I was surprised by Julia Keller’s article, “The best-kept bookstore secret.” It never occurred to me that anyone would make a habit of reading entire books in the store, and I’m astonished to find that at least some booksellers don’t mind.
When I was a graduate student at Northwestern, I was a frequent customer at my favorite bookstore; I rarely left without making a purchase. One day I noticed a book that I thought would interest my adviser. I took out my notebook and began to jot down the title and author. The proprietor stormed over and chewed me out for using his store as if it were a research library.
I was mortified by the accusation, but more than that, I was angered that a customer would be treated so rudely. That was 20 years ago, and I never visited that store again.
