In response to Robert Gray's column yesterday (Shelf Awareness,
November 1, 2007), McNally Robinson NYC's events coordinator Jessica
Stockton Bagnulo checked in with a report on some devilishly clever
bookselling:
Loved your column--the ghost story slam is on my list for next year, but this year we had a pretty kick-ass Literary Halloween Party at the bookstore, and I think we're going to have to make it a tradition.
We held a literary costume contest with prizes donated by publishers (among the winners: a couple dressed as Lenny and Curly's wife from Of Mice and Men and a girl dressed as The Literary Cliche with hackneyed phrases pinned all over her cape); a Ouija board attempt to contact Poe (he wasn't interested, sadly); and nine contemporary authors, ranging from comic book artists to poetry to straight-up genre horror, signing, reading, and selling books.
I don't know how big our sales were, but the cafe was packed, and everyone kept saying what a great idea this was, such a great alternative for those wondering what to do on Halloween. You can see the details on our website. I had to push for this one, and some of my co-workers were a little exhausted at the end (staff costumes included The Little Prince, the twister from the Wizard of Oz, the White Rabbit, a "display copy" [art book buyer], Huck Finn, and my own Miss Havisham), but I think it was another brick in building our reputation as the place to go for literary, relevant community activity.
Thanks for advocating for Halloween (and for plugging The Haunted Bookshop, one of my favorites)--maybe this will make things easier next year!