It’s social experiment, a destiny project, an adventure in fate!!! (hold the eyeroll and bear with me for a sec)
I bought 50 copies of “Wreck this Journal” by Keri Smith.
On the inside cover of each one I’m handwriting this:
“If you find yourself in possession of this book, you got kinda duped. Let me explain…
I bought 50 copies of Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith and secretly re-shelved them at bookstores across the United States. Not following her instructions persay, I wrecked her books with my own random thoughts, life stories and hopes of endless possibilities - with NO expectations. Every book is handwritten, copying verbatim what I wrote in the very 1st journal I purchased. Spelling errors, incorrect grammar, chardonnay’ed rants and all I filled Keri’s book cover to cover. Completely unaware of the legalities (and in the high hopes Keri doesn’t sue the sh*t out of me), I want to conduct a social experiment in fate and destiny, of sorts.
For some reason you picked up THIS particular copy, of THIS particular book, at THIS particular store…
Now like it or not, you’re a part of my life and this story =)
… Now you can put this right back on the shelf and I’ll accept this is as far as you and I go … orrrr……
maybe we’ll become pen pals?
maybe you’ll follow suit and “wreck” your own journal and “self publish” it?? In 200 years, bookstores could be filled only with written in journals!!
perhaps you’re my soulmate (and/or know him) and we’ll live happily ever after from this chance encounter?
maybe I’m gonna end up in a trunk somewhere with my face plastered all over milk cartons? (do they still do that?!)
maybe they’ll re-start the missing person milk with me!
what if, you read this and pass it on to your brother’s-old college roomates-sister’s-new husband who works at Random House and this becomes the next NY TIMES best seller?!?!
My name is Kristan Saager. Everyone calls me Madison though (i’ll explain that later in the book). My phone # is 631.553.3557, I live at 1XX N Sxxxxr Ave LA CA 90069. My email is Natsirk22@aol.com (it’s Kristan backwards, and yes, AOL. I’m loyal.) and, welllll….
IT”S REALLY GREAT TO MEETCHA!”
I am not a writer by any means. Not the conventional kind anyway. In fact, what I wrote in the books is kinda irrelevant. I was embarrassingly honest - talked about how I got to where I am (los angeles), my love life (or lack thereof hehe), my family - my 24 year old lil brother was a junkie and we went through some tough times dealing with his addiction. And just some random thoughts. For some reason this resonated with complete strangers annnnnnnd the experiment couldn’t be going better!
The experiment has become as much about the journey as it is about the books and the bookfinders. I went on almost 3 months cross country on a road trip to sneak the filled out books in bookstores all across the country.
So far I’ve put 30 of the books out there. 19 people from all different walks of life, from Vancouver to Maine, have found my journals and got in touch with me. I still have more to sneak out there and have every intention of going back out and finishing the drops because the experiences I had on the road and the experiences with these complete strangers - there are no words. It’s INCREDIBLE!
This blog just kinda documents all the fascinating people I’m meeting along the way and the amazing things we got to do and see. It documents the people that are finding the books and the relationships and human connections.
It’s a blog of getting Back to Madison.
“People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime”
