September 11, 2004

• Buy a copy of College Daze here

  
  

  TOPIC: The people you meet

  
  

  Writing and self-promoting a book is a fun job.  Here’s what I had to do yesturday.  First, I dropped by the capus book store, where I am trying to get some books placed.  The woman who met me was the most helpful person.  Her reaction when she first saw my book was nothing more than inspiring, “Wow, that’s cool.”  She explained how my book size and the style inside were unique, “and I’ve been working in book stores for 20 years now.”  Another woman who worked there came by and said the same thing, plus added, “so you actually did that all yourself?” “Yeah, I guess I did,” I said.

  
  

  We drew up a consignment, which is a basic agreement that the book store will carry a number of my book, and states the amount of money each party will receive.  This particular book store has a standard 60-40 split, which is very high, and with my standard price being $15, I may not even break even.  But, hopefully the presence of 10 copies of “College Daze” right up front in the school book store will aid in creating the buzz that i’m hoping to create.

  
  

  I went on then to the alumni house, just to introduce myself and see what they could do for one of their own.  They told me about the quarterly magazine Wash U prints out, and sent me on another long walk to their offices.  I got there around 4:30, and was hoping that nobody cut out early since it was Fri.  I went to the lead editor who I was told to visit, introduced myself, and introduced my book as well.  I’m starting to realize that this book is my pet, and I need to get used to showing her off.  Or him.  I haven’t figure it out yet.  Anyways…we had a nice long talk, and I learned that the magazine is actually a pretty serious publication.  In fact, the fall, winter, and spring editions have all been written already, and the table of contents for the summer is in the works.  This magazine goes out to 120,000 people, 90,000 alumni, and the rest are presidents of other universities.  They have a full staff of writers and editors covering stories relating to the university and spotlighting alumni.  That’s where I’m hoping to come in.  She said that my experiences after college with Outward Bound have never been covered in their magazine, and might be “the hook” as she called it.  I’m bringing her a copy of my book for her to show the exec. editor, and she said there’s a possibility they’d assign a writer to me, to cover my story!  That was big news.

  
  

  I then walked down the the Loop, are street in St. Louis full of ethnic restaurants, an artsy movie theater, punks, hippies, preppies, artists, live music, a bar-bowling alley, a bar where Chuck Berry calls home.  It’s got a little of everything.  I stopped by a place called SubTerranean books, I little book shop, and ended up talking with the owner and his friend for two hours about writing, travel, education, and life.  It was the most gratifying experience.  The owner, as it turns out, also went to wash U. and he never finished, falling just 3 credits short.  He explained, “I’d go back for the 3-credits if I ever needed them, but i’m 35 now, and have managed fine without a degree.”  Ahhhh…another success story in my eyes.  I tend to find inspiration a lot from strangers, especially those a decade older than me, and this guy was a huge help.  He told me that he admired what I was doing in the matuity I had, although most who know think of me as anything but mature.  “Time is so much more valuable than money.  And you’re not just idealistic for thinking that at 23, because I still think that at 35.”  He explained how he just bought a house, since the cost of living is so cheap in St. Louis, but went on about how he thought that might be a trap.  “Society if full of traps.  You make more money, you want to buy new things, more things, things you never needed or wanted before.”  He loves traveling, and wishes to find the time to do more of it.  Several times, he has done 6-month backpacking trips around Europe with his wife.  “You don’t need a woman, but if you find one that thinks like you do, you really don’t need anything else in life.” 

  
  

  We also talked about college, and concluded what I had wrote in my book already.  College, in many ways, is a harmful institution.  Javier, that’s the book store owner, explained how Wash U closed its sociology department just before he arrived as a student in the late ’80′s.  That was a huge demonstration of what sort of education Wash U was hoping to provide.  They want you to take the classes they offer, pass, and graduate.  The need to be concerned w/ pressing societal issues.  None.

  
  

  A moment ago, my old roommate stopped by.  His girlfriend is an admissions officer here at Wash U.  We were having a good laugh about the whole process.  A kid applying with a 1100 SAT.  What are they thinking?  Mediocore grades.  Not here at Wash U.  And while Wash U is strong in several departments, many simply aren’t the best.  That’s the part that gets me.  The whole school gets lumped as “good,” while the overall education can’t be.  This weekend, Wash U. is hosting several guidance counselors from around the country.  This is part of the business of pushing the school.  But, what are they pushing?  What will students miss out on by coming here?  Will the financial debt skew the course of their lives?  Will a small school with limited course selection effect what they learn.  Will the pressure of the school make them good students, but people who don’t experience much life outside of the college campus?

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