Friday, March 18, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 4) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "Zimmer Land"

[Haley Reading Groups Spring 2022]

By now, we're seeing that Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a really inventive, far out thinker who takes tidbits from current events and our contemporary society and stretches those ideas to some really dreadful conclusions in a near or distant future. 

Along those lines, Adjei-Brenyah's "Zimmer Land" showcases an amusement park where patrons role play in environments where they ultimately shoot (with fake bullets) people who they view as threats. The protagonist of the story is a black man. He is the most popular target of park visitors who are interested in acting out situations where they kill an alleged threatening or confrontational black man. 

 Adjei-Brenyah's work isn't classified as horror fiction, but the implications of some of the stories are scary. 

Here are two questions: 

1.) After reading the story, what's one good question that you would be inclined to ask Adjei-Brenyah about his approach to storytelling in "Zimmer Land" or about how his mind as a creative artist works in general? (Respond with just one sentence)

2.) Why are you interested in that question, or what good or useful response do you think your question would prompt? (Respond with just one sentence)

52 comments:

Damien W said...

1. A question that I would be willing to ask is, why would you shoot an innocent black man in the first place. More importantly with fake bullets which is a threat regardless. Also another question Ill ask is are they shooting him because their afraid of his presence or his body language.
2. I was interested in asking this question because it was very important and it needs an explanation.

La’ Raye said...

Is Zimmer Land named after George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin? I am interested in this question because George Zimmerman killed a young innocent black young man for no reason at all and it's big thing in the world that keeps happening.

-La'Raye Littlepage

cameron michael kellogg said...

Why would you shoot someone who did nothing wrong to you or anyone else?

I'm interested because what does someone like that gain?

Lauren M said...

a question I'd ask is, Is this story based on a real event we've seen? or why was the man shot in the first place? this question is imposrtant to ask because we've seen too many times in real life innocent black people be killed by random white men or police. and zimmer land sounds very similar to a name we've heard before.

-Lauren Morgan

Destiny Moore said...

1. What did the author wanted the audience to take from this?

2. I'm asking this question because while reading this there is a lot of enraged racial things that happened while in this reading and I am curious on how did the audience want us to think about.

-Destiny Moore

Valarie McDonald said...

A question I would ask is, is this story a representation of how he or she sees the world? I would say this question is important because the storyline sounds set on as like a dream that's actually being put on paper. I feel as if the storyline tells a story and it has to come from somewhere and not just a thought or fairytale story. - Valarie M.

Jania M. said...


A question that I would ask Adjei-Brenyah is that why would you want to tell a story where an innocent black person is getting shot for no reason?

This question interests me since there is a lot of gun violence in the real world, and it's difficult to witness a loved one die because of being killed by your own people or outsiders. - Jania M

Kevyere Mack said...




After reading this story, I would ask Adjei-Brenyah why his approach about the "patron" and the boy altercation and why was it similar to what we face in society.
I think this could be a useful question because people do have deeper meanings as to why they write or approach certain situations relating to their upbringing.

-Kevyere M.

Jarrod Rhodes said...

Do you think that it is wrong to keep your job at a controversial company to secure your financial future? I ask this because I believe it is one of his themes of the story where people would sell their soul for materialistic possession.

Jarrod Rhodes

Trista Mazyun said...

A question that I would ask the author is "Why does your b ook contain so much unnecessary violence towards inncoent black people?"
I would ask this question because of how black people are being treated still to this day. Why continue to write about things that we have to witness everday?
-Trista M.

Ciaunna M. said...

1. a question I would ask is Why was it okay for them to shoot an innocent man with fake bullets?
2. The reason I would ask this question is that he's innocent so he didn't deserve that and even though the bullets were fake it still could've caused trauma.

-Ciaunna M.

Dakahi L said...

The first questions I would ask is why would you shoot an innocent black man? I would ask this question because I'm confused on what someone would gain from doing that. Another question that I would ask is what did the author want the readers to take from this story? I would ask this because there are a lot of racial things going on in this story similar to what African Americans are facing today and I would like to know what the author wants us as readers to take away from it.


-Dakahi L.

Ryan Parham said...

1. Why did you decide to be so descriptive in your writing.

2. The reason I ask this is because in some of the scenes the words are so vivid that it makes the reader feel/see the like the characters.

Unknown said...

I would want to ask the author if their intention for this story was for us to feel as if it was the Trayvon Martin case all over again. I am interested in this question because that's how it made me feel and it just seems very relatable to that case.

Alexis Price said...

What is the motive behind Zimmer land and what does he wants us to take away from this?
I want to know this because zimmer land sounds like the police and how they are supposed to create a safe space for adults .

Amir Madison said...

1. What inspired you to write this story and do you think it'll make people's outlook on life change?
2. I would ask this question because an innocent person getting shot or just someone being fatally shot in general is very dark and sad, and I want to know what the author is hoping for the reader(s) to get out of the story.

