Lemony Snicket's "observations" on Occupy Wall Street

The "Series of Unfortunate Events" author backs the Occupy movement via OccupyWriters.com

Published October 18, 2011 7:19PM (EDT)

 Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket).      (AP/Jeff Chiu)
Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket). (AP/Jeff Chiu)

The list of sympathetic signatories on OccupyWriters.com grows longer and more formidable by the day.

The many hundreds of writers who have so far volunteered their names in support of Occupy Wall Street and its international offshoots include Margaret Atwood, Elif Batuman, Noam Chomsky, Billy Collins, Michael Cunningham, Emma Donoghue, Jennifer Egan, Barbara Ehrenreich, Eve Ensler, Sasha Frere-Jones, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Lethem, Ann Patchett, Francine Prose, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem -- and many, many more. Not to mention Salon's very own Joan Walsh, Laura Miller and David Sirota!

Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) is among a handful of writers who have done more than simply add their names to the list; he's also contributed a list of 13 "observations made ... from a discreet distance," including:

6. Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they’ve been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative.

7. Someone feeling wronged is like someone feeling thirsty. Don’t tell them they aren’t. Sit with them and have a drink.

11. Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.

Where "unhappy endings" are concerned, the "Series of Unfortunate Events" author -- who's advised his young adult readers they'd "be better off with [other books]" if they are "interested in stories with happy endings" -- surely knows what he's talking about!

Read original Occupy Wall Street fiction penned exclusively for Salon -- including stories by OccupyWriters participants Fiona Maazel, Karen E. Bender and Marcy Dermansky -- here.


By Emma Mustich

Emma Mustich is a Salon contributor. Follow her on Twitter: @emustich.

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Occupy Wall Street