Thursday, October 27, 2005

Real Chick Wit: Fun, Fabulousness, and Pipe-Cleaner Chickens




Two years ago, at the height of the Christmas season, I was busting open some boxes when I came across this book. At first I thought it was a children’s book, until I randomly opened to this page:



In case you can’t read the caption, it says, “Mary Katherine blamed it on Mary-Margaret and Mary-Margaret said it was Mary-Josephine. All Sister Agnes knew was that one of the girls was going down.”

At first I just saw the three chicks in bobby-socks staring down at the beer can. Oookay, I thought, beer in a catholic school would be bad. And then I looked in the background: the chicken tied to the bed, the poker cards on the floor, the miniature camera.

My immediate reaction: What kind of sick person comes up with this stuff?

My secondary reaction: I like it.

My tertiary reaction: I’ve got to show the boss!

Thus my store’s love affair with the chicken dioramas was born. Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same: the Life and Times of Some Chickens (by Sloane Tanen), was a huge seller that Christmas. Apparently my sick sense of humor was universal. Plus it was the perfect coffee table book to use as a conversation starter, that gift for the person who was impossible to buy for.

A week ago I was once again busting open freight when I stumbled across another book with pipe cleaner chickens. It was the follow-up: Going for the Bronze (Still Bitter, More Baggage)! Instant celebrations erupted throughout the store as we all stopped working so we could read it.

As you should also; it lives up to the original. I laughed so hard that I couldn’t breathe.

So go. Buy. Now!


The chick compels you.

3 comments:

Beth said...

Hey! I have that book! It was a gift from a colleague who's first thought upon seeing it about a year and a half ago was "Beth!"

It slays me. Must look for the new one, yay!

Bookseller Chick said...

It is sooo good. My favorite one is the campfire scene with the little pipe-cleaner chicken Freddy. Oh, so beautiful.

Anonymous said...

WHY have I not heard of these books? I must get myself a copy NOW.