I normally post on Fridays, but not this week, because the Random House offices will be closed. That’s because we’re playing company-wide office merry-go-round: Hundreds of staffers are packing books, manuscripts, files, supplies, everything they own into orange rolling crates and shifting to new office spaces. As I was removing from the corkboard behind my computer all the memorabilia from years of sitting at this desk—and many a long-forgotten desk of yore—I suddenly realized that I could inflict the experience on the readers of Suvudu. Well, heck, it could qualify as an episode in publishing history.
What I’m taking off the board and carefully moving to my new office, six floors up from here with a lovely southern exposure:
- Hand-drawn cartoon by Dan Simmons chronicling a book tour for—as I recall—The Fall of Hyperion, from my days at Bantam long ago
- Thank-you card from William Gibson for the present of a spider-monkey skull (upon the signing of a new contract, also at Bantam)
- Photos of two cute Japanese teenagers in cosplay outfits, souvenir of a business trip to Tokyo
- Postcard of Darth Vader sipping a martini, with the words JOIN US! …Lord Vader & Lucas Licensing invite you for cocktails, details to follow
- Photo of Terry Brooks and his wife, Judine
- Voodoo doll liberally festooned with pins, present from a former assistant
- Scroll of honor from the Los Angeles County Probation Department—which runs the Operation Read Literacy Program—in thanks for a donation of hundreds of copies of Fahrenheit 451
- Shoulder patch of the Windy City Rollers (women’s roller derby team), sent by Chicago author Jennifer Stevenson, who’s a skater-in-training
- Button reading “The Editor is always right. You will listen to the Editor. The Editor is God!”
- Another button, this one reading “Cute but Dangerous”—present from an author.
- Yet another button: “Returns Suck.” (Referencing book returns from stores.)
(Click the image to get a closer look.)
And more. But that’s enough. Even though I’ve filled eight boxes so far, I have lots of packing left to do. And writers wonder why we don’t respond more quickly on their submissions.
That Dan Simmons cartoon is hilarious. I watched him draw pictures of Charles Dickens at his recent Seattle event. Who knew he's been doing this type of thing for a long time. :)
Hope the move goes well!
Great Cartoon--they were the first Dan Simmons cartoons I've read. Funny.
I always disliked moving from office to office. Of course, I disliked moving 89 boxes of folders and then going through them to be told they weren't right to begin with.
Have fun moving!