Very excited today to be announcing that we now have a Story Club Store. There you’ll find t-shirt and sweatshirts and hats, embellished with some with our familiar Story Club elements (deer, bear, writing shed) and with my wacky, inept, but heartfelt illustrations, including these guys:
A request: Would you think about making some women's style t-shirts to sell? That is, more of a scoop neck, less boxy, slightly narrower sleeves. I know that men's t-shirts are supposedly unisex but actually they're not -- they fit men well and women can wear them, sure, but they aren't especially flattering. They just don't fit well. I love your designs and would buy a women's version in a flat second.
I'm struggling, frankly, with some of the surprisingly negative reactions to George's 'Happy Sartorial Announcement'.
One reason why: on the back of subscribing free to begin with (to check out Story Club, case the joint if you will, to see if it might be for me and weigh whether I could contribute), then opting to take out a paid subscription (I liked it that Story Club was akin to a Ronseal product, in that it seemed to be doing - and set to be evolving - 'exactly what it said on the tin') I decided to take out a subscription to digital edition of The New Yorker Magazine. Guess what: New Yorker shipped me, transatlantic, a 'New Yorker Tote Bag' in recognition of my signing-up. Seemed reasonable . . . to me at least . . . but seems like some on here would have, on some point of principle that eludes me, written 'RETURN TO SENDER' in Best Trumpian Sharpie on the package and mailed it right back, transatlantic!
Second reason(s) why: the reasons for George opening a Story Club Store seemed uncomplicatedly clear to me and entirely consistent with his sense of fun, his way(s) with words, his embrace of enterprise in the best traditions of creative, risk-taking literary endeavour, ever honest and transparent communication, and his commitment to facilitating Story Club's progress from 'Upstart Crow' to 'Best of the Bunch' on the innovative-but-itself-so-very-new-kid-on-the- writer-development-bloc-known-as-Substack.
Third . . . no, desist, hold-up . . . maybe I'm just reading some of you 'Negativistas' wrong and compounding my misreading by, gently, 'calling you out' and inviting you to reflect . . . if the merchandise that shows-up in Story Club Store isn't for you, if it never hits the spot aka your 'Retail Therapy Trigger Button' . . . on why you feel the need to exercise your absolute right to gripe?
I do hope that the early draft of 'Good Start in Story Club' doesn't warp and morph back to some kind of satirical short lived fictional reboot of 'Bad Decline in Civil War Land' . . . never been there, nor bought the tee-shirt, but the story is etched with me and enjoyed on every re-reading.
P.S. If George does respond to suggestions for Male and Female tee-shirt fittings perhaps he'll oblige the likes of I and have SC's tees styled and sized in the third way as 'Wonky'?
5 thoughts. Thought 1: That's a shame. Thought 2. Hang on. Thought 3. Revise thought 1. Thought 4. This is all nuts - George is patently hugely generously spirited, what's wrong with Tees? After all we as a group, suggested them. Thought 5. We could all have written something in the time its taken for all this grumbling and counter-grumbling. Shuffles off to make a coffee.
What a lucky bunch we are to have this forum where we can scold, contradict, challenge, pick sides, appease, applaud each other, even if only over t-shirts. Not so for the Russians.
I am interpreting the Peace Out Tee image as a foundation of Babel, upon which stands a goose, upon which stands George, thinking of peace, and imparting that peace to the Story Club.
Given George's accolades and the fact that SubStack came to him (which means he's a paid content creator), I don't think he's doing this for the money, although those are his designs so he's getting a licensing fee for those. Monetary considerations aside, what's the problem? Every form of media has its geegaws and its a fun way for fans to show they're Fans! (We in the genre world are walking billboards for all our loves.) I don't think I'd blow for a tee shirt, but would happily wear a cap and am just waiting for the fuzzy Saunders plushie. (Someone in HWood is probably looking at the cute illustrations and going "Hey! George Saunders heartwarming animation series! Get me NetFlix!) You don't have to take it all so seriously. Writing's grim enough. Have some fun when you can...
Ha ha, KTD! Thank you, GS! Surprise left, totally unexpected, what fun! Thank you for offering items in darker colors, for those of us who also belong to the Dirt Set. I would like to second Barbara S.'s request; I would definitely buy girly style Story Club shirts (eek, I typed that - "girly style" is how we refer to women's style t-shirts where I live, but there is nothing undignified about it, we are fiercely girly, we are whup-ass girly). How I have longed for people to stop me in the street to discuss Chekhov... I just saw Rosanne's comment, now I feel weird about my enthusiasm, I will compensate by donating the same amount I spend on Story Club items to charitable causes. Feeling better again!
Sorry. George. For being rude. You have every right to make a living. I’m just not a ‘geek club’ person. I LOVE Story Club. It’s a genuine act of intellectual generosity. I’m just not going to wear the T shirt. K x
Thanks Mary, for speaking up. I too recall the heady first couple of months of Story Club with the comments board full of fun and joie de vivre about this whole Story Club endeavor. Including such jolly requests about offering merch, and George's reply, "It's in the works (really)!" or words to that effect. I'd been curious about what might be coming along, merch wise, and with the debut of the SC Store, I thought what George came up with was quite clever and not inappropriate at all. As a retired former business writer married to a retired college professor, I know first hand that the pay scale for writers/professors isn't that generous. So I for one don't begrudge George and his inventive entrepreneurial ventures one bit. My thought is that the planet, and we here at SC especially, are just lucky to have the opportunity to partake in (or decline) whatever he decides to offer. So, you know, you go George.
