This story originally appeared in Scalawag Magazine,
On December 14, 2020, we were nine months deep in the pandemic. The bookstore was open by appointment only. The holiday season, normally our busiest time, was looking bleak. We hadn’t had a single appointment all day. The weather outside was cold and gray.
I saw her peeking in the window. She asked if she could look around. I unlocked the door and noticed how much better the store felt with a customer present. I gave her the spiel: We only sold books from small and independent presses—No Tom Clancy. No Danielle Steel.
