Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021         Page 710711712713714715716717718719720721722723724725726727728729730731732733734735736737738739740741742743744745746747748749750751752753754755756757758759760761762763764765 of 1029

Well, somebody got the bright idea of going out to sell the big banks on using this American College Dictionary as one of their prizes. If they gave a big enough order, I went with the packet for a day.

What was the minimum order?

Five thousand, but preferably 10,000. Also, they had to pay me a damned good fee to go for the day. That was a personal deal. I was happy to work for Random House, but I was damned if I was going to sit in a bank all day for nothing;

I'll explain to you what this deal included. Usually you'd go the night before to a city like Minneapolis or Memphis or Houston or Denver. We've done it now in city after city. Usually there's a party the night before. They meet you at the plane and there's a dinner party for the bank trustees and their wives and some important depositors. You're the guest of honor and it's great fun. There is always one pretty wife of a director there. Then they start you early the next morning, or even that same evening. There are radio shows, television shows--every local station. The bank is usually the largest bank in town so they have connections. You're put up usually at one of the clubs or the private home of the president or the vice-president of the bank. I prefer going to a hotel, but sometimes you can't get out of these invitations. It's part of the deal. Often