Many of you probably know that, after I compose a new blog post, I get the word out through Facebook, after which there is typically a noticeable uptick in activity, followed by a fraction of a second brownout along the Eastern Seaboard as discerning readers rush to Blogspot in search of the latest nuggets of wisdom and insight. Well, on a recent Facebook post, I posed the hypothetical question of whether I, based on some of my writings, could possibly be the biggest nerd on the blogosphere. Well the response was electric, with responses pouring in from all over the country (or at least three different parishes in Louisiana), as well as the Iberian Peninsula. Plus, my wife informally weighed in when I was explaining the origin and publishing history of the DC Comics character Swamp Thing. Unfortunately, I misinterpreted a couple of the early responses and created some confusion while tabulating the results, and I would like to clarify those results at this time.

On the question of my stature as a blogosphere-inhabiting nerd, there were two (2) votes of a resounding yes, one withholding of judgment until a later date, and one passionate assertion that I should not limit the breadth of my nerdiness merely to the blogosphere. As I am committed to keeping the polls open until a clear consensus has been reached on this important issue, I have decided to remove myself as much as possible from the task of overseeing the counting of votes, and have recruited experience professionals. Owing to their work observing elections internationally and performing heroic diplomatic missions, I contacted the Carter Center in Atlanta, founded by Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter. I was told politely that their docket was full, particularly with the impending Afghan runoff, but they directed me to a less prestigious institution, the Billy Carter Center for International Diplomacy and 24-hour Roadside Assistance, operating out of Earl's Bait and Ammo in Dead Yankee Hollow, Alabama since 1993. I have complete confidence in their ability to accomplish this task with all the integrity and vigilance regular readers of this blog have come to appreciate and deserve over the last few months.

After a busy few weeks of markets in New Orleans, I am proud to present the October 20 edition of the Greater New Orleans Market Bestseller List. These are the bestselling authors or series from flea markets, festivals and bazaars throughout the Greater New Orleans area in 2009. Here was the last list, from early October:

1. Kurt Vonnegut
2. Star Trek
3. (tie) Ray Bradbury
3. (tie) Walker Percy
5. Albert Camus
6. (tie) Robert Heinlein
6. (tie) Hermann Hesse
6. (tie) Aldous Huxley
6. (tie) James Joyce
6. (tie) George Orwell
6. (tie) J.D. Salinger
6. (tie) Clifford Simak

As of late October, here is how it stands:
1. Kurt Vonnegut
2. (tie) Hermann Hesse
2. (tie) Walker Percy
4. (tie) Ray Bradbury
4. (tie) George Orwell
4. (tie) Star Trek
7. Robert Heinlein
8. (tie) Joseph Campbell
8. (tie) Albert Camus
8. (tie) James Joyce
8. (tie) Henry Miller

Alright, I want everyone to exhale now, I realize that was pretty exciting. For future reference, a brown paper bag beside your computer might be handy in case of overexcited hyperventilation. As you can see, Huxley, Salinger and Simak all have left the list, while mythologist Joseph Campbell and bawdy raconteur Henry Miller have made their first appearances. Hermann Hesse seems to have made the biggest surge of the past few weeks, but Kurt Vonnegut's lead still looks very secure at this time. The most glaring pattern, of course, is the Anglo/American/ European dominance of the list, with the partial exception of the Algerian/French Camus. Chinua Achebe, Ayn Rand and Anne Rice all could potentially change that dynamic, but that is dependent on the literate consumers coming out to the markets for the rest of 2009.

Speaking of which, don't forget the 2009 New Orleans Bookfair, coming up on Saturday, November 7. Deep South Samizdat Books has been a fixture for five years now, and it is always great fun. See nolabookfair.com for further details.

Finally, we at Deep South Samizdat Books have been busy adding to our online inventory. See exciting and affordable new offerings from the likes of Henry Miller, Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Ward Churchill, Edward Said, Howard Zinn, e.e. cummings and others at amazon.com/shops/deepsouthsamizdatbooks. And email me at mpbookfreak@hotmail.com with any questions, comments, philosophical musings and the like. Peace, y'all.