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Mitch wrote:
Owner David Unowski has made a lot of stupid, disastrous
decisions, and squandered an unbelievable amount of money at a time when the bookstore market is, to say the least, changing. And it could involve more than a loan - Jay Benanav wants to *give* the store $50K STAR grant, from sales-tax funds.
Mitch, can you provide some examples of what David Unowski did? And how, precisely, is the more global bookstore market changing? As a reader and a writer, I haven't seen any significant bookstore changes since the addition of coffee shops and comfortable reading chairs.
I used to visit the Hungry Mind a lot, loved the small and intimate settings where we could listen to published authors talk about their stuff, but, frankly, I grew weary of the lack of inventory. It seemed like every time I was looking for a specific piece of work, I could never find it at the Hungry Mind. Sure, they could order it for me, but that doesn't seem very appealing, especially in an age of instant consumption. And, the staff always seems a little snooty, too. Now, before anyone gets their pants in a knot about that, I'll say that I've had bad experiences with snooty staff at other bookstores, too. Once, when I was a student, I had to read a book by an author that I loathed (Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, if anyone is interested) and I went trotting into Barnes & Noble for Cliff Notes. I don't make it a habit to read Cliff Notes, indeed, it was the first time that I considered it as an option, but I thought it to be a better alternative than reading about Clarissa's preoccupation with upper-class London life while planning a party.
Anyway, I digress. I went into the bookstore and asked a guy where to find the Cliff Notes, and it turned out that he was some ex-professor dabbling with a novel (aren't they all) and he refused to show me where they were. So snootiness reigns in all places, from small independent stores to big chains to me, who just made a sweeping judgment about ex-professors who work in bookstores.
As far as a loan is concerned, I do hope that Ruminator can make ends meet with or without GA. The store is a good neighbor, a good community member, and if they need a bit of extra help to remain as an alternative to big-box bookstores, so be it.
Deb Mundinger [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Snel-Ham
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