Got my book this week. I’m all excited, and who can blame me? I’m fighting the urge to dive in. I have read the quote that opens the book, and I have read the first line, and I can report that they are both excellent. The second sentence will have to wait till next Tuesday.
Today’s post is another spot for chiming in if you’re planning on joining the ‘march, or for just saying hey to other ‘march-types. Based on the response to the launch post, I’m guessing we’ll start with something like 20 folks on the trail. A nice number to tackle such a mighty tome.
In last week’s post, I mentioned prizes. A few folks are first-timers, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain how that works.
Tell me more about these so-called “prizes”
OK. Read and finish the book and comment every week (starting next week), and the AtDDM prize mechanism will release a deathmarch mug or a magnet, your choice, like a mother hen dropping a mug or magnet-shaped egg. (note: prizes capped at 30 winners.)
Here’s a look at a couple of past prizes (note: len flares not included):
The “I Survived the ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ Deathmarch” mug
As you can see, the molecular structure of the GRDM mug is solid enough that all these many months later it can still securely contain a beverage such as milk, or chocolate milk, or orange juice. It calls to you, yes?
The “I Survived the ‘To the Lighthouse’ Deathmarch” magnet
The TtLHDM prizes should be going out to lucky winners shortly. While you can’t tell this from the picture, please take my word when I say that the magnetic pull of these beauties is so powerful that I had to have them delivered to me in sealed lead boxes to avoid adversely impacting the local tides.
Alright then — I hope the stakes are clear now and your collective mouths are watering as much as mouths can water in response to non-edible objects like mugs and magnets. See you back here next week, when we “single up all lines” and let boots and dust collide….
-Cecil
"…something like the supervisor of an entire team of political agents…"
and if we make two comments a week, do we get the lens flare? but seriously–sweet prizes, icing on cake.
Prediction – pain
I’m in. Probably the misses too. A therapist suggested a deathmarch would add a little spice to our marriage.
right. lord knows we need some spice. and he means “miz” not “misses”
Hi C.V.
Rarin’ to go.
Just so I’m clear: I should start the book this Tuesday, Jan. 30. I should be around 50 pages in, and have contributed a comment if I’m mug-inclined, by eob Tuesday, Feb. 6. That comment should cover any material in the first 50 or so pages.
Is that right? I’m determined to learn from my Lighthouse mistakes.
And we’re off …
Rodney: you are so right and accurate and on it I feel like I should give you a mug or magnet for this one comment. But we can’t be ruled by feelings, right?
Magoos: now it’s clear to me that what this deathmarch thing has been missing all along is dry banter between a couple named after a beloved, near-sighted cartoon character. Huzzah!
-Cecil
P.S. What in the world are you drinking out of that coffee mug, Cecil? It’s for * coffee* fer cryin’ out loud, not darkly hued citrus and stars. Sheesh!
cecil–if you change your mind about those feelings-based honorary magnets, i’d like to nominate the enchanting nick and nora magoo.
I’m in. And I’m in to win.
Oh, wait, sorry — I got my signals crossed. Let me start over.
When they asked about the death march, I said: “Send me.”
No, no, that’s not right either.
There are two Americas today — one that participates in death marches, and another that does not. Let’s be one America again.
Still not right…..
Who would’ve thought that a skinny kid from New Jersey with a funny name, an asymmetrical nose, and geeky friends could one day read Thomas Pynchon novels together with high-minded folks from across the country? The fact that I have a chance to do so is what makes this country great.
That’s it! I’m in!
Give a monkey a Photoshop license, and you wind up with lens-flare stars.
Or is it, if a thousand monkeys pound away on Photoshop for a thousand years, eventually you’ll wind up with Edward Weston?
My brain is turning these particular corners because I’ve been told ATD feels (to one correspondent) like “the result of those proverbial thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters for a thousand years”.
RaptorMage: To your charge vis a vis monkeys and Photoshop, I have to plead guilty. Yes, I did make my monkey create those lens flares. But I won’t apologize for it. He enjoys making lens flares. And I enjoy watching him enjoy himself making lens flares. And if we’re not hurting anyone else, why judge us?
-Cecil
I’ll own up now and if it DQs me so be it. I’m totally cheating – I started a little early in hopes of not falling off the wagon, or out of the blimp in this case.
I am pursuing the mug as well. But I’m still worried by the sheer logistics. How to do I take my laptop, my water bottle, a few assorted CDs, my daughter, AND my copy of this tome every morning.
Hell, I guess my daughter doesn’t really need kindergarten.
It feels sacrilegious to tear apart a brand new book, particularly when I received it as a gift. But the damn thing is so big & heavy. It weighs about 3-1/2 pounds & the 1085 pages stack up to 1-3/4 inches without the covers.
So I’m considering the technique I used to read James Michener. This involves tearing apart the binding & making several smaller, lighter books: maybe Parts 1 & 2 as one book, Part 3 as a second book, & Parts 4 & 5 as a third one.
Does the book’s heft bug anyone else planning to march? If so, how are you dealing with it?
It will be my burden, my blessing, my bungee jump from the edge of reality.
I am marching (well about to start) in Scotland; I’m excited: so excited I should pynch myself.
I hope Cecil is sitting down…
I’m in.
thanks to rodney’s post & a revived desire to be bookish, i’m in! not sure what is involved, but i just got my copy. so it’s 50 pages per week starting today, right?
-del ray cross
Hi,
Welcome! And yep — it’ll be about 50 pages a week. Later today (by 3-4 pm PST) I’ll post the week 1 thread with the week’s target. Then you’ll want to post on that thread sometime in the next week — before the week 2 thread goes up. More soonish,
-Cecil
All I have to say is – thank God for wheely luggage. It makes reading AtD at my favorite coffee house possible. Another suggestion for reading while lying down: a cookbook stand to rest on the chest. It’s even splatter-proof.
Did I miss the Virginia Woolf magnet? I get so many flattering remarks about my DQ mug. And I posted each week! Honest! (Yes, I whined a lot.)
Hi Computilo — I owe a bunch of magnets still, yours included. I’ll drop you a line offline to arrange for swift delivery….