Dear Maxine:
Howzit by you and your job as a professional shopper, M'Dear Maxine? Have you found deep satisfaction and equally deep-pocket remuneration in your new endeavour? No one's complained about your weird recommendations, yet, I hope? (After all, Trepanning for Beginners seems rather mild compared with some of your subsequent suggestions; I mean, how many people actually took Henry Gee's Night Before Xmas to the checkout? It's a hilarious parody, I agree; however, that bit about the one-legged girrafe might put the kiddies off such creatures in the future, don't you think?)
Well, before you're fired, I suggest you quit that job and consider the benefitz of becoming a Professional Book-Club Commandeer or, as Joanne Kaufman describes your new calling in her report on Book Club Trubs in The New York Times, you could become an excellent "Professional Book-Club Facilitator" and, yes, I believe you would be able to tactfully tackle any Ayatollahs who stood between a good book and its willing readers.
Do enjoy your new position; and, if all works well for you, please to let us know that you've taken to your new penthouse in NottingHill with aplomb and clotted cream. Of course, I do have only your best interests at heart here; and, no longer will you have to force yourself to browse aisles and miles of books (with or without a pedometer).
Undeniably, Your Placement Agent
SNAFUBAR REDUX PROUDUCTIONS™
p.s. I suggest you begin by recommending every club read Jennifer R's new novel (and, if that works for you, you might see your way clear to snagging a promo copy for you know who :))
Great post, Judith! I read page 1 of the NYT article- gee that woman is such a snob! I bet those book club members were glad to see the back of her.
ReplyDelete(Would you be interested to konw that giraffe is spelt girrafe in Henry's world, the subject of an award-winning post he wrote about his daughter, who has Asperger's syndrome, and who spelt it that way in her notice "No girrafes on unicycles beyond this point" - the post was included in the 2007 Science Blogging anthology book pub by Lulu?)
Anyway, if I got a job along lines you suggest, that would be fun I agree, but I would probably add insufficient snob value! Or, failing that, be unable to compete with the mentioned Oprah-appeal. (or, UK equiv, Richard and Judy).
On Jenny R - her publisher is in the US - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory press- so maybe they are giving out review copies? I must buy the book and if I do, I will send it to you when I have finished it, if you don't succeed in your goal!
Oh, I didn't know the herstory on the girrafes on unicycles, Maxine; now, I have to go back and read it again (and, perhaps the final three parts were added, too?). We shall see. That's heartbreakingly sweet, though. I think I'm going to adopt it as my motto for living (since, Frank's got a lock-up on the flin-flan bizth).
ReplyDeleteI'll see if I can con a review cop from CSHL (since I don't want to spell it out); but, I do want to read the book; it looks really interesting and, natch, mixing love and science always gets me going ipso-nutzo, so . . .
Ah, I should buy it and show my support for her with my pocketbook (see, when in London, I didn't say purse); but, well, I'm geographically challenged and I don't think my bookstore will be stocking it since it is one of the big chains that put all the independents under and I try NOT to patronise it (although, it is most certainly patronising towards its povert-poet customers).
Yeah, I'm sorta glad you're not going to take that job, after all; I, for one, would miss your blogging and the whole crazy community happening over being there around Mr. Gee-Whiz! I like to watch :).
p.s. If I either of us ever gets a real job, we'll faint :)
Judith, you can buy that book direct from the Cold Spring Harbor website and it is not that expensive. I know, via reading extensive and exhaustive (exhausting) Nature Network discussion that you can get it direct from there in US pounds and US dollars, though whether Euros, Canadian dollars or zloty, I do not know.
ReplyDeleteI always meant to read, but never did, Intuition by Allegra Goodman, which is often said to be the very best novel about science written in recent times. (Arrowsmith is often held up to be an older equivalent, and it is pretty good - that is one I have read.)
Top o' the Mornin' to You, too, Naxine, er, Maxine :). I couldn't resist. My keyboard actually does require that I smash the "m" in order for it to appear at all; and, I don't know what I'm going to do when I replace it. Prolly break the "m" from hitting it so hard with my imdex finger.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I was going to ask you (and others) if you touch-typed or peck and tippy-tapped? That would look good on your resume, no? LOL.
My plan is much more eleborate; and, I hope it works: I shall ask my editor if I can review the novel and then, it will be his job to ensure it shows up here with the great guy who delivers the work by courier name of Joe. I'd like him for a New-Year treat! I know he's not got work for anyone right now; but, when his partner returns from vacation, I'll sneak my request across the cyberboard. It's just a plan, I don't want to get JR's hypes up.
You know, I was reading quite a lot about the child who was caught in the crossfire last night (and, thank you very much for your kind words, coming from you, they mean the world to me); but, was reading about Rhys Jones in The Times and other UK online publications.
I didn't know the full extent of his story; it's incredibly heartbreaking. Just eleven years old; and, the killer sounds like a real piece of work with a mother who's none too shabby in the piece of work bizth, herself. Horrifying. Rhys Jones had such a future; and, Mercer has such a wretched history. It really hits home how unfair life is (and, yes, I know, it's unfair for everybody; but, it's especially heartbreaking when a child perishes. I don't know why I feel this way. I think I cherish the innocence because ISTM, in these times, children don't hold onto it as long as we did, even, we who were born in the second half of the twentieth century, I guess. Maybe that war had something to do with it; but, I think the world's just a much more complicated place to navigate and often wonder how I'd deal with having a child. I would never let them go anywhere, I think)!
Yeah, I enjoyed this post too. Thanks for your advice. I also was able to find that job listing service that you told me about. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete