My 4th Annual Book Report
Published (5):
54
Runners, 54 Stories: The Tale of the 2012 200k JRunners Relay Race: 77 copies sold. I’m very proud of this one, my
current bestseller. I targeted an entire very-niche market, and sold it to
nearly all of them. A sequel will be written, but it likely requires a full
relay to be deserving of that. It seems promising. http://tinyurl.com/JRunnersBook
The
Year of Bad Behavior: Bearing Witness to the Uncouthiest of Humanity: 70
copies sold. The things that people moan and groan about concerning their
fellow man, especially on Facebook, are all covered here. Every time I revisit
the manuscript, it feels so current. Proud of this one too. http://tinyurl.com/BehaviorBook
Bush
II, Book I: 64 copies sold. The world has found this book. It exists
somewhere that’s getting attention. Kindle versions are constantly finding
themselves into strangers’ hands. Every time 9/11 approaches, I get a spike in
sales. http://tinyurl.com/BushIIBookI
A
Conversation on The Way: 63 copies sold. Reviewed on 3 blogger sites,
featured at the YU Seforim Sale, and nicely received. I especially enjoy the
artwork by Dena Szpilzinger, the first hired professional of my writing career.
I’m hoping to able to afford other services, like editing, though I am grateful
to my volunteers. http://tinyurl.com/ConvoBook
Extracts
From Noah’s Diary: 50 copies sold. Mark Twain wrote Extracts from Adam’s Diary,
then followed up later with Eve’s Diary, then did not follow up any
further, save for some parodies of Methuselah’s entries. This is where I came
in; a sequel 100 years overdue. So big, it’s biblical. I’m just getting warmed
up with this one, and was successful in having it reviewed by a small handful
of book sites. I worked hard on the jokes, and strenuously on the research.
It’s actually a giant d’var torah, and I feel my newest baby deserves a lot of
attention. http://tinyurl.com/NoahsDiary
In
progress (10):
Bush
II, Book II: Manuscript 47% complete. I haven’t tackled this in a while,
but it’s time to return. The attention the first book is getting warrants this.
Also, I really didn’t think I wouldn’t get the sequel out before Obama’s tenure
was complete. Trump, Book I or Clinton II,
Book I would be insane and hilarious projects to tackle.
The
Year of Bad Behavior II: More Scalawags, Dirtbags, Bullyrags, and Lollygags:
Manuscript 30% complete. I also must return to this as well. The format differs
from its prequel – grievances are ordered by category, rather than written as
diary entries – and I think I’ll have an interesting product when complete.
NJTransit’s stupidities, on their own, warrant a complete spin-off.
A
Conversation on the Conversation: Manuscript 20%
complete. The first book is begging for a sequel, but it’s going to take lots
of work. The quasi-fictional idea is that the original becomes a best-seller,
and I’m invited to a talk show to discuss. This is the hard part. I and my
interviewer pore over the original manuscript point for point, and I also will
include rebuttals to my arguments that I received (in real life) from readers.
It’s daunting, big big, but I’ll get it done somehow.
Forty
Runners Less one: Stories and Glories From the 2013 200k JRunners 200k Relay
Race: Manuscript: 10% complete. I collected the runner stories and also
conducting interviews when needed. I also collected stories for the 2014
version of the race, and actually got 25% of the pack’s write-ups. Same for
2015, but with a drastically dwindled amount, and for 2016, with even smaller
numbers. It looks like the runners are more eager to contribute, as mentioned
above, when the relay is a full one. I think I have to pull that off before I
pull a book sequel off, in which all past year’s entries that I have on file
will be included. I’ll target the same niche group as the original, and
hopefully attract more runners to the great race.
The Man
Who Read 1,001 Books Before He Died. 4% complete. You know
those popular 1,001 xxx to xxx Before You Die books? Specifically, the Books
to Reads one? I thought it would be a neat trick to actually read those
1,001 books and write about the experience. This was what I NaNoWriMoed two
years ago, and I’ve been fully immersed since. Whether you measure my status by
the number of books I’m up to (44) or the pace at which I’ll read them (I’m
scheduled to finish in November 2058. I should live so long!), the number is 4%.
I’ve got a long way to go, but the progress will be steady. There is no
question it’ll be the largest work I’ll ever put out. Not even two years in, it
stands at 67,000 words/238 pages.
Mordechai’s
Pamphlet: 3% complete. My paternal grandfather’s memoirs. The man for
whom I am named recorded his thoughts about losing his wife and three children
in WWII, surfacing from the ashes with his faith intact, marrying my
grandmother, rebuilding a home with six children, then suffering for years from
lung cancer until his death at age 47. He called the collection Kuntres
Mordechai, and it is entirely written in Hebrew. I started the translation
last NaNoWriMo, but admittedly fell of the wagon when my I found a new job, plus
I jumped into other writing projects. I have to re-shift priorities and jump
back on the wagon again. I’ll revisit after the coming NaNoWriMo, and hope to
produce this before the end of next year.
My
First 30 Marathons: The Running Story of a Midpack Runner:
Putting all my marathon running reports together. Hoping I can find them all. I
wonder if I’ll be successful. If I can actually find them, collating should be
a snap. Everything’s already been written! This would include the next three
marathons I’m running over the next half year, and would exclude the Makeshift
Marathon I ran when Sandy canceled NYC in 2012, and also the seven ultras I’ve
run. Or maybe they shouldn’t be excluded at all. I’ll think about it.
Zaidy's
War: My maternal grandfather's memoirs, which I recorded in
notebooks and on VHSes. Must find time for this project. Zaidy passed away
almost three years ago, and it’s important for his story to see the light of
day.
