I was on a late night Walmart run when the idea for my novel, Discount, struck me. The impetus was a jar of peanut butter; I don’t remember which brand. But I do remember staring intently at the price, trying to log all the factors of its cost: farmers, tractors, fertilizer, gasoline, pesticides, truck drivers, trucks, advertisers, human resource personnel, accountants, pallet jacks, pallet jack operators, stockers, cashiers, cash registers, receipt tape, plastic bags, taxes, profit margins, and management. The […]