When we created the “Harvey Heads” T-shirt drawn from the 120+ portraits that an incredible collection of artists/Harvey enthusiasts made as a surprise for the late Harvey Pekar’s 70th birthday, we knew it was cool, but had no intention for it to be a collector’s item. Now with Harvey’s passing wearing the T-shirt takes on a new meaning (and every time I wear it, it sparks a conversation about Pekar with a stranger; a lovely thing). This weekend Spreadshirt is offering free shipping for its partner shops such as SMITH (on the Pekar shirt, a Six-Word Memoir shirt, or any SMITH apparel), so I thought it would be a good time to let everyone know about the Pekar tee again. It’s wearable tribute to a master storyteller, one we miss an awful lot.

You can order your Pekar tee or hoodie here. For more on the making of the Harvey Heads (spearheaded by Pekar Project editor, Jeff Newelt), and a list of the nine artists who contributed to the T-shirt, read an earlier post. Above: a postcard I received from artist Rick Reilly. Rick’s Pekar tee had just arrived and he was moved to record that moment in the best way he knows how.
(more…)

This week Hephzibah Anderson spoke with Stephen Colbert about her recent memoir, Chastened: The Unexpected Story of My Year Without Sex.

Anderson’s memoir tells the story of her self-assigned year without sex, with the intention of gaining insight into the increasingly emotionally frustrating world of dating, love, and intimacy. (more…)

If you’re a collector of vintage clothing, you know that more often than not, an old item can give you a glimpse into the life of the previous owner. A lingering smell of perfume, a sewn on patch or a cigarette burn, these relics have the power to change a common place garment into a mysterious, wearable story. The unpredictable and (sometimes) fascinating narrative behind vintage clothing has been complied together on Sentimental Value, an ongoing blog that showcases endearing stories of clothing and accessories found on eBay.

One of our favorite submissions, “Coach Kirby Sateen Tennis Shoes–size 7.5,” tells the story of a beautiful nurse (happily married too!) who has been the object of a relentless romantic pursuit by a fellow doctor. His latest attempt to woo her was a pair of stylish coach tennis shoes, which she immediate gave away to a friend of hers. With size 9 feet, the friend had no choice but to sell the shoes on eBay. How’s that for some sentimental value!?

To learn more about the blog and these noteworthy stories from eBay, check out this amazing Ignite video the site’s creator, Emily Spivack.

(more…)

“When you’re a writer you have to keep producing. When you’re a gambler you have to keep winning. You have to be comfortable with the uncertainty.”

“Every gambler is a neurotic with an unconscious wish to lose,” writes Beth Raymer, author of the new gambling memoir Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling . “And as for the rare professionals who are talented enough to beat the house, rest assured they will go to whatever lengths necessary to surround themselves with people who will lose their money for them.” (more…)

“A nun from the orphanage called my parents and told them there was a two-week-old baby girl available…The next morning they picked me up from Catholic Social Services, named me after the Kiss song “Beth,” which was playing on the radio, left me with Aunt Bonnie, and took off to Vegas.”

(more…)

This is a friendly reminder that The Rumpus has an amazing book club of which you can be a part! The club is on its third book, Richard Yates by Tao Lin, which will ship out in just a couple of weeks.

As I think about my own, mildly successful, book club beginnings that happen in my living room where only three people have read through a 90-page book, I am impressed and inspired by the size of The Rumpus’ club, the amazing books they send out, and the online conversations that ensue. You can engage in online chats with readers and authors without even getting out of bed.

The most recent news is that there is a Rumpus Poetry Book Club, as well. It functions just like the book club–one new book each month that ships out to members. The first poetry club selection is Ceiling of Sticks by Shane Book. (more…)

Ernest Hemingway would have turned 111 this week, and you would have made Papa proud with your outpouring of sixes, all indirectly inspired by his legendary six-word novel, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Six-Word Memoirs. Here are six six-worders we love from the week ending July 23. Click on each author’s name to check out more memoirs.

Best Excuse to Leave the White Dress at Home: “Daughter in wedding photos. Explanation inevitable.”-BibliophileChick
Worst Professional Backstabbing: “They promised forever, then fired me.”-Qraig
Darkest Self-Actualization: “Former obituarist. Made living from death.”-Distantcities (profile pic, above)
Dirtiest Pillow Talk: “Only pillows get head every night.” -FinchGirl
Most Angst-filled: “Normal: a setting on washing machines.” —Roaringsilence from SMITHTeens.
Most Literary Birthday Wish: “Hemingway left me Fishing, Old Man. -JinLee

And: Turn these or any six words into a T-shirt over on our shop at Spreadshirt. Follow us on Twitter one Six-Word Memoir each day that will surely make your day just a little more interesting. Join our Facebook group and you will stay extremely cool.
< (more…)

“I’ve never been money-driven. But I saw [Trader Monthly] as a way to do what I love–journalism–and maybe do well and be successful financially. I thought I could have it both ways.”

Few journalists this side of Truman Capote have entered the writing business with aspirations of eating fois gras canapés and drinking 18-year Chivas in the grand ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, surrounded by throngs of models and multimillionaires. Randall Lane certainly didn’t. But in November of 2004, when Lane and his business partner launched Trader Monthly, a magazine for Wall Street’s biggest rainmakers (motto: “See it, make it, spend it”), they found themselves surrounded by profligacy in all its forms–$175 hamburgers topped with black truffles, $10,000 Carl F. Bucherer watches, $6,000 lap-dance sessions at the Penthouse Executive Club. Suddenly, Lane had a front-row seat for the financial industry’s golden era of shameless spending and unchecked egos. (more…)