oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith

Memorial Weekend Amazing Offer

In keeping with this weekend's great theme--no, not sacrifice for the nation and liberty--you know it's "two days only! Blow-out savings!" marketing and sales-- I am offering an incredible value here relating to a numerologically significant event.

In an astonishing show of support, 99 of you stalwart generous readers have donated money to this site in the past two months. Others have sent me boxes of their favorite peanut butter (after I noted the difficulty in finding an honest peanut butter unadulterated with hydrogenated palm oil or high-fructose sugar), a music CD by a favorite local musician, and a beautiful handcrafted wind chime designed to celebrate the U.S. Constitution.


In the spirit of blatantly cheesy marketing which dominates this weekend, I am offering the 100th person who donates cash to the site a free collector's copy of my novel I-State Lines, which is suitable for holding down paper on your desk or propping up a wobbly table. Please note that the book costs me $10 from my publisher (yes, surprisingly, a highly honored small publisher of literary fiction, The Permanent Press of New York) and $2.13 media mail shipping.

If you read fiction, you'll enjoy browsing their current and past offerings on their website; you'll probably find something which fits your tastes in their selections, which often win literary prizes. Recently published works include the true story of a Boston Madam (yes, that kind of Madam), several family dramas, a Cold War story and a mystery set on Long Island.

The actual value of my book may vary, depending on your acceleration and tire pressure; when viewed in a mirror, it may appear larger than in real life. Fluctuations in polarity may result during reading. Side effects include drowsiness; do not operate large complex machinery while reading. It's kind of cool to have a book personally inscribed by the author on your shelf; at least as a reader, I think so. For it creates an authentic connection between a mass-produced object (the book), the person who made it (the author) and the reader/owner.

Those kinds of connections are rare in a "consumer society" where the value of an object is generally reduced to its price, utility and/or brand status. No wonder so many people feel dissatisfied and alienated; the more they shop, the more they buy, the more they own, the less they actually get. The objects they buy/own are simply grist for an empty cycle of buying, storing and then selling/giving away/disposing in the local landfill.

There's not much connection left between the people who make objects of not-entirely visible value and the people who value them.

If you're sick to death of marketing and hype but can't resist this fantastic, one-of-a-kind offer for the 100th reader who wildly abandons reason and sends in a donation, then

Your readership is greatly appreciated with or without a donation.