Amarie McCleary said...

1.)I would ask Adjei-Brenyah,why do you tell stories in a "white fraglity" manner?


2.)I think its interesting that he is creating stories which allows for fantasy to take place as well as incorpoating serious issues that are occurring but at a more delicate way for some readers/indivduals.

Unknown said...

I would ask him why the innocent black man had been shot. This question is important because an innocent man was shot and that needs to be explained.


-Cierstin N

Paul Olubodun said...

My question would be, does he ever feel like people that people don't understand his point of telling a story?
I am interested because in the Zimmer Land story I was very lost on the point the author was trying to make in the story.

Devin Perry said...

A question that I would ask is what is the inspiration behind it?
In today's society we face some many different types of similar altercations and I am just curious if the author experienced any of this first hand or do they know someone who did.

-Devin P.

Jalen Q. said...

1. My question would be, why would you write about how you think the world is instead of how you want it to be.
2. The reason for this question is because I want to know what the goal of the story was when he had it in mind.

Sarai WB said...

One of the many questions I would ask is what the inspiration was and were there any moments where you thought certain scenes were too much or too overpowering for your readers?
It's just so much goes on in the world and not everybody agrees with other decisions or opinions, and we live in such a chaotic world.

-Sarai WB

Audriahna Macklin said...

1. When I read the title of zimmerland my automatically went to thinking of george zimmerman. Did the author have a motive within racial injustice when naming this chapter zimmerland?

2. I was interested in this because an author wouldn't have named this chapter the name that it got unless it was trying to get at a certain topic.

Kizito Nwauwa said...

When reading “Zimmer Land” by Nana Kwame Adeji-Brenyah, a question that I have for the author is: Were there any situations in the author’s life that inspired the writing and the depiction of these events? I am asking because the ample amount of descriptions in her writing makes it seem that she has experienced things like this first hand. Not only just her, but something that many Black people in our society have faced in multiple instances throughout our lifetime.

--Kizito Nwauwa

Jason Newman said...

A question I would ask is why are these people so thrilled with getting the chance to shoot a black man with fake bullets?

I was interested in this because it seems very sick to get a thrill out of these fake interactions.

Anonymous said...

A question I would ask is what purpose does having a black man killed in that nature serve to the audience? I would like to know because I wonder if it has some underlying message or if it is just something to show that this happens in real life.

Dayevion M

Jercura K. said...

1. Was there a deeper meaning behind the shooting of an innocent person?
2. I would ask this question because a lot of the time with readings, the author tries to invoke more than what meets the eye and therefore I am curious as to the deeper meaning.

-Jercura K.

Omari Riley said...

My question is what are the main messages did the author want us to take from the story? I am asking this because this story shines on a lot of issues in our society treatment of african americans and I wanna know his inspirtation

Niate Kina said...

A question I would ask the author is where did he garner his passion to create such in depth stories that are so well put together.

A good answer would be a description on where his mind is at when preparing each short story.

Ian Lindsey said...

1.) My question would be who is the bad guy in this story?

2.) I am interested in this question because I honestly couldn't tell who was the antagonist, it's can be a debatable question, and I'm curious to see other people's opinions.

-Ian L.

Makiah Lewis said...

A question I would ask is why does this author speak on this certain situation?
I would ask this because as I was reading I was questioning if the author really cared about these things that happen in real life or are they just using it for content.

-makiah lewis

Marquis P said...

A question I would love to ask Adjei-Brenyah, would be how he's able to articulate these stories in such an intricate way. After reading just a few of his stories, I realize just how much thought and emotion goes into each story in his book. A lot of the things can be relatable in many ways for us, and I think this is important because it can allow us to try to understand his messages in a deeper way. It really sparks "that" conversation in a good way.

Nyah Marcano said...

The first question I would ask would be, Why would you shoot an unarmed black man? I ask this because I'm not sure what the benefit is in doing this. Another question I'd pose is: what did the author intend for the audience to take away from this story? I'm asking because there are a lot of racial issues in this narrative that are comparable to what African Americans are facing now, and I'm curious what the author wants us the audience to take away.
- Nyah Marcano

Erin Myers said...

Chris Rhodes said...
One question I would be inclined to ask Adjei-Brenyah about his approach to storytelling in “Zimmer Land” is what are we, as the readers, supposed to get from this story, specifically black readers?

I am interested in my question because I genuinely want to know how he anticipates black people’s reactions and opinions to his story.


- Chris Rhodes.

March 24, 2022 at 10:26 PM

(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_18.html)

Erin Myers said...

Sierrea McNiff said...
My question for Adjei-Brenyah would be, "Are people using Zimmer Land as a murder simulation instead of learning about justice?"

