Saunders Army Initiation Care Package

A couple of weeks ago I received this email sent to the George Saunders' mailing list:

You knew the duties of the Saunders Army were going to be rigorous. That your membership in this elite cadre would demand sweat, valor, extreme sacrifice...

Bring it on, you say.

OK. First, you must give us a mailing address. Well, we'd really appreciate it anyway. We need to know where to send your Saunders Army Initiation Care Package - which includes a limited edition signed chapbook of brilliant Saunders nonfiction pieces, as well as something other really nice stuff (let us surprise you, it's more fun that way).

The care package is free, but we'll be expecting a lot of you in the coming months. Because we are, of course, preparing to mobilize the Saunders Army. Saunders's brand new book of stories, In Persuasion Nation, lands in less than six weeks, and the plan involves Americans coming out en masse to greet it with flowers. Maybe there's some work for us to do? We hope you've been doing your calisthenics.

Thanks very much. Email me back.

Never one to pass up a good chance to join a literary militia I sent in my address. Much to my surprise, the initiation package arrived today and it's great! Included were:

• A signed and numbered (448 of 500) copy of a collection of non-fiction works titled A Bee Stung Me, So I Killed All The Fish: Notes From The Homeland, 2003-2006.
• A giant IPN poster, complete with instructions for building your own Saunders Book Catherdral
• An In Persuasion Nation iron-on transfer for t-shirt making goodness
• 5 IPN America tattoos, 5 IPN floral tattoos
• A Photo Challenge
• The IPN Official Recruitment Tool complete w/ hilarious 'descriptions' of Saunders' previous works

Now that's my kind of Army!