[StPaul] Help Save Ruminator Books

[Tom Goldstein / Elysian Fields Quarterly]

This is a post for all of those who care about what kind of businesses and meeting places that we want to have available in our local community. And, on a personal level, about a place that I treasure.   As some or many of you may be aware, Ruminator Books is experiencing serious financial difficulties. Without going into a lot of details, Ruminator must raise about $500,000 by the end of January or there is a strong likelihood that they will be forced to close their doors. Now, as we all know, lots of stores come and go over the years, and while we may lament their passing (like the previous discussions on this list about Tracy One Stop), we usually just accept the results as part of the ebb and flow of business. I hope that such general indifference is not how we'll treat Ruminator's situation.   David Unowsky has owned and operated Ruminator since 1970, and if there's somebody who's done more to promote a love and appreciation of literature, free speech, and local authors than David, I'd sure like to meet that person. Ruminator pioneered book signings and author readings in this area, created the nationally acclaimed Ruminator Review, and they've spawned many, many careers in the booksellling and book publishing world, not to mention lots of writers whose careers were sustained or inspired by their involvement with Ruminator.    For about thirty of David's thirty-three years in business, Ruminator has thrived, been successful, and earned David and his staff a modest but decent living. But the advent of amazon.com, the predatory pricing strategies of Barnes & Noble and other chains, and the corporate subsidies that helped bring about the building now occupied by Bound to Be Read at Grand and Victoria have had a significant impact on David's business. Throw in the downturn of the economy post 9/11 and the stock market collapse, and it's pretty amazing that an independent like Ruminator is still in business. (Admittedly, there were also some costly mistakes commited by Ruminator, including an ill-fated opening of a Minneapolis store in 2000 that they've since closed.)   The question for folks like us who recognize Ruminator's value in this community is what we're willing to do to keep Ruminator in business. One obvious way is to patronize the store as often as possible. But there are a couple of more important ways that go to the heart of what it means to have a community-based bookstore in our midst. Through today, you can bid on several author-donated items that Ruminator is auctioning on ebay--there are lots of signed books, manuscripts, posters, prints, even an historic Romanian flag donated by Andrei Codrescu. To learn about this auction, go to stores.ebay.com/ruminatorbooks and bid on anything that might interest you (still lots of great stuff that hasn't generated a lot of bids).   You can also become an investor in Ruminator. As part of their effort to survive, the store is becoming a community-owned business, with individuals able to participate with a minimum purchase of $250 worth of stock. If 2000 people invested that much, Ruminator would have the cash it needs to satisfy old debts, stock its shelves for the holidays, and most likely qualify for an SBA loan. For now, no money will be at risk, and if the required capital is not raised by the stipulated deadlines, all funds will be returned to investors. (For more information, contact Wanda at 651-699-0587 or stop by Ruminator at 1648 Grand for a prospectus).   Like many of you, I am not flush with cash, but I will somehow find $500 or $1000 to contribute to the effort (even though I know there is almost no likelihood that I'll see a gain on the money and at best it would be a permanent loan, much like my membership in the local food coop). Because as a former, mostly successful retailer on Grand (until the baseball strike of 1994-95), I know about the vagaries of the business world and how elements often beyond one's control can sink a going concern. So while some may simply wring their hands and say, "that's how it goes," I'd argue that if Ruminator were to close its doors, it would be an incalculable loss to the community. David has created a heart and soul at Ruminator that you will not find in the corporate confines of the chain stores or places like Bound to Be Read. They can steal all of the independent booksellers' ideas and methods, but it doesn't change what they are: corporate-owned outlets where profit is the bottom line. They feel like libraries, the employees often seem like clones, and tell me what chain bookstore ever sponsored a forum about free speech or the meaning of the US Patriot Act like Ruminator has done.   Bottom line: We often claim that we're powerless to change the world around us, that we can't do anything about the economic forces that destroy independent businesses while subsidizing corporate-owned entities, that we can't have an impact on these kind of situations. But we can. Here's your chance to decide whether it's worth it to you to put some of your money into a business that's a meeting place for so many, that keeps alive the hope that free ideas can be expressed in our society, that our love of books and literature doesn't have to be controlled by the corporate chains that wouldn't know an important book if it bit them in the ass.   So shake the cushions of your sofa, raid the piggy back, somehow find some money to help save Ruminator. If you live out of state, I'll be happy to act as a proxy on your behalf for the purposes of becoming an investor. But whatever you do, act quickly, because the clock is running on whether this community can help keep David Unowsky's wonderful enterprise alive.   Tom Goldstein Mac-Groveland   Note: For purposes of disclosure, I consider David a friend, but this effort and posting are solely at my own initiative, and is being done without his knowledge (though he will be copied on this email).   ******************************************************************* At long last, a literate and intelligent, quirky, iconoclastic, funny, and opinionated journal for people who enjoy great writing and truly love baseball. ******************************************************************* Elysian Fields Quarterly: The Baseball Review PO Box 14385 Saint Paul, Minnesota  55114-0385       http://www.efqreview.com 651/644-8558   [EMAIL PROTECTED]