20 November

Plaid Friday hits Bedlam Farm. Take Back The Holidays.

by Jon Katz
Plaid Friday

For the first time in many years, I am looking forward to Black Friday. That’s because it’s also Plaid Friday.  Plaid Friday is a movement I can easily get behind. In response to the insanely greedy over-hype that defiles the spirit of Thanksgiving and measures our national cultural heritage by mall shopping, a new idea has emerged to celebrate the creativity and diversity of small businesses. And there are two right around me – Full Moon Fiber Art and Battenkill Books.

It seems to me if one wants to get corporations to behave differently, the best way to do that isn’t to occupy them, but to take some money away from them and gives it to hard-working and creative individuals. That is a political movement I am quite ready to join, and I can’t think of a more constructive thing to do. The Plaid Friday movement – urging people on “Black  Friday” this week to shop at independent businesses has definitely caught hold here at Bedlam Farm.

And there are two good ways to do it:

Maria has decided to make 25 potholders this week and put them on sale Friday, Plaid Friday. Three of the people who order them will get them for free. Details on her website. I’ll be skulking around annoying her and taking photos of the potholders in progress Check it out. She is very excited about it, and so am I. Maria has worked hard to grow her small business and is making great stuff and I am unspeakably proud and admiring of her. Plaid Friday is made for the Studio Barn.

Holidays ought to mean more than sales figures, and Plaid Friday could help us take back the holiday season by honoring its true spirit – which is not just about lining the coffers of greedy and insensitive companies.

Another way is to continue to support independent bookstores by purchasing copies of any of my books, including “Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die,” “Meet The Dogs Of Bedlam Farm,” and “Rose In A Storm.” Connie, a creative and energetic and very hard-working book lover, is offering free “Going Home” videos and Bedlam Farm notecards to anyone who purchases any of these books. This week, corporate publishing – Amazon, Barnes&Noble and Apple are raking in huge bucks selling e-readers and they will make many millions, if not billions of dollars. I see now that independent bookstores will survive – nearly 700 people have bought “Going Home” from Connie Brooks. I hope to get to 1,000 by New Year’s and Plaid Friday is the perfect day to affirm the importance of creativity, individuality and diversity in American life. This Friday I will be at Battenkill Books from 3 p.m. on – 518 677 2515 – to answer phone calls myself (as many as I can) and sign books. Call to buy a book and celebrate Plaid Friday. You can also order books via PayPal at [email protected].

 

 

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