MILK EGGS VODKA [By Bill Keaggy]

I like this list because someone is obviously trying to start a new home.

And with that, I’ll call it a wrap on the List of the Day for May (every day). I’ll be posting more here and there…

Hey, my book may be kinda funny, but it also could make you think…

I went grocery shopping today, somewhere between talking to my mom on the phone and chasing my dog at the dog park. This isn’t spectacular. People do this every day. I do this at least twice a week. No big deal.

But, I was wondering, between cutting some fruit and reading Milk Eggs Vodka, if we are what we eat, what am I? Below is what I purchased today, all of which I will eat in the next few days.

Check out this fun (and clever) article by Jeff Houck of the Tampa Tribune. He wrote a story about me and my book, “Milk Eggs Vodka,” in the form of a list! It’s featured on the front of the food section, Flavor. An excerpt:

Introduce Bill Keaggy. (A St. Louis newspaper photo editor and married father of two who describes himself as a “collector, maker and breaker of things.”)

Explain hobby. (He collects and photographs odd things: box cameras, rocks shaped like shoes, dirt, discarded bookmarks.)

Discuss his most famous collection. (Discarded grocery lists he has displayed on his Web site.)

Detail its origin. (Keaggy found an ordinary list in the parking lot of a St. Louis grocery store. Fascinated, he kept finding more in empty shopping carts. After he collected about 30 of them, he put them online in 1999. They’re now at GroceryLists.org.)

What happened next? (Visitors to his Web site, including grocery cashiers, started sending him grocery lists they found as well as lists they were finished with.)

How many? (Thousands. Keeps them in shoe boxes at home.)

Talk about the book. (Keaggy sorted the lists and, in the process, published a new book, “Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found” (How, $19.99).)

Thanks, Jeff!

I guess they really needed toilet paper.

“Nest Tea.” NEW IMPROVED FLAVOR! Now with EVEN MORE bird droppings!

On June 14 at 7 p.m. I’m going to be doing a “Milk Eggs Vodka” reading (reading?! performance?! presentation?! signing?!) at the excellent Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri. What to expect? Hmmm. I’m not quite sure, but it should be fun. Goofy grocery lists galore! I’ll even sign you book if you want, and you could donate your used grocery lists while you’re there.

Time: Thursday, June 14, 2007 7:00 PM
Location: Left Bank Books, 399 North Euclid
Title of Event: Bill Keaggy, “Milk, Eggs, Vodka”

If you’re in St. Louis please come by! I’ll look like a total loser if you don’t.

Multi-tasking is good. You can go grocery shopping and remind yourself that it’s not your fault you’re a loser at the same time! (See note at bottom of list.)

I just got an awesome email from a happy “Milk Eggs Vodka” reader. Made my day!

I just bought and read your book Milk Eggs Vodka. Reading this book was like sitting with an old friend. I laughed so hard many times that I was brought to tears and made the “ugly” face. Your comments under each grocery list were hilariously on target. I’m totally in love with your sense of humor. I look forward to scouring the book stores for more of your work. Thank you for making my week.
—Teresa

No, thank you, Teresa — you’ve made my week too!

Every month I give away free books over at The Grocery List Collection and this month I’m giving away my book! Find out how to win one at www.grocerylists.org (the deadline is May 31!).

Of course, if you can’t wait please feel free to head over to your local bookseller or Amazon to pick up a copy of the book right now!

I can’t believe it’s not better either, but for $1.19 — who cares?!

Um, how do you spell sheik? Oh yeah, I need toothpaste.

You better be brushing your teeth if that’s all you eat.

I talked to Chad Garrison of the Riverfront Times here in St. Louis last week. Here’s the Q&A:

In 1997 Bill Keaggy discovered a discarded grocery list in a south-city Schnucks. Ten years later, Keaggy has published his first-ever book, Milk Eggs Vodka, documenting some of the 1,700 grocery lists he has collected since. Last week Keaggy took time off from his day job as a photo editor for the Post-Dispatch to discuss the book.

(FYI: The headline on the story refers to a short news bit on the previous page — not me.)

For the worst spelling of “bananas” so far.

Pop City is a publication of the School of Communications Design Studies at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Carly Koshman interviewed me, Found Magazine’s Davey Rothbart and artist Blair Brennan for the third issue of the text/image/design magazine.

Ever since i discovered Found Magazine, the discarded items of strangers have fascinated me… Bill Keaggy collects grocery lists, and Edmonton artist Blair Brennan makes art out of his collections to name just a few. But what’s the appeal?

Here’s part of what I said:

So much that is revealed is actually in the mind of the finder who interprets the object, be it a list, note, photograph or something else.