I was distraught to see in the NYTimes Home section yesterday a story about a writer who got a book contract based on his vow not to use toilet paper for a year.

That's right. He got a book deal with FSG based on a proposal about "living green" in Manhattan: no using subways, trains, buses or any other sort of transportation save a Razor scooter; no toilet paper; no TV; no lightbulbs; no eating anything that hasn't come from within 250 miles of NYC; no olive oil, coffee or spices; no disposable diapers for his child. They have even got a composter in their apartment with worms.

But, the kicker is: he is still using a computer (there's a blog at www.noimpactman.com); they are still using a washing machine; there may be no toilet paper but there is a "dryer"; they have a maid; and they still use the stove.

Would you go that far? Would you eschew toilet paper to get a book deal?

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There's already one book about a woman who eschewed shopping for a year. It was silly, but there was some consideration going on about what consumption really meant (such as, buying a DVD was out, but was going to a movie in?).

With all the talk about global warming and limited resources, we'll probably see more of these kind of books. There's another book, about a guy who went without power for a year, called "Switched Off".
Wait... eschewed shopping for a year? And there was a book about it? I did that, damnit... but it was called being broke. Geez.
What's the purpose behind the book?

Besides getting the contract, I mean.
Didn't Thoreau do something like this? His premise for WALDEN was to see how little money he could use in a year.

Anyway, hard to see how this turns into an interesting book unless he is quite the writer.

Also, it seems like a bit of a cheat to do this in NYC. Everything is within walking distance.
The last three comments before mine touched on the first thing that sprang to my mind: I wouldn't want to WRITE a book about how I didn't use toilet paper--too high a price to pay for getting published. In fact, it sounds remarkably like any other kind of scutwork job that keeps us from doing what we really love to do.
I'm distraught that blog posts are giving a guy like that even more free publicity by talking about him.

Peter

========================

Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Once I caused a near riot at Partners and Crime during Edgars week. I showed up with 12 Thugettes and a half dozen Thugs. We were distributing t-shirts for the website until some old lady took a fit and started pushing one of my girls. We were threatened with the police.

All in all, a good time was had by all.

In other words, there's not much I wouldn't do.
Personally I think that the publishers must have more money than they know what to use it for. He must have a really good agent to be able to pull off such a stunt. I would never be that desperate for publicity to go down that route. Not all publicity is good publicity!
"Not all publicity is good publicity!"

Here here!
that's fucked up.
Depends upon what is available as an alternative! LOL

No, seriously, that just seems to cutesy for me. Nor would I buy that book, borrow it from a friend or a library, or even buy it used for five cents!

Unless of course I'd run low on TP.

Syl
No TP? Not even to get a movie deal would I do that. Well, maybe . . . no, I'm sure I wouldn't, I have my pride . . . uh, Jack Nicholson AND Julia Roberts directed by George Clooney . . . ohhhhhhh . . .

Shane Gericke
www.shanegericke.com

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