BOOK REVIEW: BUDDING TALENT

For a young guy, Dana Larsen sure knows a lot about publishing, says Denise
Ryan. Marketing too.

Dozens of books are sent in to The Vancouver Sun's newsroom every week,
and savvy marketers know that often a little something extra is needed to
help the editor, as we say in B.C., "separate the seeds from the bud."

Last year Michael Turner's book The Pornographer's Poem was heralded by a
preview CD that featured, among other things, a cheesy dialogue segment of
fans, supposedly in a bar,talking about the author against ambient
background noises like ice cubes clinking in glasses.

It was a better attention getter than the bedraggled roll of toilet paper a
trivia book came stuffed in that same year or the dying red rose taped to
the press package for a forthcoming picture book on Trudeau. But nothing
could possibly surpass this week's rather odiferous arrival of the Pot
Puzzle Fun Book (Quick American Archives, 60 pp., $20). It came via regular
mail with a polite letter from the publisher and, folded between the pages,
a big fat joint sealed in a Ziploc baggie.

Editor and tireless pot activist Dana Larsen thought "there should be
something nice" included with each review copy, to ensure, perhaps, proper
appreciation of his educational funbook.

Larsen, who also publishes Cannabis Culture magazine, poked around in his
personal stash for the stuff: "Mighty Mighty crossed with Kush." Our
volunteer tester described it as "full-bodied with a creamy, lingering
aftertaste," offering "wonderful smokeablilty, a cool but not overwhelming
body stone."

Whether or not such graft promotes appreciation of the book is arguable, as
our tester had to go back to work shortly after trying the product.

And, not every reviewer received the special treat package; Larsen sent
joints to only a select group including Rolling Stone, Playboy and Maxim
magazines, and, inexplicably, the Ottawa Citizen. "I threw the thing out
without even opening it and probably wasted the first decent joint I'd had
in 20 years," groaned Citizen books editor Jenny Jackson when I called to
ask if she'd received her press package.

Lorena Gibbs, books editor at Maxim in New York giggled knowingly when I
called, but declined to comment, other than to say she'd have to "clear it
with PR first." PR also had no comment.

Larsen is no stranger to publicity stunts -- 10 years ago as an English and
Psychology undergraduate at SFU he started a campus club to organize pot
smokers, went on to help form the League for Ethical Action on Drugs and
was a key organizer of the infamous inaugural "smoke-in" rally at the
Vancouver Art Gallery in 1993 (now an annual event). Larsen also worked
closely with Marc Emery, the founder of Hemp B.C. and the Cannabis Cafe,
editing a newsletter that eventually grew into Cannabis Canada, a glossy
bi-monthly news, service and lifestyle magazine.

The publication began with a modest circulation of 2,000. Sales increased
steadily in Canada, but, probably due to the geographic moniker, it didn't
sell well in the U.S. Larsen re-named it Cannabis Culture, and in five
years circulation has grown to 70,000, with distribution in the U.S.,
Canada and Australia. Cannabis Culture is available at 7-Eleven alongside
People and Vanity Fair, and Larsen has never had any trouble sending either
the magazine -- or the occasional joint -- over the border.

As a tribute to his success, the noted San Francisco-based marijuana advice
guru, Ed Rosenthal, who for 20 years was a columnist at High Times, has
moved over to Cannabis Culture.

As editor of one of the few general-interest Canadian magazines that isn't
subsidized by the government, Larsen has turned notoriety into success.

His parents, non-smokers who once disapproved of his pot smoking, now
grudgingly show pride in his accomplishments -- mom even appeared last week
on pot.tv.net for an interview on Larsen's Web TV show, the Weedy Wednesday
Smokefest.

Larsen's Pot Puzzle Fun Book includes 60 pages of cannabis quizzes,
search-and-find puzzles, crosswords, fun facts and Q&A's. Although it's
perfect for those long car trips with mom and dad, the book is aimed at pot
lovers of all ages. Available on Amazon.com, in Canada at Chapters, and in
the U.S. at Borders and Barnes and Noble, the book is selling well, and a
second printing is already in the works for the Christmas rush. Our tester
wishes to inform the young publisher that, first run or 20th, you just
can't have too much publicity.

As Mix books editor, Denise Ryan separates the seeds from the buds.