Eulogy for 23rd Avenue Books

Sadly this pic may be a sign of things to come as we continue to lose much beloved businesses like 23rd Avenue Books (see Willie Week's blurb) to the economic locusts. Losing one or two such institutions may seem like nothing but in the scheme of things, as large internet corporations get more and more of the business that our local shops should be getting and with the advent of e-books and electronic reading devices that put thousands of books in the palm of your hand digitally, we may not be far off from the question Homer asks here.

It is a sad day for me when we lose a bookstore and it will be even sadder if these "readers" catch on in popularity. There is just nothing like having a book in your hands. It is not the same as reading with the sick glow of electronics shining on your face.

I have been a voracious reader and writer my whole life and picking up a book for me is still something akin to a religious experience. I do it with reverence and excitement for the entire experience: The crack on the spine at the opening of a new hard cover book; the smell of the ink on the page and the feel of it between my fingers; that feeling you get when the first line of a book is such a winner that the anticipation builds with each new page as you know you're in for a really good ride; and the supreme satisfaction of a well-written tome whose characters have been so richly drawn they linger there on your mental palate for days after you've finished. Then there are those gems that stay with you for lifetime, waiting to welcome you back with open arms from their place on your bookshelf.

But it's not just the book it's also the experience of buying it from a local bookstore as well. The many happy hours spent browsing the stacks. The enticing covers and author headshots on the back cover or inner flap of the book sleeve. Chatting with knowledgeable and well read staff about some little known literary trade or the rush of a juicy paperback novel. Rediscovering old classics anew with anniversary editions, new translations and modern adaptations or author re-imaginings based upon an old favorite. These are the voices that beckon me back to our local bookstores.

For me, to lose just one such institution is like grieving the pending loss of our future. What will become of us in a world without the tactile experiences of a book? Without the kinship of the neighborhood bookstore?

I see the children I know caring more about video games, cable TV and electronic toys and gadgetry more than playing outside, more than books and board games and more than developing their imaginations. These are the things that scare me, even as I embrace an electronic outlet myself to share these things with you.

I have been involved these past months with trying to help get the word out to save In Other Words Books (the last non-profit feminist bookstore in the country- see this link for how you can help) and I really think she can be saved but it feels like it's not enough. I wish I could help to save them all- keep them all in business and that we all read enough to encourage even more little bookstores to open in our neighborhoods, but even in a well-read city like Portland we are suffering casualties of the economic crisis and the technological one that no one seems to see is looming.

I hope that we all realize that we can make a difference in whether businesses like these stay open and that we can make a difference in their place in our future. I am not for stopping progress. I am just for it not obliterating our humble pasts. My hope is that we can find a balance between watching our own bottom line and helping to support our neighbors. That we can look to the future and utilize new technologies with respect, understanding and appreciation for those treasured simple and slow experiences that enrich our lives and that we can preserve these joys for our future generations.

23rd Avenue Books you will be greatly missed!