Not So Much A Bookselling Woe

Really, Pip Barlett's Guide to Magical Creatures is a bad example to use because they immediately put that one aside for me but I'm just so excited about it.

Curious George Finds a Final Resting Place

Photograph by Lindsay Metivier,

ruined via Photoshop by the author of this post.

On the last day of the 49th calendar year of the Booksmith, I came in to the store bleary-eyed and fuzzy-headed from my home, where a four-year-old Curious George junkie in recovery had told me just before the door closed "i love you that's why i'm going to give you a big hug."

Scheduled to train a new bookseller on the Atari-era computer system that keeps our records and manages our point of sale, I spent the first hour of the workday struggling to recall the litany of possible sales transactions that, after twelve years of wrangling the reg (pronounced rej) now exist as pure muscle-memory. The hour was long, but fortunately my trainee was patient, as I ended up spending more time chastising my fingers, which were skittering at their typically manic pace across the keyboard, than imparting actual knowledge. "Slow down! Even I can't tell what you're doing."

Release and relief for my cramping brain came in the form of Ric, Cool Ric. Leaving the continuation of the training to the zen master, I stepped down from the reg and immediately into a classic bookselling moment.

"I need something that will make a paper boat, do you have something?"
"...are you looking for a kit? Or a book that includes instructions?"
"I suppose I should tell you what this is for. The boat will carry a family member's ashes out to sea."

Now, a book has not been written about every specific subject, but I'm usually adept at finding needles in haystacks. The next part of this story would usually involve extensive searching down byways and through the crafts section, the card & gift room, google. And when the objective is something so personal and important, any bookseller worth the title would put off all other duties in the pursuit of the prize.

But me? Coming from where I come from? And that boy, who declared his love and his intention to express it, not two hours earlier?
Inigo Montoya holds aloft his beloved murdered father's sword, invokes the spirits, and is guided to the secret knot in the great tree. The six-fingered man is found. Curious George cannot hide his secrets when guided by the spirit of his greatest fan.

In the one where he rides a bike, George provides a step by step diagram explaining how to make a paper boat out of a newspaper.

This is a great day, for all of us.

Except Philip, who didn't learn a thing from me.

I'm still at the register.

I'm not complaining, just making a general observation. A fella came in to see if we sold Kindle cases. I bought some facial toner. I ate some crackers...so that was a lot of excitement. In a few minutes I'm going to drag what's left of me to the front register and handle some books, interact with some cool people. After two hours I will walk 2 miles home and read some poetry by Nick Flynn. http://www.brooklinebooksmith-shop.com/search/apachesolr_search/nick+flynn+some+ether. I will probably watch a psychological horror movie with my fella, and eat leftover something. I will have a small glass of some type of Korean rice vodka that was a lovely gift from a family friend. I will pet my cat; remember childhood knee injuries, forget to call my grandparents, regret eating those crackers, wash my face, floss (maybe), crawl into bed and read more Per Petterson. http://images.indiebound.com/835/343/9780312343835.jpg

Reading is a safe telenovella... Engaged escapism... Associative dissociation.

forgive me handsome sir...

I was shelving with about 60lbs worth of hardcovers in my arms when I saw a tall handsome fella browsing my section. As any red blooded American coward would do I weaseled over his way to feign shelving for that section. When I looked over his shoulder, I saw that he was reading from a Nook. You know, B&N's answer to the kindle. My heart skipped a beat and I thought to myself...."why is it always the pretty ones?" nah-- what I really thought was..."say something say something!" so I said something. This is how the conversation unfolded.

me- Oh hi! (bats eyelashes a little too ardently) are you browsing from our aisles and buying from them? (chin pointing to his device since hands are holding 60lbs of books)

handsome- uh, (long uncomfortable pause) I guess so...

me- so the thing is, we want you here and all, but if you don't buy from us it'll be hard to provide you with this browsing opportunity you seem to be getting a lot out of...

(ok I didn't say that)

I really said...

"if you only buy from them-- stores like this could go away"

handsome- (nods head a bit too rapidly, smiles (sigh)) and says --

yea, I know

And so I waited till he went downstairs (to presumably get away from me...) before I shuffled over to Paul to recount the affair (in 3 minutes or less Dana I swear)

Progress is good. Change is good. Technology is good.

Awareness is great.

Being aware of the people around you, how they are surviving, how they buy their food, keep themselves clothed---these are the details that matter....how we live. Your money is your vote.

thanks for your support.

(I promise my next post will be less commerce-y)

Do You Want Your Booksellers Reading at the Register?

Is it a requirement that booksellers wear glasses? Kind of. Is it a requirement that boys that work at Trader Joe's wear carabiners with keys on them? Most assuredly. There are some stereotypes that are offensively true. The point I'd like to raise is one of great contention, and the mere fact that I hesitated to even bring it up is proof of its divisiveness... reading, while working at the cash register. Is it okay? Why or why not...

When you walk into a bookstore, you expect the booksellers to be, well,...hyper literate. This quality takes a good deal of time to develop. If you are working at the register, and there aren't many customers around, and everything had been straightened and stocked...is it ok to read? Would you be put off if you saw an employee reading on the job? Or would you see it as on the job training/ or product placement?

I personally have mixed feelings on the issue. If I saw someone reading at a coffee shop, and they didn't look up to acknowledge my presence as a paying customer, I would be miffed. I would feel neglected...but I would also be curious as to what the are reading. Now let's say we have the same scenario, but this time we are in a bookstore...if the reader/employee in question looked up and acknowledged me as a customer, I would be fine with them reading at the register. I would think to myself, what a wonderful job they have! I wonder what they are reading? As surely it must be good, I mean they work here and have the pick of the litter! They practice what they preach!

I am honestly curious as to what you think as a customer, is it beneficial to have booksellers reading on the job? (while at the register)

"...they make billions" she said, as we shook our head over the greed of a certain monolithic octopus online corporation that is threatening to stop selling goods to my homestate's businesses, should the state pass a law that requires that corporation to collect sales tax on goods sold to businesses there.

you know who doesn't make billions?
writers
clowns
comedians
99.9% of actors
poets
painters
sculptors
graffiti artists
chefs
dancers
singers
musicians
99.9% of filmmakers
teachers.

And not one of them, not one of them, who over the course of my life have provided the spark for my laughter, or brought tears to my eyes, or lit a fire of inspiration inside of me, have ever threatened to withhold their services, for any reason.

Buy poetry, as a friend wrote here recently.
And look at paintings, and taste the food you eat,
and listen to the words of the songs you hear.

And don't let anyone tell you that a corporation is a person.