18 March 2015

Around the Bookstore: THE BATHROOM and other things


Because I'm not sure I have the stamina to write a second book review today, I'm instead going to write a post about my bookstore and some of the goings-on there.  Mostly I'm going to write about our staff bathroom, but before then, I want to share a photo I snapped in our essays section a couple of weeks ago:


This triumvirate of ladies with pink & white books caught my eye for various reasons, not least for the color scheme.  I also happen to have read all three collections of essays (well, with the case of Roxane Gay, I'm actually still making my way through), with varying degrees of appreciation.  But what I really love is how they look on the shelf together and how all three of these women have hit the indie bestseller list (concurrently, even).  I mean, it's unusual enough that female authors hit the bestseller lists for nonfiction, but for all three to be feminists, and for one book to even declare it proudly, makes me a little bit misty-eyed.  America is facing lots of problems right now, but the readers who put these books on the best seller list make me feel better about it.

And now for something completely different...

Many, many years ago, Anne Rice did a signing at my bookstore, the momentousness of which was marked with a small, shiny gold plaque on the wall:



And then that rascally writer Ben Fountain, author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, visited the store a few years ago and started something amazing when he wrote that Anne Peed Rice Here. We didn't know right away that he had done this, but we knew something was up when he walked out of the bathroom with a shit-eating grin on his face. (Pun absolutely intended.)

Since that first desecration of our staff bathroom wall, it has become a badge of honor for authors and illustrators to sign more than just their books when they're here on tour. It's unquestionably now one of the greatest bookstore bathrooms in the US.  My only concern is what's going to happen when we run out of space--I shudder at the thought of painting over all of our great signatures on the wall.  Maybe we'll hang shelf paper and just keep peeling it off...

Anyway, we've had both big names and small writ large on our bathroom stall.  Here are a few that I snapped photos of to share with you:

Multiple cookbook author Virginia Willis shows her skill with more
than one kind of cast iron skillet
Some, like Chrysler Szarlan, class it up with a bit
of poetry. This is from Tennyson and a reference
to our crack'd mirror on the bathroom wall.

Garrison Keillor told us that "[we] look good enough. Back to work"
You can see the crack'd mirror here, too.

The children's picture book authors really set the bar
pretty high when they started adding illustrations, too.

Emily St John Mandel wasn't daunted, though,
and she added her own sweet penguin to the mix. 

Who doesn't love a good nar-wall/narwhal pun?  And Gregory Maguire
didn't disappoint when he left a sketch of one of his Wicked witches.

Naturally Mo Willems added his own brand of humor by drawing on the
actual toilet. He forgot to write "DO let the pigeon flush the toilet," though.
Now the first thing I do every morning after an author event is head to the bathroom to see how quickly I can spy the latest additions.  

That's that for now.  I'm totally amazed at how much easier this post was to write than a book review.  I clearly need to take this way out more often, because now I have so much more time to curl with a book and READ!

19 comments:

  1. McGuire's wicked witch is utterly divine, I want that on my bedroom wall!

    I think that's so cool. If I visited your store I'm pretty sure I'd spend half my time in the toilet just looking at all of the notes.

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    1. COME VISIT MY STORE, KAYLEIGH!

      Yeah, it's pretty cool. The walls are really starting to fill up now, though. Especially when illustrators are here!

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    2. On my next US trip I am definitely setting aside some time to see your store!

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  2. The wall art is just so cool. Love the creativeness of those who've penned your wall and toilet.

    I use to work at Mt. Holyoke in the 80's and have visiting your lovely bookstore many many times in the past and present, when we're in town.

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    1. Ooh, that's cool. I don't think I knew that about you. You'll have to come back and check out the bathroom if you ever come to the reunion weekends!

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  3. My questions: Is this washroom for staff use only? And can i please, please use it? Just once?

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    1. We *technically* have a public restroom that is clean and boring. But all of our special customers have access to the staff one.

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  4. Oh, I can imagine how much fun it is to look for the new signatures and contributions! Very neat tradition, thank you for sharing!

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    1. Yeah, I might make this a new series. We've got some great drawings from Tony DiTerlizzi and Greg Ruth just begging to be shared.

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  5. That is so funny! I love that a love for reading and writers permeates every inch of your store. :)

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    1. It does set us apart a bit, doesn't it? And we have Anne Rice to thank for starting it all.

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  6. I like how the unicorn illustrator went in with multiple pens.

    That's seriously awesome. Imma visit that bathroom someday.

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    1. Yeah, she really raised the bar with that one. Other folks better up their game.

      YES PLEASE SOME SEE MY STORE'S BATHROOM.

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  7. THAT IS THE BEST BATHROOM LOOK AT THAT!! That is so great and hilarious and I'm glad that is a thing happening that authors are all into. I especially appreciate the nar-wall

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    1. Some authors just sign their name and date it -- I suspect that they're too self conscious to do more -- but some have really taken the idea and run with it.

      I love finding excuses to go use the staff bathroom, just to catch up on all of the new names.

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  8. Loved reading this - it reminded me of a silver wedding party we went to where everyone wrote their good wishes on the wall of the downstairs cloakroom. Coloured pens were provided and some guests drew lovely pictures along with their message. A nice reminder for the couple. Maybe I'll do the same in 2 years.

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    1. That's pretty impressive that your friends allowed their guests to draw on the walls in their home. But a fun idea, for sure!

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  9. I absolutely LOVE this post and the story & photos of the author signings/drawings in the bathroom! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Yeah, it's one of my favorite parts about my store. And how it changes every week!

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