Man Man Zou

There’s an American writer living down south in Chiayi named Dan Bloom, who spends his evenings at night markets selling his three published books out of his push-cart.

I don’t know if there’s anything cooler than that. I remember reading articles by Dan in the newspapers here, but I didn’t know anything about his nightly habit until I found a little write-up on him at Taiwan Ho!

“It’s been a real adventure, a great ride, and I love this new life, selling my own books in the night markets here,” Bloom says, adding that after five years here he remains “basically illiterate and tongue-tied in either Chinese or Taiwanese” — although the 43-year-old Boston-born reporter and writer does speak fluent French and “a rather poor creole Japanese.”

I love the fact that he can’t speak Chinese- conversations with the locals are usually more interesting that way. Based on my many strange encounters with people here, I’m guessing his books are full of interesting stories. I’d love to be able to put things into words like he does in his articles. Also, I’d love to be able to read the book, but unfortunately it’s only published in Chinese. That’s a little strange, since it was first written in English, then translated into Chinese. I’m guessing there’s unfortunately even less of a market for a book like that in English. He’d make a great blog writer.

I found a little article that Dan wrote about himself that gives an introduction to how he started, and goes into a little more detail about his sales.

I stood near my table, shouted out my sales chant (which in Chinese came to something like “Come here, come here, take a look at my new book! Just one hundred Taiwan dollars!”)

100nt (with only a 50nt profit)- most people in North America wouldn’t even lift a finger for earnings like that (just a couple of dollars). Dan does it because he likes it, and it gives him great stories I’m sure.