Good To Go
David, a new Street Books patron, inspected the cart on Monday. He not only approved, but also was impressed with the library.
Surprise Encounter
I'm not sure which of us was more surprised, me, Terri, or her puppy as I turned the corner at the underpass and came upon a group of folks. None of them had heard of Street Books. "Is it free?" Terri asked me anxiously. It is! I opened the cart on the spot and Terri immediately snagged a Harry Potter book. It was magical.
I Heard About You
Melissa was on her way to Sisters of the Road to grab lunch with a friend. She was pedaling past as I was talking to "Pinky".
"Hey, I heard about you... you're that book lady, right?" she asked me. "I'm one of them," I replied. Melissa found two books she was excited about. She told me she liked to read at night when thoughts of her children creep into her mind. She also asked me if we barter. She said she would bring a stack of books that she has already read when she returns the books we loaned her today.
Reading Aloud on the Waterfront with Pinky
I was touring the waterfront, trolling for new patrons when I encountered Pinky. He was organizing his carts and had many of his possessions spread out on the ground when I pedaled up. We stood and chatted, he asked me to help him assemble a choker necklace (which I did). Pinky read to me from a book on meditaiton by Thich Naht Hanh, which he checked out before I left. He also read to me from his own journal, his daily inspirational thoughts and poems.
Mr. Ed Prefers Reality
I met Mr. Ed on Monday. He donated a newspaper to the cart "in case someone wants to do the crossword." He told me he liked to read real books. He referenced the bible, books on astrology, dictionaries, encyclopedias, as well as books on Catholicism and Native American studies. We are always on the hunt for books for our patrons. And though we didn't have his exact requests, Mr. Ed was touched that we remembered him and he found two real books to borrow.
Raelene Finds Her Inner Dragon
Raelene told me she already had a book, she didn't need a new one. But she lingered at the cart and we spoke at great length about both the 1993 film, "Hocus Pocus" in comparison to Kurt Vonnegut's book by the same name. She kept eyeing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It isn't funny, I told her, but the heroine is a bad ass. That sold it.
Flora Finds Purity
Flora was walking past the cart, when she stopped suddenly and said, "This is it!" Grasping the book, Pure by Julianna Baggott, she asked how much does it cost? A few minutes of your time, a signature and a photograph I told her. And even that is negotiable...
Bringing Dignity to R2DToo
Ptery, a resident of Dignity Village, came to the R2DToo camp this morning to share support for the nearly 60 campers who face a long road ahead. Dignity Village, began much like R2DToo as a tent city in 2000. Today, the Village is a vibrant community flush with gardens and individual homes -wooden structures, not tents - for more the than 60 people who live there.
It's a Small World
Chris, who came by to visit with friends at Right2DreamToo Camp, and Mike O'Callaghan, Right2DreamToo board secretary and treasurer greeted me as soon as I arrived at the gate to China Town this morning. I met Mike's niece, Casey at an open mic at the Cafe Mundo last week in Newport, Oregon - 137 miles away. Small world.
The Magic of Harry Potter
Marty found the magic of sorcery in the form of a Harry Potter book.
From One Librarian to Another
The day was beautiful and, after checking in at the Right 2 Dream Too camp and our new winter spot at the Naito Fountain, I took a ride along the waterfront on the Street Books tryke. I encountered Kerry, a former librarian from Azle, Texas. We exchanged stories and the secret librarian handshake before parting ways.
A Tiger's Voyage
Neg told me he was formerly a police officer, but now found himself camping at Occupy Portland. He was drawn to the book, "tiger's voyage", though it took him three tries to grab the tiger by the tail. Let us know where the voyage takes you.
Lost, Then Found at Naito Fountain
Earl came to our new location at the Naito Fountain under the Burnside Bridge looking for books of poetry. In lieu of poetry, he took a book of Native American short stories for his friend, Pamela. I wrote down his request and told him we would have some books for him next shift.
Taking Four to Replace the Third
Billi was disappointed that we didn't have the third Harry Potter book on the cart today, but he managed to find four books to console him until next time.
Street Books: Ever More Mobile
This fall and winter will find us operating shifts under the roof structure at the Bill Naito fountain, but we will also be biking around the blocks in the Old Town/China Town areas in order to reach as many patron as possible. We will begin bike shifts at 10 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, and after making stops through the area, we'll park at Bill Naito from 11:30-1 on those days.
Richard Was Thirsty
And took M.T. Anderson's vampire novel by the same name. Richard is a big fan of Ann Rice, and told a great story of how he once upon a time met her in New Orleans, at a big gathering she threw for her fans. Streets were blocked off, and Rice sat and signed copies of her books for hours. Then at some point she apparently got dressed in Victorian gothic dress, climbed into a glass coffin, and was driven around the city, (all research for a character she was working on, Richard said). That's pretty elaborate research, we're thinking. Richard put in a request for Rice's Lasher, and we're aiming to get that to him this coming week.
Tanya Checked Out My Side of the Mountain
And she and Josh decided they'd read aloud to one another.
Detroit Took Fun Home
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic is the great graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel. One of our summer patrons returned it with a high review, and Detroit decided to try it out.
Justin Chose Peace is Every Step
It's by the Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, and has suggestions for living more mindfully. We joked that perhaps the next time we see Justin, he'll be too enlightened to talk with us. But we hope not. Quite.
