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gurdonarkI see that my self published book, Chess Poems for the Tournament Player, just sold on ebay for the remarkable sum of 3 dollars and 75 cents, roughly 3 dollars and 74 cents more than its intrinsic worth. Four bidders won their eternal place in my book of dreams by putting in bids for this work, creating a bidding frenzy which ran the price up spiralling (and, needless to say, wuthering) heights from its original "auction minimum" posting of one dollar.
I had been concerned, because in the previous four auctions it had generated only one successful auction. I had that long, dark night of the soul, like St. Augustine had, or pro football players when they pray during games on national TV, and then resolved to rediscover my hidden Sacred Marketability. I realized that my successful auction was when the book was listed in the category of "chess" while my unsuccessful auctions were when the book was listed in the category of "poetry". The "visits" counter registered far more visits in the poetry listing, of course, but, as anyone who writes knows, poets will not read other poets. I haven't looked up this type of data in years, but I'll bet that magazines like Poetry and American Poetry Review
still have submissions for publication that are a material multiplier greater than the actual circulation. You know, Great Artists need not support other "lesser artists", and all that jazz. As an old Black Oak Arkansas song posited: "Everybody wants to see Heaven, nobody wants to die".
Now chess players are a different breed. They like to buy quirky odd chess things because they are quirky and odd. It's just a matter of truth in advertising and some fun ad copy, and sales happen. So I titled this ebay ad "Really Cheap Chess Poems--Buy and Wince", and the bidding frenzy began. I'm grateful for readers, and for ebay, and I'd like to thank my mom, Office Depot's photocopy department, and the
Academy.
I am deeply worried about how to market my next book, Gerbil Theology, as I do not believe that gerbil fanciers or theologians respond as well to absurdity as do chess players, and ebay is all about search terms. Maybe I'm a genre poet, and my next work should be about a a chess tournament. I have a half-finished work on one I tried to write in a single weekend some weeks ago.
It's okay to be a genre writer, after all. For every Bowie, there must be a number of Jethro Tulls.
I think maybe my next booklet should be mail art or book exchange, but who wants to burden a stranger with a book they didn't "bid on", particularly when chapbooks are not heavy enough to make good doorstops?
I had been concerned, because in the previous four auctions it had generated only one successful auction. I had that long, dark night of the soul, like St. Augustine had, or pro football players when they pray during games on national TV, and then resolved to rediscover my hidden Sacred Marketability. I realized that my successful auction was when the book was listed in the category of "chess" while my unsuccessful auctions were when the book was listed in the category of "poetry". The "visits" counter registered far more visits in the poetry listing, of course, but, as anyone who writes knows, poets will not read other poets. I haven't looked up this type of data in years, but I'll bet that magazines like Poetry and American Poetry Review
still have submissions for publication that are a material multiplier greater than the actual circulation. You know, Great Artists need not support other "lesser artists", and all that jazz. As an old Black Oak Arkansas song posited: "Everybody wants to see Heaven, nobody wants to die".
Now chess players are a different breed. They like to buy quirky odd chess things because they are quirky and odd. It's just a matter of truth in advertising and some fun ad copy, and sales happen. So I titled this ebay ad "Really Cheap Chess Poems--Buy and Wince", and the bidding frenzy began. I'm grateful for readers, and for ebay, and I'd like to thank my mom, Office Depot's photocopy department, and the
Academy.
I am deeply worried about how to market my next book, Gerbil Theology, as I do not believe that gerbil fanciers or theologians respond as well to absurdity as do chess players, and ebay is all about search terms. Maybe I'm a genre poet, and my next work should be about a a chess tournament. I have a half-finished work on one I tried to write in a single weekend some weeks ago.
It's okay to be a genre writer, after all. For every Bowie, there must be a number of Jethro Tulls.
I think maybe my next booklet should be mail art or book exchange, but who wants to burden a stranger with a book they didn't "bid on", particularly when chapbooks are not heavy enough to make good doorstops?
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no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 05:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 07:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 09:43 am (UTC)Folks who spend money on THAT stuff must be loaded
:)
no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 03:32 pm (UTC)As librarians are to fun, thus are theologians to absurdity.
