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 had replied to this comment before and then deleted it, but woke up this morning and saw this again and it seems I still feel the need to reply. There is nothing in the least bit 'slightly shameful' about this. Shame? Here is the definition i just now pulled from the internet for the word shame: "a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior." Is that what you mean? That George is conscious of doing something wrong or foolish here? Selling store merchandise is not "wrong" nor is it "foolish." It's actually fun, nice, and community-building. It's the smallest of financial endeavors. Everyone on the planet sells t-shirts and mugs. It doesn't detract from what you call a "gloriously intellectual proposition" because it's simply a button you push or don't push to head to the online store. Your personal moral stand against wearing anything with a logo does not somehow translate into George's need to feel slightly shamed. It's a t-shirt, and it stands for community. As you say, don't buy one if you don't want to.
There was a great ad for a posh car in late-boom 2000s Ireland. It was a huge massive heroic picture of a German import car ( a bit like Savitskii himself). And the strap line underneath was ‘F**k the begrudgers!’
And that’s not always a bad sentiment. As long as you remember that the begrudgers will probably always be there. And have to be taken account of. Politically. And humanly.
We should all read/watch HG Wells ‘time machine’ again. It’s hilariously instructive
I can’t wait! Thank you so much for all that you put into this. It is rescuing to hear your voice regularly. Your wisdom, imagination, but above all, ethic of kindness is always appreciated, but more necessary than ever now. With all my heart, thank you.
every time i open Substack, i’m promised a chuckle. i cannot wait to order a size M of the checkhov doodle. ура!
p.s. this is my very first substack comment. how funny that it is on the swag post. but allow me to call back George’s use of the 😊 emoji way back during “The Incident” posts. at that, i put my phone away and opened up my computer to good times writing. thanks all for this community! ☺️
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.
In my opinion, there are ALWAYS going to be grumblers. Always going to be accusations of “selling out.” It harkens back to that timeless phrase: Haters gonna hate.
It reminds me of being in high school in the 1990’s when grunge was the thing. I lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and my friend group and I had very serious opinions on which bands were sell outs. Basically, as soon as they signed to a major label or achieved any commercial success they were no longer cool in our eyes. Looking at that now, several decades later, it seems like such an immature point of view from kids who were trying to use someone else’s art to define who WE were. Of course we should want our favorite artists to achieve success, of course we should want them to explore new things and new opportunities.
And I fully agree. Let’s all get back to writing and reading - whether donned in our Story Club merch or not.
No, I didn’t - I was in Portland, then went to college at Evergreen in Olympia. But I know some people who grew up on Bainbridge in the 90s. Do you happen to know the Turnsens?
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
Ha!
Teeheehee. Thanks for the chuckle.
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.
Let me look into this, Barbara, thanks.
Tank tops or V-necks for women? And must have Story Club SOCKS!! (Or fuzzy slippers — I’ll get them as gifts for all my writing friends!!)
It IS, George, slightly shameful. No? But perhaps not life-destroyingly so. Good luck to yourself! ( as they say in Ireland)
I had replied to this comment before and then deleted it, but woke up this morning and saw this again and it seems I still feel the need to reply. There is nothing in the least bit 'slightly shameful' about this. Shame? Here is the definition i just now pulled from the internet for the word shame: "a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior." Is that what you mean? That George is conscious of doing something wrong or foolish here? Selling store merchandise is not "wrong" nor is it "foolish." It's actually fun, nice, and community-building. It's the smallest of financial endeavors. Everyone on the planet sells t-shirts and mugs. It doesn't detract from what you call a "gloriously intellectual proposition" because it's simply a button you push or don't push to head to the online store. Your personal moral stand against wearing anything with a logo does not somehow translate into George's need to feel slightly shamed. It's a t-shirt, and it stands for community. As you say, don't buy one if you don't want to.
There was a great ad for a posh car in late-boom 2000s Ireland. It was a huge massive heroic picture of a German import car ( a bit like Savitskii himself). And the strap line underneath was ‘F**k the begrudgers!’
And that’s not always a bad sentiment. As long as you remember that the begrudgers will probably always be there. And have to be taken account of. Politically. And humanly.
We should all read/watch HG Wells ‘time machine’ again. It’s hilariously instructive
Good idea Barbara. I'd prefer a women's version too.
I agree, Barbara.
Same.
Registered to comment to say this. Thanks for advocating, Barbara.
Can we get Chekhov and his secret sign in a doodle, George?
Yes!
I can’t wait! Thank you so much for all that you put into this. It is rescuing to hear your voice regularly. Your wisdom, imagination, but above all, ethic of kindness is always appreciated, but more necessary than ever now. With all my heart, thank you.
I'm having nothing but fun here, Robin. Thanks.
every time i open Substack, i’m promised a chuckle. i cannot wait to order a size M of the checkhov doodle. ура!
p.s. this is my very first substack comment. how funny that it is on the swag post. but allow me to call back George’s use of the 😊 emoji way back during “The Incident” posts. at that, i put my phone away and opened up my computer to good times writing. thanks all for this community! ☺️
As a frameable postcard for my writing desk, please! And maybe one of you, too :)
Great idea!
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.
pens^^
Ha!
Yes! I second that emotion.
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.
Grumbling and counter-grumbling. Love it.
In my opinion, there are ALWAYS going to be grumblers. Always going to be accusations of “selling out.” It harkens back to that timeless phrase: Haters gonna hate.
It reminds me of being in high school in the 1990’s when grunge was the thing. I lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and my friend group and I had very serious opinions on which bands were sell outs. Basically, as soon as they signed to a major label or achieved any commercial success they were no longer cool in our eyes. Looking at that now, several decades later, it seems like such an immature point of view from kids who were trying to use someone else’s art to define who WE were. Of course we should want our favorite artists to achieve success, of course we should want them to explore new things and new opportunities.
And I fully agree. Let’s all get back to writing and reading - whether donned in our Story Club merch or not.
Sara, I lived on Bainbridge Island in the 90's. You didn't happen to go to BHS, did you?
No, I didn’t - I was in Portland, then went to college at Evergreen in Olympia. But I know some people who grew up on Bainbridge in the 90s. Do you happen to know the Turnsens?
Just stepping in here to say that seeing 'grunge' and 'Olympia' has now put Hole's "Rock Star" in my head and it refuses to leave (not a bad thing)
too funny.
Now it’s stuck in mine, too!
That name isn't familiar, though Bainbridge is a pretty small town.
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.
Oh, and that tiny person is Dralyuk, supporting the whole structure with the humility of the translator.
Absolutely correct. :)
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...
Fuzzy Saunders Plushie. Ha. This visual is cracking me up.
Omg, dying over here!
I would love plushies of little chicken!
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!
This is the way.
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.