Literary Auction to Benefit Team Jender

We are holding an auction on eBay to benefit the leader of Team Jender, otherwise known as Jennifer Derilo, who is currently kicking Hodgkin’s Lymphoma’s arse (does Hodgkin’s even have a butt? Well, we’re kicking its fictitious butt, then).

The community around Jennifer (aka “Team Jender”) includes some amazing writers who have, out of generosity and a recognition of her fight, offered up some unique items. These items include manuscript critiques and signed books and signed galleys and artist books, all of which are listed below at the bottom of this post. Even if you don’t know Jennifer, the items are of incredible value!

• A choice of a book proposal, teaching advice for 1 semester, OR 2 letters of inquiry from Elmaz Abinader
• An incredible and unique and handcrafted Personalized Artist Book by, and from, Justin Chin
• A nonfiction manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Lac Su
• A fiction manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Randa Jarrar
• A critique of a Statement of Purpose for graduate school OR a critique of an academic paper from Professor Kirsten T. Saxton
• Signed copies of A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, The Vagrants, and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li
• A fiction or nonfiction/memoir manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Yiyun Li
• Signed, unbound galleys of Leaving Yesler by Peter Bacho
• Signed copy of the book The Unmaking of Americans: Seven Lives and the chapbook Stories We Tell Ourselves by Mel Freilicher
• Fiction or Nonfiction manuscript reading of up to 30 pages by Mel Freilicher
• 12 signed books and chapbooks by Michael Davidson
• Signed copies of Madeleine is Sleeping and Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum
• A fiction or YA manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum

As of September 9, 2010, we have more amazing auction items up for bidding! They are listed as follows:

• Mat Johnson will name a character after the winning bidder in his next book. He promises, “The character won’t be a meanie.”
• A YA manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Nina LaCour
• Thea Hillman will write the winning donor/bidder into an erotica piece she will be reading to the public at Lit Crawl on October 8, 2010
• Ali Liebegott is auctioning off one of her paintings of Emily Duckinson (yes, Duckinson. as in quack quack–it’s awesome)
• Poetry reading-for-hire by Tara Hardy
• Signed hardcover copies of War by Candlelight and Lost City Radio from Daniel Alarcón.
• Fiction or nonfiction/memoir manuscript critique of up to 25 pages from Michelle Richmond
• Poetry manuscript critique of up to 15 pages from Dean Rader
• Beth Lisick will name a character in her next book after the winning bidder/donor
• Chris Abani will name one character after the winning bidder/donor in his next book
• Signed paperback copies of Song for Night, The Virgin of Flames, and Sanctificum by Chris Abani
• Fiction, nonfiction/memoir or YA manuscript critique of up to 30 pages from Alexander Chee
• A signed manuscript of the essay After Peter by Alexander Chee. The essay can be found online here
• A YA/middle-grade fiction manuscript critique of up to 30 pages from Nova Ren Suma

(manuscript pages are to be double spaced, 12 point font, with 1 inch margins).

I do want to take a bit of space here as to the beneficiary of this auction…(the LA Times Book Blog featured our auction and cause the other day):

Remember your 20something and 30something years? (And if you’re in your 20s and 30s, think about all that you’re up to right now, about all your hopes and the freedoms you have).

Now think about having Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which is a name for cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system, which means something very important in your body. Think about how scared you might be, how you would have to brace yourself for the arduous fight for your life. Think about what kind of strength you would need to fight for your health, something you’d taken for granted uptil then, something that 30somethings aren’t supposed to normally confront.

And now think about having to wage this war without medical insurance coverage. Think about not having any savings to fall back on. Think about kicking off your early 30s with a massive debt.

My friend Jennifer Derilo is in such a situation.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, and find her name familiar, it’s because she contributed to the Literary Blog Relay here, writing about her battle with Hodgkin’s. She is a talented writer, one we need to save and help.

I know you might be busy, that you might not have the funds…but I am hoping we can collectively help defray some of her medical costs. I am hoping you will still say yes, you can help.

Please check out the eBay auction! And please spread the word about this auction.

If you would like to make a direct donation via paypal, the fundraising account (aka Jennifer’s account) there is teamjender AT gmail DOT com.

If you need to EMAIL us, please do NOT use that account, as that account was created purely for paypal account purposes and is not checked regularly. Leave a comment here instead. 🙂

Update:

• Thank you to The Rumpus for helping spread the word!
• Thank you to Carolyn Kellogg at the LA Times Books Blog, Jacket Copy, for the shout out!