Reading Group Guide

May Anna Kovacks was discovered on the dustry streets of Butte, Montana and went on to become a Hollywood star. War, fame, marriage, love, and heartbreak came and went. What never changed was the bond she shared with her two best friends, Effa Commander and Whippy Bird. When scandal, murder, and betrayal made a legend of May Anna, only Effa and Whippy Bird could set the record straight.

1. Butte, Montana is the strongest shaping force in the lives of these characters. How did growing up in Butte help or hinder May Anna in becoming a Hollywood star? Why did she never return after the publicity visit with Buster?
2. Buster Midnight's Cafe can be read as an examination of friendship. What qualities of friendship are most emphasized? May Anna does "immoral" thingsturning to prostitution, lying about a murder-but Effa Commander and Whippy Bird stay true friends to her. Should friendship allow people to ignore such things?
3. The story begins with Effa Commander's view of the people who write about celebrities— she scorns Hunter Harper and the tourists because "They come here to see us, but they don't really want to get to know us." Does the media have the right to exploit the personal lives of celebrities just because the public is curious?
4. Toney and Buster also court the media. What effect does the spillover of press attention have on the lives of Effa Commander and Whippy Bird?
5. Effa Commander cheerfully, admits to being responsible for some misinformation. Why is it okay for Effa Commander and Whippy Bird to make up lies for the papers, but not for the papers (or Harper Hunter) to make up lies about them?
6. Although Effa Commander and Whippy Bird claim to have written May Anna's story, they've really produced their own biographies. Are they just using May Anna's life to make themselves famous?
7. What is the significance of the title?