I
ask myself what is the value of a book today– that a company like Barnes
and Noble claims to have sold fewer devices for digital content for the
last year than expected. Meanwhile, it’s retail store sales are
sinking. This leads me to believe that altering sales strategies isn’t
going to boost results and they were better off not making as many
revisions. But then again, I am not an Economist and I come from the Old
World, morphing into sadness every time I come across a bookstore
closing. I find great pleasure in reading and being in a bookstore ranks
as one of the finest places to be. But now all I have are memories.
In the past, I have written about book signings I attended but here some literary moments worth mentioning. In Frankfurt, I heard and met the wonderful Mexican writer and poet, Octavio Paz, who had just won the Nobel Prize for Literature, as he talked about the aftermath of communism. In Berlin I met American author and feminist Barbara Ehrenrich who discussed the mid-life crisis. In New York I met author Amy Tan who spoke of being the daughter of immigrants– something I could identify with. In Pasadena, I came across the talented Lisa See, the dynamic Dexter Scott King and activist Christopher Kennedy Lawford.
I should add that these signings were not held at Barnes & Noble. During my eight years in the desert I have only attended two book signings; one held at the Main Public Library and the other at UNLV. However, a month ago on a Sunday afternoon, I headed to my local Barnes & Noble store. A line had formed outside, I found out that Tattoo artist Kat Von D, was signing copies of her book. My mind went on red alert– does she write? Do tattoos fall into the category of non-fiction, I wondered. Personally, I associate them with tribal rituals, as a form of initiation, a vibrational energy from the first chakra; a force that says who you are because you belong to the clan. In my opinion it sends out another message- since our culture has no form of initiations people make up their own to try to feel safe in the world. I can’t understand why people don’t use music or buy canvases to express themselves, why they allow another to use their skin as a drawing board. Now back to Kat; I remember her causing a split in a marriage… I don’t associate her as an author. If this is a reflection of the changing tide, then clearly, I am not suited for it. Does Barnes & Noble consider their demographics? Who buys more books, I ask: kids under 25 or women like me, who frequent bookstores and are willing to invest in hard-cover?
The bookseller claims they have been under pressure from Amazon and Apple Inc. Perhaps their diminished revenue comes from making poor choices and by trying to cater to a younger audience through e-readers they may be cutting themselves off from a book reading public. I’ll end with a quote from English writer, Ian McEwan: “When women stop reading, the novel will be dead.”
In the past, I have written about book signings I attended but here some literary moments worth mentioning. In Frankfurt, I heard and met the wonderful Mexican writer and poet, Octavio Paz, who had just won the Nobel Prize for Literature, as he talked about the aftermath of communism. In Berlin I met American author and feminist Barbara Ehrenrich who discussed the mid-life crisis. In New York I met author Amy Tan who spoke of being the daughter of immigrants– something I could identify with. In Pasadena, I came across the talented Lisa See, the dynamic Dexter Scott King and activist Christopher Kennedy Lawford.
I should add that these signings were not held at Barnes & Noble. During my eight years in the desert I have only attended two book signings; one held at the Main Public Library and the other at UNLV. However, a month ago on a Sunday afternoon, I headed to my local Barnes & Noble store. A line had formed outside, I found out that Tattoo artist Kat Von D, was signing copies of her book. My mind went on red alert– does she write? Do tattoos fall into the category of non-fiction, I wondered. Personally, I associate them with tribal rituals, as a form of initiation, a vibrational energy from the first chakra; a force that says who you are because you belong to the clan. In my opinion it sends out another message- since our culture has no form of initiations people make up their own to try to feel safe in the world. I can’t understand why people don’t use music or buy canvases to express themselves, why they allow another to use their skin as a drawing board. Now back to Kat; I remember her causing a split in a marriage… I don’t associate her as an author. If this is a reflection of the changing tide, then clearly, I am not suited for it. Does Barnes & Noble consider their demographics? Who buys more books, I ask: kids under 25 or women like me, who frequent bookstores and are willing to invest in hard-cover?
The bookseller claims they have been under pressure from Amazon and Apple Inc. Perhaps their diminished revenue comes from making poor choices and by trying to cater to a younger audience through e-readers they may be cutting themselves off from a book reading public. I’ll end with a quote from English writer, Ian McEwan: “When women stop reading, the novel will be dead.”
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