Just a few years ago, unconscious people were suggesting that I use my degree in Literature and Creative Writing to work at a book store and I actually thought that was highly inappropriate use of a very expensive and yet unpaid for college degree. I wanted to keep loving books too and admit that I was wary that the average bookstore clerk did not love books, like many city employees who work at libraries but do not love books or even read many of them. Would books be equal to say, cabbages, to my co-workers? There were two independent book stores that I wanted to work for, one Duttons on Laurel Canyon, and the other The Bodhi Tree in West Hollywood. Independents.
Those were the days... Every bookstore I could have applied to work at has gone belly up like cockroaches sprayed with cockroachacide. At best they go online where you can order what you heard about somewhere else.
So yes, it is remarkable that someone is opening the store of his dreams despite the independents and many of the big stores deader than dead. (If it will make any of you feel any better, I bought a used book today called "Gallop!" by Rufus Butler Seder, a Scanimation Picture Book, at one of those hole in the wall, where-is-the-little-man-behind-the-cashregister?-stores.)
The article I'm linking to is about Tony Jacobs who just opened SIDESHOW RARE AND REMARKABLE BOOKS, on Idaho Avenue near Sawtelle. The book started with years of personal collecting of books, pulp fiction! It's written by David Suissa who is President of the Jewish Journal.
click on the title!
