THE BLUSTER:
We travel largely in packs now, the staff, volunteers, and hangers-on of 826michigan. There was a time when we would periodically meet up in specific places at specific times for specific reasons, but no longer. Now, wherever I am, there they are. I look to my left and I see Erin, Heather, and John. I turn to the right and see Amy, Michelle, John, Heather, and Erin. (I have excellent peripheral vision.) We’re together so often that we’re thinking about getting one of those cargo vans just to alleviate the transportation headaches that flare up anytime we want to run to the office supply store together. (Okay, I’M thinking about a cargo van. Everyone else has their hearts set on one of those amphibious boat/cars. And while I concede that buying one would solve a lot of the logistical problems that arise whenever we attempt to ford rivers, I would still argue that Ann Arbor is home to many fine bridges, and perhaps we should just use those instead?) We are a force.
Most recently, we birds of a feather flocked together (<--sorry about that) at Barnes & Noble. We were ostensibly there to wrap gifts for people (and if they saw fit to return the favor with a modest donation, who were we to complain?), but it ultimately comes down to this: we’re quickly running out of places that are well-constructed enough to house our collective might. Our numbers grow by the day, our spirit by the hour! All told, there was over 1800 pounds of 826 volunteer in the store that day. Luckily, buildings in the Midwest must be designed to withstand the onslaught of tornados, so the good people of Barnes & Noble suffered only a few misplaced magazines and a slightly cracked foundation as a result of our visit. Thanks again for having us over!
THE ACTUAL INFORMATION:
The next opportunity for you to abandon yourself to the 826 brain trust is one short week from this writing. Join us on Thursday, December 8 for Poetry Night in Ann Arbor V. I’ve been assured that the pentameter will be iambic and the limericks bawdy. There are also rumors of free verse. (And when I use the word ‘free’, I’m telling you that there may not be a lot of rhyming involved. It’s the kind of free that costs $5 for students and $10 for general public. Bargain-seeking poetry aficionados may want to purchase tickets in advance, in which case you’re looking at $4/$8.) For more reliable information from a more reputable source, visit The Neutral Zone. Not only are they organizing the whole affair, they also know what words like iambic and pentameter mean. I had to look them up. (Did I mention that 826michigan just had a set of encyclopedias donated to our library? We did. Thanks, Sarah’s Parents Whose Names I Do Not Know!)