That’s right, not only are we of S&D on our way back to the top (or, you know, just back), but since we last saw each other I’ve moved south to Virginia, where the trees are green, the sun shines, and I lock myself in my room for days trying to make up stories.
Here in Virginia, I can’t hop a quick train to H&M and buy three dollar earrings or walk down the street for some hot yellow nailpolish. No, no. Here, I spend most of my time shuffling through piles at the Salvation Army, browsing used book stores, or meandering the internet. Here are some of the goods I’ve acquired since my move.
ONE: Coronet Super 12 Typewriter
Oh, yes, pretty as a blueberry in two shades of blue, and only $7 at Goodwill. Do I write on it? Good question. Once in awhile I sit down and type: “This is my typewriter!!! I’m writing on my typewriter!” It’s more of a mascot.
TWO: Ray Fenwick’s HI Postcards
Alright, so I won these babies from Ray himself and they are perfect for sending loved ones greetings from my new locale (or else I have to use the ones that say “Mr. Jefferson’s Virginia” in weird italic script). There are thirty different postcards, most of which are completely and wonderfully strange, such as this one, which is basically a visual representation of the written content of my postcards:
THREE: Short Story Anthologies!
Oh yes, oh yes, you should be reading short stories. Short stories recently earn coveted accolades from the Pulitzer and Oprah. And also, I am writing them and one day I will publish them, and then someone will have to buy them. Here some anthologies that could potentially knock your socks off:
The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction ($15) With fifty short stories from 1970 on, this is one of the cheapest anthologies you’ll find. It includes some of my favorites, including Donald Barthelme’s “The School,” Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl,” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.”
The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories
“Unlike the novel, a short story may be, for all purposes, essential.” –Jorge Luis Borges
American Short Story Masterpieces ($7) 
Too poor? Check out this website for classic short stories in the public domain (FREE TO READ! FREE!). READ THESE: Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” (ah, last paragraph… so beautiful!), John Updike’s “A&P,” Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron,” or Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson.”
FOUR: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Wait, you haven’t heard of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros? Oh, yes, no one has. It is only me over here, playing the CD
FIVE: Pirate Glass
ONE DOLLAR. That’s the great thing about thrift stores! Now, go to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army and buy something crazy, like a mug with a panda on it.
That’s it for now! We’re getting organized behind the scenes and will have plenty of fun arriving in the coming weeks!
CLICK on this gift guide to see more about each product!
(Pages open in new window.)
Writers use everything from paper to pens to keyboards to typewriters, which is why it’s so much fun to get them gifts: there’s so much to choose from. They usually love irony and sarcastic humor, which makes them prime targets for gifts like shot glasses containing the faces and quotes of alcoholic writers. They’re usually quirky and unique, so it’s not weird to get them a USB drive or pencil sharpener with a face on it.
What are some of my favorites from the above list?
I love the NaNoWriMo Merit Badges (if you don’t know about National Novel Writing Month, check out the web-site! it’s a super-fun way to spend the month of November, and at the end you can proudly say: I wrote a novel!).
I also love the story wallet, a collaboration between Poketo and McSweeney’s 826 writing centers for kids. (The kids made the stories, Poketo made the wallets.)
If you want to get the writer in your life actual books, especially if they are an artsily-inclined writer, try Penguin’s Book Sets or McSweeney’s literary magazine subscription.
