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Everyone knows that books make the best gifts, right? If you’re reading this blog you probably agree with us. Last year, Overlook got into the true spirit of the holiday season and spent twelve days in December giving away some of our favorite books that we’ve published over the past forty years. We had such a strong response that we’ve decided to continue the tradition this year, with another

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By F. Bailey Norwood and Jayson L. Lusk

 
After fighting each other for over a decade, the egg industry and the largest animal advocacy organization came to an agreement, one which will increase the welfare of egg-laying hens but also increase egg prices.  The United Egg Producers, under persistent pressure from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), has agreed to transition hens out of battery cages and into enriched colony cages.  The HSUS certainly believes the higher welfare standards are worth the increase in egg prices, but do consumers agree?  My research says that when consumers are informed about the issue, yes, they applaud the move—even when they know higher egg prices will follow.

Most consumers do not wish to see farm animals crammed into small cages, but if they take the time to discover the source of their pork and eggs, these cramped animal cages are what they will see.  Chickens raised for egg production are placed in groups of 4-6 birds and raised their entire lives inside a cage so small that they cannot turn around without bumping into another chicken.  Spreading their wings is out of the question.  Sows (female hogs used for breeding) are confined even tighter, spending most of their lives in a stall so small the sow cannot even turn around.  There are more farm animal welfare issues than just space allotments.  Both layers and sows desire to forage for food, scratch or dig, socialize, and find comfortable places to rest.  All of these “behavioral” needs are neglected in the typical egg and pork production facility.  By transitioning from battery cages to enriched colony cages, the egg industry goes a long way towards meeting these space and behavioral needs.

Why are animal cages used in the first place, when the average person finds them disturbing?  In the competitive marketplace for food, farmers must employ confined production facilities to keep their costs low, because consumers generally emphasize low prices over animal welfare at the grocery store.  Yet, at the same time, consumers who purchase food from so-called “factory farms” donate money to the HSUS, who uses some of this money to ban the same animal cages used to produce most eggs and pork.  In surveys, referendums, and economic research, consumers consistently support the banning of the same cramped animal cages used to produce the food they purchase.

One reason the farm animal welfare debate cannot be quickly resolved is that consumers have difficulty resolving the issue for themselves.  They want livestock to be treated kindly, but they also want low food prices, and it is difficult to reconcile the tradeoff between animal well-being and food prices in the grocery store and/or in referendums.  For these reasons, the farm animal welfare debate is a messy, contradictory debate—the trademark of a democratic process.

Although consumer attitudes can be elusive to identify, research has revealed a few facts.  The most important fact to stem from consumer research is that, when consumers are informed about how layers and sows are raised, they consistently state they are willing to pay the higher food prices that would result from better animal care.  This does not imply that regular grocery store shoppers will reflect this level of concern in their willingness-to-pay for food, because the regular grocery store shopper is uninformed. 

However, the farm animal welfare debate is largely a policy debate.  Should we ban colony cages for layers?  Should we ban gestation stalls for sows?  It would seem prudent to base policy on the opinions of informed consumers, as opposed to uninformed consumers.  When employing this prudent procedure, there is little doubt that the ban on cramped animal cages occurring in the European Union and US states is justifi

Great moments in American literature… ?

After seeing the remake of True Grit a few months ago, Leonard Maltin decided to re-read the original Charles Portis novel and the rest of authors work. Imagine his surprise when, while reading Portis’ first book Norwood, he found a reference to both Warner Bros. Road Runner and Coyote AND Paramount’s Noveltoons!

Paramount Cartoons noted in great literature? Seymour Kneitel recognized for his directorial genius? I’m afraid not. It more likely reflects the general public’s attitude towards Chuck Jones mini masterpieces versus all other comers. And most Noveltoons are not very good (though a guilty pleasure of mine!).

Norwood was written in 1966 and has recently been reprinted along with True Grit and Portis’ other novels by Tusk, a division of The Overlook Press. I’ve posted the page from the book below, the relevant text in bold. The set-up is that good ol’ boy Norwood has just hitched a ride with a guy driving a bread-delivery truck, who turns out to be a talkative fellow.

(Thanks, Leonard Maltin)

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Charles Portis, Norwood, Noveltoons

Yesterday, we got the extremely exciting news that True Grit will be the next #1 on the New York Times bestseller for trade paperback fiction. For a book that's been around since 1968, the "Portis revival" (The New Yorker) is incredibly welcome. While of course we love to see our books sell, we acquired Charles Portis' work long before the Coen Brothers film adaptation was planned--because we think they are truly American classics that deserved to stay in print.

To celebrate, we're giving away a FULL SET of Charles Portis' novels. At this point, everyone's heard of True Grit. But some of us are huge fans of Norwood here, and many consider The Dog of the South to be Portis' finest work. We also thought Gringos and Masters of Atlantis were absolute American classics. So we're giving away ALL FIVE books to one lucky winner. Leave a comment here, on Twitter or on Facebook to win--winners announced tomorrow!

Don't forget that these will all be available as ebooks next week and stay tuned for the announcement of the Academy Awards nominees on January 25--we're keeping our fingers crossed that the great reviews of the film translate into much-deserved Oscar nods! And check out this great book buzz from USA Today about True Grit.

Happy reading!