Diary of a Mad Editor

So I was in Walmart yesterday. I went there to buy some socks, but took the scenic route to the Men’s Department. I stopped in electronics to ask the saleswoman when Sims 3: World Adventures would arrive in the store. I then did a little window shopping — checking out an LCD HDTV I’ve had my eye on for a while. Next, I worked my way to the book and magazine aisle. I’m not sure, why I always expect something different whenever I go into this aisle: Walmart has a whole section devoted to Bibles and Christian fiction. They now have a whole section devoted to Twilight and Twilight-inspired books. And of course there’s the shit from right-wing talk show hosts like Ann Coulter, O’Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Glenn Beck. Jesus. Apparently, this guy is a publishing dynamo these days with bestsellers flying out of his ass. And now I hear he’s adapted that god-awful novel (the one he released last year — what was it called? The Christmas Sweater? Huge bestseller — not quite in the realm of Rowling or Dan Brown sales, but huge enough to be a bona fide hit) into a children’s picture book.  That’s right, The Christmas Sweater: the picture book is coming soon to a Walmart near you.  When I think of Christmas-themed literature, I always think of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It’s iconic. It’s genuine literature.  But, we don’t get A Christmas Carol; we get Glenn Fucking Beck!  He’s not even in the same literary universe as Dickens.  But this children’s book is debuting at number one on the NY Time’s list of children’s book bestsellers.   Dickens has to be rolling over in his grave right about now.