Sherman Alexie: Missed Connections

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Image: Jérôme de Perlinghi

-at the Santa Barbara Airport

Descending, in our forty-seat airplane,
I saw an older man had parked his car
At the edge of the runway. He waved
At us, so I waved, . . .

This is the opening of the narrative poem “Missed Connections” written by Sherman Alexie. Considering the title, what do you think the poem is about?

Read the poem and see if you were right. Then do this multiple choice quiz, Missed Connections before continuing with the questions below. You should also explore different usages of the expression “Missed Connections”

Questions

1. What did you think the poem was about? Were you right? Why/Why not?
2. What is the poem about? Write a summary.
3. This is a narrative poem. What makes it different from a short story?
4. Why is the poem called "Missed Connections"?
5. The narrator understands that he has misinterpreted the woman on the plane. Still he concludes:
   ” I'll repeat the myth because it's more impressive
   Than something as tender as the truth.”
   What does he mean?

Writing

Write the poem into a short story.
Write a short story called “Missed Connections”

The expression Missed Connections is explained in Wikipedia - Missed Connection

Find examples of:

1. Missed Connections
2. Common missed connections locations
3. Common reasons for missed connections

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Image: Jennifer Maiser

Through the use of publications and websites some people seek to reconnect with their missed connections, for instance, "To the girl with the Feather Earrings: We saw each other on the 22 on May 28th - Find me on Facebook - Alexander Crane."

Jennifer Lee has written an article about The Missed Connection Category called “Romance beckons (in Case You Missed It)” in the New York Times - Romance Beckons. Read the article and write a summary.

Sophie Blackall has tried to pin down some of the funny, sad, beautiful, hopeful, poetic posts on Missed Connections websites on her blog, illustrating the messages.

Browse through some of her blogposts. Choose one and write the story leading up to the notice, or the story succeeding it.