Yesterday I received the much-delayed Issue 4 of The Thing. Rather than trying to explain The Thing in my own words, I’ll take the easy route and paste their words:

THE THING Quarterly is a periodical in the form of an object. Each year, four artists, writers, musicians or filmmakers are invited by the editors (Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan) to create an everyday object that somehow incorporates text. This object will be reproduced and hand wrapped at a wrapping party and then mailed to the homes of the subscribers with the help of the United States Postal Service.

This was a bittersweet package for me, as it was my last issue of The Thing. I really wanted to re-subscribe, but at the time $100 was a lot of money for me. It still is, and now it’s up to $140. But look at the creators of issues 7-10: Jonathan Lethem, Trevor Paglen, Ryan Gander and Starlee Kine! So tempting. And getting that box in the mail stamped THE THING and opening the box (always different sizes and shapes) to discover the mystery object inside is one of the most exciting feelings.

So I savored this last experience until me and The Thing meet again.

So I was wanting to subscribe to this thing called The Thing. It’s an awesome, creative idea. If you’re too lazy to have clicked on the link, basically you subscribe to getting 4 “everyday objects that incorporate text” by four different artists, sent to you over the course of a year in brown paper packaging. These things could be anything really, but most of all, they are a mystery. How fun!

So, back to the story. After months of deliberating (due to the costs and the fact that I had little to no money), I had finally decided to subscribe. I decided that it meant a lot to me and I could use part of my graduation money for something that, while frivolous in a way, would make me happier than anything I could possibly need (and most things that I want). Thus is the allure of art. No sooner than the day after I had decided to subscribe did I get an e-mail from the ever generous LHH with the subject of “i’m about to make your day.” I open it to read this (hope you don’t mind I’m posting this):

“I broke down and subscribed to something very exciting. you may be able to guess. It is for us to share, but your half of it (which you may choose) is a gift from me to you. The subscription will be delivered to you in Omaha, NE. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I just wanted to do it. hopefully you will receive installment #1 within the next few weeks. Hopefully it will inspire you.”

Well, I received it, I love it and I am inspired. Thank you, Laura! It is awesome. It felt like Christmas day to me, but without the annoyance of having to get up at 7 am. In addition to being overjoyed at finding such a large piece of mail for me on my front step (one of the most exciting things to have happen), I feel extremely lucky to have such thoughtful and generous friends like you. I’m feeling so fortunate and warm hearted that I have actually deliberated for the past 2 minutes about writing, “That is the true gift” after that last sentence. I’m serious. But I could only hear Sharon Stone saying it. So, I will keep it there as long as you all imagine her saying it (with a slight Southern twang).

Now, since I have created such a mystery over what is exactly in the tube, and I am failing to deliver the photographic goods due to my impatience with the computer taking forever to load one specific photo (really, the money shot) for some reason, you’ll have to go here to see The Thing. It’s like an online scavenger hunt. Enter the secret password and then scroll down to see something beautiful and vinyl.