Why the book piles grow larger...

Some days we actually sell more books than we take in.

Most days, however, are like today, and we take in many more books than we sell. We got a bit snowed under today, as customers brought in box upon box of books to trade. This isn't too unusual (though we wonder how other stores with many more trade-in customers than we have stay caught up), but on top of this, a nice gentleman (I know his name, but I'm not sure he wants his name on the Internet.) brought in about 5 boxes of books and audiobooks that he just donated, as his wife just got a job in Olympia, and they need to empty their house quickly. So, I was the beneficiary of his benevolence (yes, I'm working on my alliteration).

We certainly do not ask nor do we expect customers to just donate books, and we encourage them to use our store-credit policies (which are liberal) to their fullest benefit. But I have to say, it sure is nice when an unexpected donation comes of its own accord.

So, thanks, Mr. Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless. And good luck in Olympia.

Gerald Stern reading

Gerald Stern, a renowned poet from New Jersey, made his way to Spokane for a poetry reading. The reading was co-sponsored by Aunties' Bookstore (where the reading was held) and EWU's Creative Writing Program.

I was glad that he Gerald Stern came to Spokane because his book, This Time, (which won the National Book Award for Poetry in 1998) was on my Master's thesis reading list. And, the department took him out to dinner prior to the reading at Europa Restaurant, which is right above the store (a benefit at times like these but a bane when their dishwasher backs up into the bookstore).

Jonathan Johnson, one of the profs in the creative writing program was nice enough to come downstairs and let me know they were eating up there. I got to run up and introduce myself (a bit difficult, as there were customers browsing the shelves) and then had to run right back down again. I also found out the reading at Auntie's had been moved up to 7 p.m. from 7:30 p.m. to help accommodate Mr. Stern's schedule (he is 80 years old), which meant I had to hustle people out of the store, close quickly, then hustle home to pick up my copy of This Time in order to get it signed at the reading, then had to hustle back downtown to Auntie's. I think I might have missed only a poem or two. Mr. Stern is quite the reader still--often times poets' readings suffer when the poets have advanced in age, but I was glad to see (and hear) that Mr. Stern still had power in his voice. Also, it was nice to see an overflow crowd at Auntie's for a poet. Usually, those types of crowd are reserved for popular fiction writers like James Patterson or Chuck Palahniuk.

Anyway, I am glad to see Auntie's bring in writers (and poets) the caliber of Gerald Stern. I think it's an incredible boon to the community that Auntie's is committed to hosting readings on a regular basis. Spokane needs more of that. We've hosted one reading in our cramped store in the year and a half that we've owned it (which was an effort), and if our space allotted, we'd certainly do more. That's on my wish list of improvements to be sure.