One of the things I have learned quickly in this book business is you must keep hustling. So it was that I found myself out and about the other day talking to various book store owners, extolling the wisdom of getting copies of my book so the currently rabid Twins' fans could learn more about the team's past.
Two of my stops the other day had an ulterior benefit: it allowed me the pleasure of rummaging through old fashioned, independent bookstores.
Micawber's, tucked into a residential neighborhood, is near my house. From the outside, it has a musty look. Inside, it is as clean as can be and simply stacked with books of all shapes, sizes and titles.
When I wander through bookstores, I rarely have a specific title in mind. It is my version of a scavenger hunt - you never know what treasure you will find. In this case, it was a copy of hundreds of letters written by the great E.B. White, longtime editor-writer at the New Yorker in its heyday. Even if you don't know some of the people he is writing to (or about), you can appreciate precise English and nifty turns of phrases. John Updike, no literary slouch himself, edited the book and added commentary when needed. I'm looking forward to a long, casual read.
Later, I found myself at Common Good Books, which is located in a busy area near downtown St. Paul. This is a place in the downstairs of a bustling coffee shop. Garrison Keillor opened it a few years ago and it has treasures galore in it. ( I had a lot of choices but settled for an oldie but a goodie: Roger Angell's first baseball book: Five Seasons. I have read it before but lost my copy of it. The stories are about baseball from 1962-71, an era when I was young and impressionable. I attended (or watched) several of these games. After reading Angell's observations, I discover I missed a lot.
Memo to self: pay attention to everything this summer when watching games.
Seeing my little treatise among these gems is flattering but the real bonus is getting to spend time choosing which book to take on next. You can never have too much peanut butter.
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