Friday, February 11, 2011

Typosphere: Stanley Needs You!

Attention Typosphere...

My daughter's class is doing a "Flat Stanley" project and could use your help. If you're not familiar, Flat Stanley is a children's book wherein the main character (Stanley) is flattened, and has a series of adventures since he's flat enough to slip under doors or be put into an envelope and mailed. (Somehow this seemed less gruesome to me when I read the books as a child.)

Wikipedia has the skinny (sorry) on Stanley and this project...

This morning over breakfast, my daughter asked if I knew anyone "far away" who would be willing to receive her Stanley in the mail, and get a picture with him visiting exotic locales. Keep in mind that for eight-year-olds, going to the movies is an "exotic locale." I'm not sure how much time Stanley should be on the road, but all the letter exchanges we've been doing got me thinking...

I've been planning to send off letters to some of the more far-flung typospherians, and now wonder if you would mind if Stanley happened to come along for the ride? (Adwoa, Rino: I'm especially looking at you.) I'll try to talk to the teacher today and find out if Stanley is up to making a domestic and international jaunt, with typewritten letters along for the ride to boot. And if any of you have children in your lives doing a similar project, I'll be happy to return the favor.

Post a reply if you're willing: Stanley might just be coming to your town.

16 comments:

notagain said...

I think that sounds fun.
Make him a plain paper suit on which we can type the locations he's visited so he can look like a steamer trunk.

Adwoa said...

Of course, I'll be very glad to receive Stanley! There are some great landmarks in Geneva where I could take some fine pictures of him, I'm sure. We could work out the details via email - I'm at anbart(a)gmail.com.

Looking forward to our svelte visitor!

Duffy Moon said...

Ha! My daughter did the same thing.
I'm open, if time allows. (When you say "Exotic" who doesn't think "Ohio"?)

mpclemens said...

@notagain: Great idea! Maybe she can include a flat steamer-trunk for typing upon...

@Adwoa: Excellent, thank you. We looked up Switzerland on the map this morning, and she was impressed that it was even further away than Grandma's.

@Duffy: It must be the new elementary school rite of passage. I don't know about timing -- does Stanley need to "come home?" -- but I'm going to check with the teacher. It would be *flippin awesome* if we could get Stanley all the way around the world (U.S. -> Australia -> Switzerland -> U.S.) for example. I will definitely plan for a trek through the heartland.

speculator said...

Stanley would love the Maine coast!

(I've done this for my nephew, who lives in Chicago)

(send me a note via Facebook)

Ryan Adney said...

Stanley would be welcome to join us in the desert. Perhaps he would want to meet a cactus?

deek said...

If NE Indiana would help, I'd be glad to receive Stanley as well. I'll even promise a one-day turnaround (as long as its not next week, as I'm traveling between home and Philly on Tuesday and Thursday).

mpclemens said...

You folks are the best. Seriously.

Anonymous said...

Northwest rainy cold woods?

Elizabeth H. said...

About all we have in Olympia is our defunct brewery and--on the very rare chance that we get a clear day--a distant view of Mt. Rainier...but I could give it a shot if needed!

mpclemens said...

@Snohomish and @LFP: The drizzly northwest would be a nice a contrast to our golden treeless hills. Don't sell it short! And I'm sure Stanley would enjoy the outdoors, though perhaps we'll laminate him first...

Richard P said...

Exotic Cincinnati would also welcome Stanley to the shores of the Ohio River.

Unknown said...

Some-timer reader who lurks: Honolulu Hawaii with an old Olympia (not used for some time), 2 IBM with daisy wheels, and a groovy orange Italian brand that I can't think of (not Olivetti) would like to host Stanley as well. This is "winter" weather we are having - with a lot of rain.

Mike Speegle said...

Dude. Vegas. Name a cheesy faux-exotic locale and I shall take him there. Pyramid? Medieval castle? Done and done.

Or maybe would you like a picture of him next to the something a little more typosherical-thematic...

rino breebaart said...

Sounds great! I'll think of a nice beach or something with kangaroos in the shot. Or the Opera House in sydney - I'm going down there later in March. Sign me up rino atsign slowreview dot com/

mpclemens said...

Hawaii! Vegas! Australia! This gets more awesome by the day. It looks like it will be possible for Stanley to circumnavigate the globe. We'll have to make a flat typewriter to send with him.