Can't speak for the gerbil fanciers though.
no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 03:37 pm (UTC)Great comment!
I was just looking at that sentence about absurdity and theology (the utter vanity being re-reading one's own journal entry), when your comment came through and just hit the nail on the head.
I worry, though, that sales of my newer booklet could lead to exegises rodentia, or to gerbil justification...
but what would a feminist theologian do with the religion of gerbils?
no subject
Date: 2002-05-28 07:13 pm (UTC)so what area of law do you practice. i use to do family law. previous to that--a long time ago--i went to seminary in texas. quite an experience for a sixties kid to be in dallas. i found out that God and the Dallas Cowboys were on the same train. i always voiced my protest as the Oakland Raiders were closer to the truth. i use to lead a Bible study at SMU for the Mustangs.
glad i found your site. thanks.
cowboy theology
Date: 2002-05-28 07:52 pm (UTC)Thanks for your reply. I practice mostly commercial litigation, insurance company insolvency, and intellectual property.
In the past coupla years, I went from a "downtown" boutique in LA to a suburban boutique in TX, so I even get to do "real people" law from time to time.
I am very interested in theology, but
never felt any call--divine or rational--to go to seminary. Did you go to Perkins? Isn't it an odd juxtaposition somehow, Perkins and SMU generally? I love to research in that Underwood Law Library, though.
I am glad you stopped in, and I'm now off to check out your page....
I wish I were a theologian, or a plumber
Date: 2002-05-28 08:05 pm (UTC)Although I never felt any "call", divine or otherwise, to enter any ministry, I always thought seminary would be the ultimate. Did you go to Perkins? Isn't it odd that Perkins is part of SMU? To me, SMU is one thing, Perkins is another, but in fact they are the same thing.
I was joking with my wife and friends this weekend that perhaps my second career should be as a Unitarian minister...they laughed and said they were sure I was a minister of something, but they were not sure just what....
nice to meet you!
no subject
Date: 2002-05-29 04:35 am (UTC)I guess we would have to examine it for the seeds (probably sunflower) of patriarchal oppression.
Either that or use it as a means of radically decentering the self, in order to see God from the gerbil's perspective. (I recently attended a lecture on 'The Horse Family in the Old Testament' which sought to do exactly that from the point of view of the horse. A bold attempt, but rather tediously delivered I fear.)
Re: I wish I were a theologian, or a plumber
Date: 2002-05-29 10:17 am (UTC)i am from california. went to college at san jose state university with degrees is psychology and chemistry. did grad work in psych. then went to seminary in the big "D" for three years. became a university minister. after several years went into the practical trade of being a carpenter. after about 10 years started my own business making custom cabinets, millwork, etc. managing around 20 employees. then i got the idea that i could go to law school at night. went to santa clara. worked for the DA and then family law. decided about 8 months ago to do something different. not sure what yet. thinking about working outside the US. maybe International Justice Mission. meanwhile i write, read, think, teach a few classes and exist in a pretty simple life style. it's nice not to be turning the wheel in the cage. my sons are grown and pretty much on their own.
no offense, but Texas wasn't my favorite place. i missed the ocean, mountains and trees. i live on the side of mountain, in the forrest, looking out toward the west. there's a great valley below me and very inducive in promoting reflection.
i don't write in lj on a daily basis but i find it to be though provoking. do you mind if i add you to "friends?"
Re: I wish I were a theologian, or a plumber
Date: 2002-05-29 10:20 am (UTC)It sounds like you're taking things deliberately now, which is a good thing. Yes, I'll go add you to my friends list, and please add me to yours.
A new stanza
Date: 2002-05-29 08:07 pm (UTC)1. The spinning wheel symbolizes male gerbil oppression
2. We will not be in touch with our spirituality, until we abandon strict role socialization, and escape our cages
3. Ours is not a battle for mere gerbil paws, but for the very gerbil consciousness.
Re: A new stanza
"No gerbil is free until all gerbils are free"
"The cage builder's tools will not dismantle the cage"