Happy Independent Bookstore Day!

Happy Inependent Bookstore Day

Dan Cafaro on Seeking Chivalry in the Paris of Your Dreams

On Independent Bookstore Day

Booksellers have the same fears, doubts, and insecurities as writers and artists. We question the value of our work and wonder if our trade is becoming obsolete. While creative writers and designers may feel threatened by the accelerated application of AI (notably, ChatGPT), booksellers have long faced extinction. And, like most animals facing the abyss, we have no idea how to stem the tide. We are purveyors of humanity, purpose, and justice. We are gluttons for poetry, mystery, and fantasy. Profitability? Not so much.Books have no known cure. Their lure and promise, the magnetism of their seductive covers, their wit and wisdom, their trusty escape from this obnoxious TikTok world . . . booksellers are addicted to all of it. Like hopeless romantics, we left behind a conventional life of deadlines, budgets, and a steady paycheck to help patrons visit the Paris of their dreams via the Quixotic journeys of made-up characters. Our collective North Star: a wondrous cluttered haven known as Shakespeare and Company. Be sure to pack snacks and turn off your mobile device.When I opened Atticus Books & Music in September 2022, many met the idea with skepticism. It made zero practical sense to open a mom-and-pop bookshop at the tail end of a global pandemic. Seven months later, following several deafeningly quiet days in the shop, how do I feel about the state of independent bookstores in our little corner of the universe (Fountain Hills, Arizona)?To begin, I’m elated by the heartfelt enthusiasm of book lovers, readers, and collectors. They remain true in their dedication to independent bookstores. For example, dozens of times, we’ve taken special orders from customers who approach our checkout counter with an Amazon screen shot of the book they want on their smartphone. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that they don’t need us. They could easily acquire the book(s) themselves faster and for less money. But they want us. They want us to survive. They like having us here on earth. They believe we bring something intangible to the community,something that hair salons and pizza parlors can’t supply. Some wax nostalgic. I’m blown away by this loyalty.I too am impressed and grateful for customers who allow enough time to shop for books they don’t need. Books, you see, are a funny commodity. We acquire some for entertainment and escape, and we seek others for enlightenment and education. We rarely need a book, but in dire situations, books do perform small miracles. It may be a slight exaggeration to say that books save lives, but they do improve lives. They do enhance the quality of day-to-day living. They do add companionship to our circle. They do make us feel less alone.Why do I implore you to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day today? Why should you support a brick-and-mortar shop when we live in a world where access to literature is as convenient as grabbing a hot dog from a food truck?It’s no secret that books are everywhere, so it’d be easy to undervalue them. But the right book doesn’t always end up in the right person’s hands. In fact, if you get sucked into the crass commercialism of the book industry, you may never get to read a book that could change the course of your life. That may sound corny and melodramatic, but it’s true. The works of some of our finest authors only appear on the shelves of an independent bookstore. Sure, you may be able to stumble upon them online, but that’s not nearly as magical as discovering them in person.Chivalry isn’t dead in 2023; it’s only hiding in your local bookstore.Dan CafaroFounder and PublisherAtticus Review and Atticus Books and Music

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