Something to Chekhov the list
A request: Would you think about making some women's style t-shirts to sell? That is, more of a scoop neck, less boxy, slightly narrower sleeves. I know that men's t-shirts are supposedly unisex but actually they're not -- they fit men well and women can wear them, sure, but they aren't especially flattering. They just don't fit well. I love your designs and would buy a women's version in a flat second.
Can we get Chekhov and his secret sign in a doodle, George?
The first rule of the Story Club is that must tell everybody about the Story Club.
It's not an official geek club store until you have coffee mugs.
I'm struggling, frankly, with some of the surprisingly negative reactions to George's 'Happy Sartorial Announcement'.
One reason why: on the back of subscribing free to begin with (to check out Story Club, case the joint if you will, to see if it might be for me and weigh whether I could contribute), then opting to take out a paid subscription (I liked it that Story Club was akin to a Ronseal product, in that it seemed to be doing - and set to be evolving - 'exactly what it said on the tin') I decided to take out a subscription to digital edition of The New Yorker Magazine. Guess what: New Yorker shipped me, transatlantic, a 'New Yorker Tote Bag' in recognition of my signing-up. Seemed reasonable . . . to me at least . . . but seems like some on here would have, on some point of principle that eludes me, written 'RETURN TO SENDER' in Best Trumpian Sharpie on the package and mailed it right back, transatlantic!
Second reason(s) why: the reasons for George opening a Story Club Store seemed uncomplicatedly clear to me and entirely consistent with his sense of fun, his way(s) with words, his embrace of enterprise in the best traditions of creative, risk-taking literary endeavour, ever honest and transparent communication, and his commitment to facilitating Story Club's progress from 'Upstart Crow' to 'Best of the Bunch' on the innovative-but-itself-so-very-new-kid-on-the- writer-development-bloc-known-as-Substack.
Third . . . no, desist, hold-up . . . maybe I'm just reading some of you 'Negativistas' wrong and compounding my misreading by, gently, 'calling you out' and inviting you to reflect . . . if the merchandise that shows-up in Story Club Store isn't for you, if it never hits the spot aka your 'Retail Therapy Trigger Button' . . . on why you feel the need to exercise your absolute right to gripe?
I do hope that the early draft of 'Good Start in Story Club' doesn't warp and morph back to some kind of satirical short lived fictional reboot of 'Bad Decline in Civil War Land' . . . never been there, nor bought the tee-shirt, but the story is etched with me and enjoyed on every re-reading.
P.S. If George does respond to suggestions for Male and Female tee-shirt fittings perhaps he'll oblige the likes of I and have SC's tees styled and sized in the third way as 'Wonky'?
What a delightful place to be this is.
5 thoughts. Thought 1: That's a shame. Thought 2. Hang on. Thought 3. Revise thought 1. Thought 4. This is all nuts - George is patently hugely generously spirited, what's wrong with Tees? After all we as a group, suggested them. Thought 5. We could all have written something in the time its taken for all this grumbling and counter-grumbling. Shuffles off to make a coffee.
What a lucky bunch we are to have this forum where we can scold, contradict, challenge, pick sides, appease, applaud each other, even if only over t-shirts. Not so for the Russians.
I am interpreting the Peace Out Tee image as a foundation of Babel, upon which stands a goose, upon which stands George, thinking of peace, and imparting that peace to the Story Club.
Given George's accolades and the fact that SubStack came to him (which means he's a paid content creator), I don't think he's doing this for the money, although those are his designs so he's getting a licensing fee for those. Monetary considerations aside, what's the problem? Every form of media has its geegaws and its a fun way for fans to show they're Fans! (We in the genre world are walking billboards for all our loves.) I don't think I'd blow for a tee shirt, but would happily wear a cap and am just waiting for the fuzzy Saunders plushie. (Someone in HWood is probably looking at the cute illustrations and going "Hey! George Saunders heartwarming animation series! Get me NetFlix!) You don't have to take it all so seriously. Writing's grim enough. Have some fun when you can...
Ha ha, KTD! Thank you, GS! Surprise left, totally unexpected, what fun! Thank you for offering items in darker colors, for those of us who also belong to the Dirt Set. I would like to second Barbara S.'s request; I would definitely buy girly style Story Club shirts (eek, I typed that - "girly style" is how we refer to women's style t-shirts where I live, but there is nothing undignified about it, we are fiercely girly, we are whup-ass girly). How I have longed for people to stop me in the street to discuss Chekhov... I just saw Rosanne's comment, now I feel weird about my enthusiasm, I will compensate by donating the same amount I spend on Story Club items to charitable causes. Feeling better again!
I'm really diggin' the T-shirts! I like to get men's XXL and wear them on my 5' frame like a muumu!
Sorry. George. For being rude. You have every right to make a living. I’m just not a ‘geek club’ person. I LOVE Story Club. It’s a genuine act of intellectual generosity. I’m just not going to wear the T shirt. K x
Melanie Lee5 min ago
Thanks Mary, for speaking up. I too recall the heady first couple of months of Story Club with the comments board full of fun and joie de vivre about this whole Story Club endeavor. Including such jolly requests about offering merch, and George's reply, "It's in the works (really)!" or words to that effect. I'd been curious about what might be coming along, merch wise, and with the debut of the SC Store, I thought what George came up with was quite clever and not inappropriate at all. As a retired former business writer married to a retired college professor, I know first hand that the pay scale for writers/professors isn't that generous. So I for one don't begrudge George and his inventive entrepreneurial ventures one bit. My thought is that the planet, and we here at SC especially, are just lucky to have the opportunity to partake in (or decline) whatever he decides to offer. So, you know, you go George.
This is so fun. Reminds me of summer camp. I agree, a woman’s v-neck tee would be great.