Some people are mad about Tin House’s new submission policy. You must send in a receipt from a bookstore with your manuscript. If you send in an online receipt, or no receipt at all, you must essplain via haiku why you couldn’t get off your lazy ass and walk to your struggling local bookstore to make a purchase. (oh snap, serious haiku writers)

I’m buying all my exam books (in other words: all the books I will buy this year) at Powell’s online, since they have free shipping on orders over $25, and they are far more likely to have the weird, sometimes out-of-print theory and novels that I’ll be reading for my exams, not to mention a better selection of used books than any other bookstore I know (online or not). The books I can’t find to buy, I’ll check out of the library. I won’t check out more than I have to because I want to own these books. They’ll become part of my professional collection. I’ll use them to write syllabi and make classes. Plus you’re not supposed to write in library books.

I also want to submit to Tin House (they have a story of mine right now, which is sure to be rejected very soon, so I must prepare for the next round!)

So here’s a triptych of haiku to accompany my Powells.com receipt:

PhD Student in Her Reading Year

Salary: 12 grand
105 books to buy
Hence: Powells online

Libraries are Socialist

Uni and public
Both are government funded
Tin House Tea Party?

Will You Judge Me?

Tempted to send in
My last receipt, which was for
Pet Semetary