Lemony Snicket guest blogging on Amazon

[Dante]

As of Tuesday, December 2nd, Lemony Snicket is posting at Amazon's Omnivoracious blog every Tuesday of December. Continue reading the thread for further information.

Entry #1 post
Entry #2 post
Entry #3 post
Entry #4 post

November 27th:
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I've just noticed an e-mail informing me that Snicket will be writing guest blogs on Tuesdays this December on Amazon.com's "Omnivoracious" blog. Here's the full text of the preview post:

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In December, the elusive Lemony Snicket will be here giving advice for the holiday season, a phrase which here means "that awkward time of year filled with unwanted gifts, distant relatives, and ill-dressed turkey." Submit your questions for him in the comments section below.

[Ed.: Yes, this is true. Mr. Snicket, author of the lamentably popular Series of Unfortunate Events as well as the more appropriately themed picture books, The Lump of Coal and The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story, will be visiting Omnivoracious on Tuesdays during December for the express purpose of helping you with your problems, and, in general, telling you what to do when you can't figure that out for yourself. Please ask him now about anything you please: orphans, accordions, or, especially, the most terrible time of the year, the holidays.]
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Here's the link to the entry, so hurry and submit questions while we still can!

Next Guest Blogger: Lemony Snicket Answers Your December Questions

[s]

Aaugh, I hate it when people adopt Snicket's writing style.
That said, I can't think of any better questions to ask...

My thoughts so far include the following, but neither is really satisfactory.

If you could be any winter-holiday-related item, what would you be? Defend your answer.

Under what circumstances do you think it acceptable to put lipstick on a pig? A pit bull? A governor?

[Hermedy]

I think the idea is to ask for holiday-season advice.

[Triangle Eyes]

Nov 27, 2008 13:30:51 GMT -5 s said:

Under what circumstances do you think it acceptable to put lipstick on a pig? A pit bull? A governor?

I second those questions.

EDIT: Someone already asked a Palin question.

Dear Mr. Snicket,

Having written so much about beautiful young women in misfortune, I hope you can help me. For the past few months, my life and job have become a nightmare. Strange people with cameras and microphones have started following me everywhere. When I was considered for a promotion, people accused me of wanting to murder my colleague. And on a family outing to a turkey farm, a lovely photograph of me was spoiled by a turkey being slaughtered in the background. Life under these circumstances has become unbearable. What shall I do, Lemony Snicket?

With all due respect,

Sarah from Alaska

[Hermedy]

Guys, how about if we come up with one AMAZING question and then post it as "667 Dark Avenue"?

BSam has already posted his own individual question and I encourage you all to do the same.

[Dante]

Nov 30, 2008 11:08:50 GMT -5 Hermedy said:

Guys, how about if we come up with one AMAZING question and then post it as "667 Dark Avenue"?

Would that perhaps be something that reacts to -

Jul 13, 2007 7:01:41 GMT -5 @Dear Dairy and Lemony Snicket said:

8. What question do you wish fans would ask you about A Series of Unfortunate Events, and how would you answer it? - Dear Dairy

“Might you explain the way in which the following narrative threads are intertwined?” I would answer evasively but with pleasure.

[Dear Dairy]

Well, obviously, I like that idea!

[Dante]

We just have to decide which narrative threads he might possibly have been referring to. The selection is quite vast.

Edit: And, unless I am very much mistaken, today is a Tuesday in December, so we might expect a Snicket blog post to appear at some point.

Awesome, I have two "Reason for Editting" [sic] boxes on this post. Let's see what happens if I fill them both in.

Edit Again: Aw, only one of them works. But I digress.

[Dante]

Lemony Snicket's first blog entry of the month (out of five, if we're lucky) is here! It's relatively long and link-heavy, so I won't reproduce it, but here's the link:
Holiday Advice

Summary: The first three queries from the comments of the original post have been answered, along with one apparently constructed by Omnivoracious, which suggests that Amazon may choose to cut the allusion-heavy or non-holiday-ish queries. Which would be a shame, as they're part of the fun. It's unclear whether future queries will be taken from the original comments or the comments of the new post, also.

[Dear Dairy]

Dec 2, 2008 4:27:09 GMT -5 Dante said:

We just have to decide which narrative threads he might possibly have been referring to. The selection is quite vast.

I think you would be the ideal person to select appropriate narrative threads, Dante. You have the most at-hand knowledge of that kind of thing. My old memory is notoriously poor. Or, do you think he would take the bait if we asked him to elaborate on one particular example of his choice?

Perhaps refer to the original question as well, since he may remember it. (And - bonus - it has my name on it . . . )

[Dante]

Dec 3, 2008 21:22:11 GMT -5 Dear Dairy said:

Or, do you think he would take the bait if we asked him to elaborate on one particular example of his choice?

I like that idea. It has its dangers, but the general impression I get from some of Snicket's answers - particularly to the 21 questions in question - is that he likes to upset people's assumptions and answer on his own terms. If we asked him to elaborate on one particular example of his choice, we may well get a very interesting answer as reward for letting him think freely, but on the other hand, we may get an utter cop-out. Identical dangers exist if we list examples ourselves. He may give a brief summation of the connection between the examples listed, or he may metaphorically up-end the table and answer with rather more evasion than with pleasure. And that's assuming we even pick narrative threads that are, indeed, intertwined. And all this assumes he would even answer such a question in this context; so far he's skipped one allusory question and answered a fictional one I presume was constructed by Omnivoracious. The question might not even get through.

I have, however, sketched a draft of sorts:

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Dear Mr. Snicket,

Some time ago, a fan asked you what question you would most like to be asked by fans, to which your answer was, “Might you explain the way in which the following narrative threads are intertwined?” In answer to your answer, we must ask:

Might you explain the way in which the following narrative threads are intertwined?

[…]

With all due respect,

667 Dark Avenue
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[Dear Dairy]

I approve! Post immediately!

[Dante]

Is 667 okay with that? Post the above sketch, with "[...]" replaced with a platitude inviting Handler to pick his own plot threads?

I'm also going to plunge right in myself with a question on whether The Baby in the Manger will ever get a full release to the public.

Reason for Editing: "Permitting"? "Inviting," I think.

[Hermedy]

I am Tragedy and I approve of Dante's message.

[Dante]

And so it is done. Cross your fingers and hope it gets through, everyone, but there'll always be another opportunity if not.