Miranda July's novel, The First Bad Man, is about to be released in January 2015. Like any other author, July is already thinking of ways to promote her latest work – but this being the person who brought us an app that allows total strangers to deliver your text messages in person, she's come up with a pretty unique strategy. She's going to auction off items mentioned in her fictional book. 

The First Bad Man Store is selling off 40 totally random things, all of which we presume has deeper symbolic meaning in the book. The items include: a piece of Tibetan cloth, "special shoes" (flip-flops with nails in the soles), pink satin boxers, and a list "of all the things that used to make her happy". It's the most depressingly evocative eBay sale in the world! 

Anyone can bid on the listings, with all proceeds going to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Each item comes authenticated by Miranda July's signature and will be packaged with its relevant excerpt from the novel. So not only do you get a July-signed object, you also get a sneak peek at her new book. 

The First Bad Man is July's debut full-length novel, and tells the tale of Cheryl Glickman, an eccentric loner who works at a women's self-defense nonprofit and dreams about romance. Her last collection of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award in 2007. 

Check out the First Bad Man Store here.