I'm curious to know this because most patrons chose the gun option in the Cassidy Lane module.

March 25, 2022 at 12:09 PM

(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_18.html)

Erin Myers said...

Josiah Olden said...
I would ask Adjei-Brenyah if this particular story was inspired by the many violent crimes done to black unarmed people. From the interaction that the protagonist has with the other player, it seems like he is referencing recent events. He also discusses how others view black people which was illustrated by the dialogue between the protagonist and the other player who is "protecting his home". I thought it was very interesting how he discusses this injustice in the form of a game.

March 25, 2022 at 7:17 PM

(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_18.html)

Erin Myers said...

Leroy P.:

Part 1:
A question that I would be willing to ask is, how come you would shoot someone that has done nothing wrong against you personally, someone you know, or anyone else?

Part 2:
As a person what goes on in a person's mind to make them feel they must/want to do something like that, especially to a random person in society.

Meikiyia Roberts said...

A question that I would ask would be if the author wanted people to think about the Trayvon Martin shooting as they were reading this story. I want to ask this because that was the first thing that I thought about as I was reading this story and wonder if that was the intention of the author. -- Meikiyia Roberts

Samuel Msengi said...

I would ask if the book itself was inspired or had drawn from the unjust and cruel killings of African Americans.

Akuchukwu O. said...

1. The question I would like to ask is, why shoot an innocent man and not only that but with fake bullets?

2. I am interested in the question because no one deserves to ever experience such a disturbing event.

Isiah Miller said...

1. One question I'd like to ask is why black people being victims is always the main plot instead of black people being happy.
2. I'm interested in this question because it seems like all these stories are tragedies, which is depressing.

Rashad Pipkins said...

Something that I would ask is are the events in the book based on real life?

This question intrigues me because a black person was a victim in Zimmer Land and in real life, the killer of Trayvon Martin last name is Zimmerman.

Erin Myers said...

Taniah P.:

I have just question to ask, and that is. Why do some white peoples think it’s ok to shoot someone with a fake gun? Because they could have taken somebody’s life. And playing with guns or weapons for any race, it’s not OK to carry around objects that can hurt or kill people. It is not funny or fun to hurt people. Is the world really going to be like this, or can we just leave it all behind us all. Just to move forward as one, to come together and to understand each other’s feelings and issues.

Zariyah Reid said...

Zariyah Reid

1.) in your opinion, Adjei-Brenyah why does society expect us to be able to answer questions about innocent black people being killed?

2.) This question is important and relevant because why does society expect us to have answers? The black community in itself has been pleading for hundreds of years for an answer. We’ve been in a search as to why we’re treated how we are for a very long time now. The questions why are innocent black men still being murdered will forever be a dark cloud over our race because we’re yet to receive an answer, we’re just as curious and confused as you are.

Vashanti reynolds said...

My overall question is was this story used to symbolize real life events but in a different form?
I was curious because the way I viewed it I can openly connect it to many things that have happened in todays day and time with innocent people getting gunned down.- Vashanti R

Erin Myers said...

Mar'Taejia Murphy said...
1.) a question I would ask is why would someone shoot or harm innocent black men , if he did nothing wrong to deserve this treatment?

2.) I would ask this to get a better understanding on why someone would do this , and what they would get out of this or gain for doing it.

April 5, 2022 at 11:51 AM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_18.html)

Erin Myers said...

Kaylin P.:

I think this story was something different. It made the readers angry from the beginning and I think it’s a unique way to show blatant racism. The only question I have is about the name of the story. Is it supposed to Allusion to the Trayvon Martin situation? Since that’s basically the entire basis of the “Cassidy lane” module, I believe that it is an Allusion. The similarities to the real-life situation is there.

Erin Myers said...

Kaylin P.:

I think this story was something different. It made the readers angry from the beginning and I think it’s a unique way to show blatant racism. The only question I have is about the name of the story. Is it supposed to Allusion to the Trayvon Martin situation? Since that’s basically the entire basis of the “Cassidy lane” module, I believe that it is an Allusion. The similarities to the real-life situation is there.

Erin Myers said...

Sophina K.:

What purpose do you have to kill an innocent black man? What do you gain from that?
I’m interested in this question because society has never given a direct answer or reasoning for killing innocent African Americans.

Unknown said...

A question I would ask is Zimmer land supposed to be depicting what happened to trayvon martin ?
I'm interested in this question because if it's true which I feel like it is that's creative. Because that's literally a real life scenario.

Emyia Kirksey

Erin Myers said...

Tyler O.:

A questions I have is why is they shooting at a innocent black person? I’m interested in my question because that going on in real life right now.

Erin Myers said...

Theon'Janae P.:

why would you write about how you think the world is instead of how you want it to be? The reason for this question is because I want to know what the goal of the story was when he had it in mind.