My Cache of Shame Has Been Pinched

The title is a nod to my best friend Joel. The events depicted within are sadly only my own.

I know a guy from the Public House. his name is Bill. We call him Bookstore Bill as there are a host of Bills in circulation. If you hadn't guessed, he works in a bookstore. He has for thirty years now. He worked for Hawley-Cooke for a number of years. It was an institution in Louisville. Economic trends began change and they sold out to Borders. Borders is closing. He was in the pub a few months ago, understandably morose. He was describing his future plans and we all nodded. Bill left and Roger said, the worst thing about the situation is that Bill has to stay and quietly sell off their stock at reduced prices. I then said, I would be happy to help them along. Roger said that this was bad. Roger likes to moralize. Roger likes to moralize about other people and their actions. I am being nice now.

I did not go to Bill's store but i went to the store at the mall. Yeah, the mall. It had been conveyed to me that books were now 80 percent off. That wasn't quite true, but fiction was deuced by such a figure. I bought two novels: Solar by Ian McEwan and Charles Jessold, Considered As A Murderer by Wesley Stace. i am quite comfortable with my decision. Did I poach? Is it people like me that allowed a big box to tumble and collapse? I have always loathed those stores. I wasn't their customer previously, only in emergencies.

Most of the books I buy are used. This is true by a wide margin. I am quite fine with that as well. I listened to Hayden's cello concerto last night while reading Stace's gothic novel about a composer. I bought the Jaqueline du Pre cd at Half Price. It cost me a dollar and I find considerable pleasure in listening to it. The potlatches and privations are beyond my means of odes and citations.