Sunday, April 24, 2005

I know I keep harping on Amazon, but they've done something else weird. They are offering articles I wrote a million years ago for sale as digital downloads: Childhood and Ritual in Bali originally appeared in Mothering Magazine in 1991, and was my first real professional publication. It's also the only thing I published under the name "Gayle Brandeis-McGunigle" (when I was still toying with the idea of using a hyphenated name. My kids are saddled with that double last name, but I decided pretty quickly it woud be simpler just to use Brandeis for myself.) You can read it for $5.95, which seems like a total rip off. And of course I won't see a penny of it. You can also purchase my essay Openings, which first appeared in Special Delivery in 1996. Strange to see writings about my kids as babies for sale (and who is benefitting from this sale? Amazon and Amazon alone.) My kids are 14 and 11 now--I can barely believe they came out of my body.

Amazon also amazingly has a listing for This guy, which was a Very limited edition broadside a friend made of one of my poems when we were in college. I didn't realize she had registered an ASIN number for it. I have sadly misplaced my copy (and I've misplaced any way to get in touch with that friend. Christine, if you happen to see this, please email me--I miss you!)

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