I finished,
Parnassus On Wheels and
The Haunted Bookshop.
The wait,
getting them out of storage,
was worth it.
Delightful books,
about the love of books,
and the communication of that love.
Anybody who sells books,
should track it down.
It will renew evangelical zeal in you.
You know the book business is tough,
you make,
no money,
you compete with thrift stores,
who sell books according to,
size!!
People want the flavour of the month,
think,
vampires,
zombies,
I travelled to India, Italy or Nepal,
and it changed my life,
how to make a million dollars,
by thinking you will:-)
But, you also meet exceptional people,
the book lovers,
like my friend the busy writer,
my friend with impeccable taste,
Francois the anarchist,
the guy who is reading twelve books a week,
to keep from going insane.
People of outstanding character,
or of loose morals.
People who love books,
and if they love books,
they are my people,
the bookish,
the tribe.
Some days,
usually,
in the polar bear days,
of January, February,
or the smouldering sticky days,
of July and August,
it’s Montreal, we get both,
you wonder,
why did I give up my,
steady job,
45 g’s,
with benefits and a pension plan?
And,
Then,
In walks,
this kid you know,
and haven’t seen in a few years,
you say “Hey, how you doing?”
and she smiles and says “you remember me?”
“Of course!”
and then she hands you a promotional card for her new book,
and says “thanks for encouraging me”.
You don’t remember encouraging her,
to do anything but,
read,
but,
obviously you made a difference.
To spread good books about, to sow them on fertile minds,
to propagate understanding and a carefulness of life and beauty,
isn’t that high enough a mission for a man?
page 192 The Haunted Bookshop-Christopher Morley
Well, it is for this Butch,
and although that doesn’t pay the bills or keep you warm at night,
it helps you sleep,
knowing,
that sometimes,
you make a difference.
Later girls,
BB
