I just returned from a weekend of speaking and teaching in Asheville, NC. What a beautiful place – beautifully lush, artsy, older architecture, friendly people, and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are called “Blue” Ridge because, although covered in lush green vegetation, they seem a rich, deep blue from a distance. This blog is the first of two about my experience there.
I gave a talk at one of the coolest, independent bookstores that I have ever been at – Malaprops Bookstore (www.malaprops.com). A malaprop is a mistaken use of a word in the place of a similar sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect. For example, Malaprops has a latte on their cafe menu board called a “Civil Serpent.”
Situated in an old brick building, this charming bookstore got 50-70 people at my event on Thursday night. That’s unheard of at a bookstore these days, especially in the age of Amazon. It seems that fewer and fewer of us seek the sensual experience of being in the physical presence of thousands of books. I know that reading on IPads and Kindles is great and the convenience of buying books online brings tangible relief from the bustle of life. And yet the bookstore, the quiet, the slower time, the Civil Serpents, the subtle sensation of support for an expanding mind. Even more than that, being around people who share an inquisitive imagination, who are more readily open to the beauty and the suffering that brings meaning to life. These are only some of the things that are lost as destination bookstores become a cultural vestige.
The talk itself brought moments of laughter, starts of breath, exhales of relief, and even some tears. More than that, there was a deep sense of exchange, a shared feeling of growth. The questions were penetrating and provocative and heartfelt. All in all, the evening was delightful. Independent bookstores rock!