We’d been out to the fish store, which is in a neighboring small town, down I-90, and as usual, when coming back from said place, we decided to stop at Scotty’s for lunch. Scotty’s was our regular pub when we lived in the Valley, and we’ve kept up familiarity with the place and the staff, one of those extra-home-on-a-weary-evening places you go out to eat at when you’ve had it and don’t want to cook dinner.
We hugged the bartender—hadn’t seen him in much of a year—and he said, “So glad you came in. This is our last day.”
Huh?
Well, actually today is, but his last day was yesterday. And we called OSG, who used to join us there, and told her; so all of us are going to go to the Valley for lunch today, have one last round of the best nachos in town if they can find the makings—we ran them out our wine yesterday: they were down to a glass. It was like that. SO we don’t know what there’ll be to eat, but we’ll go and find out, and help eat up the last of the food.
Tomorrow we diet.
Things like this are a death of community, especially when it’s a REAL pub, meaning people meet there and don’t just get drunk on the specials before they drive home for dinner. A true loss of associations; some can be rebuilt, but it’s never the same.
One loss I still greatly regret was the closing of a reasonably priced bar/pub (kind of Irish) with separate dining room (wonderful, reasonably priced Italian food, served in a child friendly atmosphere). Place was a Washington Heights Institution and only good Italian restaurant up here, profitable but lost their lease. Sometimes landlords shoot themselves in the foot for greed practicing their fast draw; successor establishments, starting with a sushi bar but not all food, have had an average live span of about two years, though a Dunkin Donuts just opened on the corner which may last longer.
I have another question. I assume it makes little difference for your income/prestige where you sell the book as long as the establishment is among those the NY Times consults regarding retail sales. I just noticed that the price on Amazon for Betrayer was about 40% off list, same with George Martin’s upcoming book. I usually buy your books bricks and mortar, even if it is a Barnes and Noble (I only know of one non-chain store anywhere near where I go.) But I really can’t take a 40 percent hit on hardcover books.
Also, I guess a bunch of preorders sends a message.
Finally, I know that you are far,far from much input on this, but I was checking for a copy of Inheritor (the one hole in my collection) yesterday at the Union Square Barnes and Noble. As you probably know, this is a vary large store. While a cursory glance at the inventory for certain other SF writers seemed adequate, yours was VERY thin, with only three copies from the Foreigner series. I don’t know if they just need to be restocked from downstairs (could be a sign of sales), but kind of disheartening when a new novel in the series is about to be released. One does wonder how well DAW is doing in getting this chain to keep copies stocked during difficult time since impulse sales are so important for genre fiction volume. I can imagine the publisher’s frustration, also, if they’ve been selling the point.
If you don’t feel comfortable discussing this, I understand. And this is probably the wrong thread.
Last time I was in a Barnes & Noble, a huge store as big as some libraries, with the requisite Starbucks inside and all, they had single copies of several books in the SF&F section, a few copies of other books, and quite a lot of series tie-ins, sparkly-supernatural fic and urban fantasy, plus some manga and graphic novels. Now, I’m happy to see any of them, but it was discouraging and disquieting to see fewer science fiction books, fewer copies (or single copies) of greats or newbies alike, and although there was the same amount of shelf space, there were more items and authors competing for that space. It’s good that there are more authors and items. But if there’s only one copy or two, and that (those) are bought that day, and it’s not restocked right away, you can guess what happens when the next customer comes in but is not outspoken enough to ask at the desk. When I grew up, the SF&F section at the local Dalton’s or Waldenbooks stores were not huge, but there were choices. A boy like me could go in, browse and pore over the shelves, and come up with very good choices for his allowance. Only occasionally might that pre-teen or older teen come across an idea or situation rather surprising for his naive mind, but that was not a minus, it was very much a plus: it made me think and it showed me there were other ways of being in this world, both now, in the past, or in the future.
I still miss my favorite Chinese restaurant, which closed when the lady who owned it retired. Everything was fresh, lots of veggies, wonderful tastes, just all around excellent food and hot tea, perfect when work or school were knocking us on our butts.
It may be a while before another marvelous place is in the area. This reminds me to look some more for new or untried local places.
I’m not aware of a local indie bookstore or used bookstore. I’ll have to do some hunting. One used bookstore closed a while back. The others I’m aware of are (were) all chains. — I think B&N may be the only bookstore left anywhere around here. Surely there’s somewhere else, in a city this size. A local Bible bookstore and supply store closed last year. It was an indie. This left only one or two chain stores for that market.
But — Someone will fill the gaps and adjust to market changes. The ebook market is fast superceding the print-media market. That, like the loss of record stores, is a shame. But people will still find ways to gather for the things they like and to socialize, and people will find new ways to provide whatever it is there is to sell. Ebooks are another entertainment and information medium, like audio and video. People won’t stop reading for pleasure or for knowledge, any more than they will stop listening or watching other media. It’s just the media on which those are produced and how those media are publicized and sold that will change. — As long as it’s *mine* to read/listen/watch and as long as I can store and transfer it as I see fit, that’s OK. It’s when that gets interfered with that I get grouchy.
Back to writing down some on a story idea, then off to make pizza homemade for supper, which will be a first, dough and all.
You can use the search box at Indiebound.com to find local indies.
It’s so discouraging to see independent businesses close down. We now have one independent bookstore in our area which is probably supported in large part by its summer branch at a nearby *very* pricey, old money area. We have the usual fast food franchises, but only in the last 3-4 years have we had an Applebee’s (which I must say in style, service, food is way above any other Applebee’s I have visited) I think being a summer tourist area helps in this. People who are spending 5,000-10,000 a week on a rental want more than a franchise for dining. Still the inroads are happening. 🙁
Pizza tonight! We have tomatillos, smoked mozzarella, pesto in the freezer….plus a lot of other stuff. We like to make a lot, when we start up the oven (still too chilly to grill outside). Cold pizza for breakfast! 😉
P.S. Betrayer has arrived. Mum’s the word until May. I will only say it’s a whizz banger! 🙂 😀 😆