Children's
Book #1 with Classified Title: I'm trying to write a
parody of a famous children's book. First draft did not pass muster with my
Editor-in-Chief. Will submit new drafts shortly.
The Knish’s Best 192 Articles of the First 192
it’s Published: I launched the first issue 13 years ago, and just released
issue #32, which was very satisfying. The time may have arrived – as with my Marathon project above – to house them
all in a single compendium, as a way of celebrating the site’s Bar Mitzvah.
Everything’s written, I just need to write an intro and a timeline and do a
pile of formatting. Shouldn’t be a big deal. Problem, though, would be how to
share revenue with all the writers. What would be a fair system?
In my
head (13):
How the Countries Got Their Shapes: I
read a wonderful book entitled How the
States Got Their Shapes, by Mark Stein. It’s exactly what you think it is.
I did the best research I could, and could find not a single book that covers
the concept on a global scale. I could be the man who could fill that gap. I
would enjoy the research very much. I wonder if I’d have to ask the author of
the inspiration for permission before proceeding.
The Israel/Gaza War: The 102nd
Bloodiest Conflict in the World in 2014: Amid the swaths of the
myriad piles of articles I read on the topic, one little factoid stood out to
me out of all others: that little statistic that I think would be an alarming
book title. Because Israel has so many challenges coming from all directions,
it also – as a silver lining of sorts – creates opportunities for people
concerned for her to battle on her behalf. Perhaps I could contribute in this
way, by helping to focus attention away from Israel and towards at least 101
other places on earth that deserve more international concern and intervention.
I would have to come face to face with a lot of evil, though, plus the research
would be difficult, and the data murky. This might be a calling I might have to
answer, though.
Territorial Disputes: A Primer on the 600
Other International Land Quarrels No One Knows or Cares About, But Should: Along
the same lines as above: a very long story, very short: somehow a miracle
happened that the president of a publishing company invited me to present to
his committee - that publishes books in a “Things You Need To Know” motif - my
thoughts around how only Israel – and perhaps Cyprus/Turkey and India/Pakistan
– gets vilified over its land issues with its neighbors. My project was
declined, but it’s being kept on the burner. If they won’t go with it, perhaps
I’ll strike out on my own (something I’m familiar with). As above, this might
be an opportunity to shine the spotlight on an area more deserving, and away
from where it is currently. Which project would be worthier? Hmmm…
Children's
Book #2 with Classified Title: I was inspired by a
series of photographs that I took of my children. My Editor-in-Chief has some
great ideas about spinning it into a bedtime story. I’m pondering the text, and
will need an illustrator to convert the pictures we have into artwork for the
book.
Parenting
Book with Classified Title: There are many parenting books out there.
Most of them are garbage. I have an idea for one with a healthy dose of humor
and a large general twist. My everyday parenting keeps inspiring ideas for the
project. I think I’m to begin putting pen-to-paper on this shortly.
The
Inevitables: A Gladwellian idea I have about people who spend their entire
lives in pursuit of a specific career, switch to something else on a dime, and
become wildly successful despite a complete lack of practice or the 10,000
hours Gladwell himself talks about.
Universals:
The Differences and Similarities Between Global Cultures: I’m
fascinated by this. There are things that are the same 99% of everywhere (basic
utensils, green is go, cash for service, elemental human needs), and things
that are different 99% of everywhere (voting systems, traffic handling,
cordiality, attire, interpretation of freedom, hand gestures, justice). I’d
like to explore.
Speakers
of the Torah: My first actual sefer-esque idea. While researching my Noah
book, it struck me how little dialogue God has with his direct primordial
creations. Noah never speaks to God. Adam speaks two utterances to his Creator.
Eve speaks to Him more than her husband does. There is also limited dialogue
between man and man. I read a discourse by the famous Nechama Leibowitz on the
dialogues of the biblical Joseph. She made fascinating conclusions, and it left
me intrigued. I think this idea is worth exploring in full, and I wonder where
the research will take me. I’ll start writing notes on this, and see where it
leads.
Things
that Drive Me Crazy About the Talmud: My second actual even
more sefer-esque idea. My shadchan self-published a sefer recently, borne out
of notes he kept while learning through TaNaCH over a 15-year period. They were
truly original thoughts that he compressed into a single, impressive volume. I
realized while reading that our thought-lines were quite similar, especially in
regards to the myriad unanswered questions – and potentially original ones –
that I had about the gemorah, in which I’m currently immersed in my second
cycle of learning. I have begun to keep notes, and here too, I will look back
after a time and see if I have anything worthy of being recorded in a single
large volume. Apologies, I don’t have a more polite title at this time.
Obama,
Book I: Must Finish Bush II, Book II first.
Obama,
Book II: I never thought there’d be a sequel. Honestly, but here we
are, and the sequel’s almost done!
Clinton II, Book I: OMG
no.
Trump, Book I: OMG
hell no.
When
you let me know which project I should tackle for November, also please let me
know what my grade is on my report.
Oh, and
feel free to avail yourself to a book of mine or two (Just a few more sales and
I will have sold 350 books; nice little milestone) at 50%-75% off. I'll have
several more items on my bookshelf for you very soon, but for now, truly, the
lineup is quite colorful, and pleasing to the eye – at least to mine: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mbodekatgmaildotcom, http://tinyurl.com/BodekKindleBooks
Man, I
also gotta put out another issue of TheKnish.com and release some more of my
surname articles…
posted by Me @ 10:36 AM
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