1. The Last Song of Sirit Byar has a woman telling her story to a scribe, who writes it down for a fee. In which cultures is this a real-life practice? What function do such scribes play in their societies?

How much are they paid? What are their tools? What sort of documents do they usually write for their clients? (Hint: You might start with India.)

2. Beagle describes a French singer named Georges Brassens. Who was he? What characteristics of Brassens's does Sirit Byar reflect? This topic is tough to research because almost all books on Brassens are in French (there is one in German). If you can read French, find these books and then provide some information about Brassens.

3. Many cultures have had traveling minstrels, and some still do. What is the traveling minstrel's life like? What is he or...