Credit where credit is due: We stole our Book Bag 2010 Fundraiser idea from Ayelet Waldman, the Berkeley author who also happens to be married to Pulitzer prize-winner Michael Chabon. Waldman used a grab bag idea -- set number of randomly assembled books, seeded with signed or special editions, sold in a tote bag -- to raise money for Obama in 2008.When I contacted her this year to share the news that we wanted to try her idea, she answered graciously and was among the very first to send some donated books: a signed copy of Bad Mother, her notorious and wonderful essay collection, and a copy of Chabon's Yiddish Policeman's Union, a novel set in Sitka that every Alaskan should read. (Chabon visited Anchorage when the book was released and demonstrated once again his unparalleled nice-guy approachability. These two gifted and socially conscious writers set an incredibly high bar.)
We opened the fundraiser storefront a little early on Tuesday night when I couldn't wait another anxious second. But today is the day we really start beating the drum: We need your help to sell our 50 Corvax McCarthy raven logo tote bags. Each one comes packed with four to five books from our great collection of donated volumes by Alaska and Outside authors. Some are signed, like the Waldman and Chabon books mentioned above; some are rare. We've also included some freebies, like advanced reader copies and other items generously donated by several publishers and a bookstore, Fireside Books in Palmer. The $80 price includes shipping and boxes head out the door within 24 to 48 hours of order receipt, in time to beat the holiday rush. To purchase online, a painless process, please go to http://www.49fundraiser.blogspot.com/.
At this blog for the next week or so, I'll continue to tell you about a few of the generous authors who donated and I'll mention some of the special books that could show up in any of these book bags. Please take part and help us spread the word.
No comments:
Post a Comment