices Jarvis makes in her life, specifically regarding her husband? What parallels can be drawn between her experience with her father and with Martin?

6. Early on, Mal recounts the story of his brother-in-law, who went fly-fishing in Montana for one weekend and ended up leaving his girlfriend to live there. Near the end, we learn of Martin’s similar disappearance to a cabin along the Snake River in Oregon. What is the significance of these parallel tales to the story and themes of the novel?

7. Jarvis remembers Martin as a man whose “entire life, every ounce of it, every breath, was committed to creating art.” But she also wonders, “…who was he besides an artist? And who was I to him? Nothing more than part of a palette.” Do you think she is right in this assessment? Overall, what impression of artists and their art does the book leave you with?

8. The story of The Kept Man bears obviously similarities to the Terri Schiavo case. Did reading this book affect your opinion on the issues involved? Do you believe that if Jarvis had eventually “pulled the plug” on her husband that it would have been morally justifiable?