A Smock for the Librarian
Thanks goes to Carla at Bohemian Vintage, who kept me in mind after I described what I was looking for to wear at the Street Books library, and then, after she tracked down a smock for me, insisted on donating it to the project. She runs a very cool little shop in the Hollywood neighborhood @ 1627 NE 42nd Avenue, and photographs customers in the duds they buy. I'm going to try and stencil "Street Librarian" on the back of my smock. Drop me a note if you happen to be an expert at stenciling letters on smocks.
Beer Change Explains "Random Pocket Trade"
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Ball Pollen Went for the Cowboy Tale
He plays the washboard with Katy & Dameon's band. He checked out a book called The Man From Papago Wells. I never got a chance to read it, but I loved the cover. Apparently the Lassiter series was sort of "adult" westerns, compared to Louis L'Amour. Not sure what that means, but next time I have a copy in my library, I'll read it.
Katy's (An)Other Roadside Attraction
She and Dameon were traveling through, on their way to the Rainbow Gathering. She was very glad to get the Tom Robbins title she's been meaning to read. Katy runs a blog called Houseless about their travels, about playing music and about interaction with other young people on the road. Check out her description of Squatlife, and the band's music video.
Ian Liked Raymond Carver
Read the first page and see if it doesn't grab you, I said. He did, and it did. Ian said he has really been enjoying short stories lately, and I don't think Carver's collection, Where I'm Calling From, will disappoint.
Isla Checked Out The Bean Trees
That old Barbara Kingslover chesnut. Plus a copy of The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie, and a copy of My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. A review on amazon.com says that the latter book is about a boy named Sam Gribley who runs away to the Catskills Mountains and lives in a hollowed-out tree with a falcon and a weasel for company. Isla also donated $5 toward more books for the Street Books library, and gave us some great suggestions for titles to offer. I'll post her list with the Requests.
Sprout Has Couch
She's going to have a look at the esteemed author Ben Parzybok's book, which has (word on the street says) just been translated into Turkish. Sprout also has the distinction of having one of the cutest babies on the planet, Riley.
Matt Chose The Classics
Hard to beat ol' George Orwell & D.H. Lawrence. Matt also requested East of Eden & The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Beautiful Day, Lovely Patrons
After a few Saturdays of chilly, drippy weather, which found this librarian and her paperbacks decidedly damp, today was a very sunny day and the weather matched the people, for the most part. Right away Brian showed up and returned 2 books, and checked out 2 more. He is definitely a shy, quiet person -- opted not to have his photo taken again. It was great to see him, and great to send him off with 2 new titles. Chris returned "Dirty Tricks" and Jeffrey G. brought a whole bunch of RA Salvatore books to donate that have been on my Request list. A woman named Sharron Volkman stopped by to donate a paperback, and a traveler named Isla donated 5 bucks before she checked out a few books. A guy named Robert requested some of the Forbidden Gospels, especially Enoch, he said. Jim came around to show off his handsome sanded walking sticks. Kreeg Peeples from Potluck in the Park stopped by. His business card says "Serving anyone in need since 1991." His organization feeds hundreds of people every Sunday at 3 p.m., rain or shine (at O'Bryant Square, 9th & SW Washington). They've seen an incredible spike in the number of people needing assistance in the last couple of years, and see more families & children as well. The Street Books library saw a mix of regulars and newcomers today, and it was great to see how many books went out. Lots of interest in the project, and support via donated books and donated $ on the Sponsor a Book page. Thanks everybody, and I'll keep you posted.
Katleiah Stocked Up
She said she used to be on the streets but has a place to sleep now. She went with an eclectic mix of Zora Neale Hurston, Philip K. Dick, W. Faulkner and the Portland Noir collection that Adam returned last week. Happy reading, Katleiah!
John Went Into the Wild
He said he likes philosophy & mysticism, but thought he'd check out the John Krakauer book about a kid who strikes out on his own into the wilderness.
Eric Said, "Do you have any Westerns?"
I sent him with 2 Louis L'Amour titles: Ride the Dark Trail, & Sackett.
Roy Chose Christine
Last week he told me that he wouldn't mind reading some Stephen King, and today when he came around, I offered him the classic about the car who goes bad.
Deborah Chose a Mystery
She was at the library when Max checked out James Frey, and said it mattered to her when she learned Frey had embellished his memoir. "I was halfway through it when they found out he lied, and it really ruined it for me," she said.
Max Chose a Million Little Pieces
He said he didn't care if James Frey had made stuff up in his memoir. "Doesn't matter so much, if the story's good," he said. He said he's staying in a shelter, and wondered if he could still check out a book, even though he's not technically living outside. "Absolutely," I told him.
Pamela Came Back
She swapped a Jean Auel ("It was boring") for one called People of the Wolf. Thanks for the return, Pamela.
Mark Likes Champions
He said he could use something inspiring, like a redemption story. He took a copy of A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskind's book that traces the path of a talented young African-American student who makes it through a rough Washington D.C. high school to be accepted to Brown University.
Adam Returned a Book!
He found me at the Park Blocks, and returned the Portland Noir collection. Then chose a Gandhi reader and Kevin Sampsell's memoir, A Common Pornography. He said he'd looked on the Street Books website this past week to see his photo. "That was a good picture!" he said. "It was," I agreed. We talked for a bit, then he took a bracelet from his wrist and gave it to me. One of his friends said, "Hey man, why does she get one?" Adam said, "She's helping me with my education, that's why."
