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No doubt you heard that a few weeks ago, Border’s Bookstore went into bankruptcy. I hadn’t had the delight of being in a Border’s for some years. I never found one in Connecticut nor have I found one in Iowa. No matter, they are gone now.
I, as I’ve spoken of before, have a love affair with books. I like to touch them, hold them, move their pages. I find joy in their makeup, their choice of papers and decoration. Most of all, of course, I love the wisdom I hope to find within them.
I don’t think any day was as grand to me when I was a college student than the day I went to the campus book store to buy text books for the upcoming quarter. I carried this pile home, and one by one examined them in detail, growing in excitement at the contents.
I have, amassed books wherever I lived in America. A goodly number of boxes will be accompanying us on our move to New Mexico in a year or so. I lend books rarely, since for some reason, people tend to “forget” to return them, and I, not wanting to be petty, mention the subject a couple of times, sigh, and realize that I have lost one of my children. Sometimes I replace them.
But bookstores, my favorite haunt, are going the way of the dinosaurs. It seems inevitable with iPads and Kindles and other sorts of electronic reading apparatus. And something good and wonderful will end. I recognize my own participation in this slaughter of the book seller. I confess that most of my books are bought from Amazon. This is simple finances. They are just cheaper since they added the “used” books sellers to their repertoire.
And I confess that I tended to haunt the environs of the bigger national bookstores rather than the local seller. These poor but wonderful folks have been virtually wiped out. They can’t carry the breadth and depth of choice that the major chains can or could. But even the big chains are dying.
I don’t like the idea of not having my book with me, there to touch, perhaps reread, but gaze upon with fondness. I like the idea of convenience in the e-reader, but I will lament the loss of my friends in my bookcases. No virtual bookcase can suffice.
For an article about this inevitable changing of the guard, read the TNR article here.
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Goodness knows it’s easy to look upon the American landscape and find little that gives us hope for the future. We seem mired in a class war, largely pushed by the extreme right. Our state legislatures are busy with all manner of utterly silly and dangerous bills, having little if anything to do with the real issues that confront us. Our national politicians are comprised of mostly people unfit to collect our garbage.
It is easy to be pessimistic. Fareed Zakaria is one savvy political journalist. There is a link to his Time‘s essay, Are America’s Best Days Behind Us? in this Foreign Policy review of his essay. It’s well worth your time to read both.
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Okay, just to return to some sense of reality. This just in: Sarah’s panting lap dogs (read fans) are planning a show of “how I hate, hate, hate, Obama”. How you say? Well, supposedly on Sunday and 4pm, if you hate Obama, you are to pull off to the side of the road, and honk your horn for a solid hour. Yep, this is the brainchild of some group called Stand Up for America. Yeah, I’d say America’s best days are far far behind it.
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We hold the people of Japan and Libya in our prayers today, as well as the people of Wisconsin now facing life at the hands of a demagogue.
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- Support local bookstores (goodenuf2publish.wordpress.com)
Existential Ennui 
“Are America’s best days behind” is not really a significant question. It’s a great sports question. We should instead ask whether the next generation, for many it’s our kids,is going to have decent life, a life of respect, plenty of food and culture known to us and improved with time, will age without misery and sufficient comfort, and finally will the next generation live in a democratic America?
Zakaria’s question ignores the fact the socially we are an under develop country, that our health care is sub-par, very expensive and available only to some. He ignores the fact that our gun laws are genocidal, jails full of colored people and the justice system totally corrupt.
It’s a terrible question.
I do think he addresses issues of gun laws and jails, crime and so forth. But the essay is only that, an essay, not a book. I do think its a question that merits discussion. As you noted, all the questions you posit end up asking the starting question—are our best days behind us. Our parents certainly didnt think of this…they expected their children (us) to do better. It’s a shock that we started to, and then fell off.
I am passionate about books. Yet, at the same time, there’s a large part of me that thinks it is irresponsible to buy books that are free to download from the net.
Life: So many conflicted emotions; so little time.
I very much see your argument, and I do agree with it in a real sense. It is my idol after all that calls me to “own” the material object. I recognize my own contradiction.
Are America’s best days behind?
I don’t know, but I think a lot will depend on the leaders we elect in the next four or six years. Contrary to mainstream wisdom, the people by and large seem eager to push for a progressive agenda, but where is the leadership for that?
The leadership seems afraid to open its mouth. Liberalism seems a dirty word still, and god forbid we are called socialists. That’s not so dirty a word either. But they are terrified of the crazy right for some reason. If 1/4 of the country thinks OBama may be Muslim, the question becomes…what is wrong with that? Nobody seems willing to address it. We are leaderless, except for a few.
Borders typically Overbuilt it’s competition attempt with Barnes and Noble. 2 identical megastores competing in the same markets will result in Ine losing. And Online/Kindle is resulting in Major hardf-copy printing.
Yep Tony. It was interesting for me because which Borders you went to had different selections pushed. They were very demographic in their selections. I loved it…
Borders typically Overbuilt it’s competition attempt with Barnes and Noble. 2 identical megastores competing in the same markets will result in Ine losing. And Online/Kindle is resulting in Major hardf-copy printing. What everyone forgets is that the USA isd No longer competitive in anything, as a result of the Export of American Jobs and Companies, subsidized by Taxpayers. And Slashing Taxes on the Richest (The Policy of the Mega-Rich) has Directly caused the Incredible Difuicits, which Republicans always typically blame on Democrats; Obama not. We 100% ignore the Massive Surpluses of Clinton Administration, and Full Employment, And record Profits of Businesses in the 1990’s.
System error: cut: The new Online and Kindle systems havev Reduced Actual Printed copy already. But a fervent minority of us Always want Printed matter: Books, Newspapers In Hand. It is the Uneducated and Lazy who reject them.
Admittedly I rarely buy books, being a frequent haunter of my local library – being another sacred institution which, if rumor is to be believed, may be going a similar way to bookstores… or at least no longer being free. I sincerely hope this does not occur! The free availability of books is one of the great institutions of our society, whose reducing or limiting would be a tragedy.
I also feel bereft if I do not always have a book “on the go” and if said book is not always available to me… I do not, however, own lots of books, rarely re-read them and find giving them away after reading them quite freeing!
Coincidentally (rather spookily so, methinks), Graham Norton and co were talking just this morning on Radio 2 about how when you “lend” someone a book, you might as well accept you are actually giving it to the lendee… if you fancy listening to said radio show, tiz here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z0jqr
I agree with you wholeheartedly about libraries. I admit my idolatry is real. I can’t defend my practices, only note them. Thanks Progentor for the link.
I’ve got to have hope. What else can I do? I am seeing a surprising restlessness and expressed disappointment from voters throughout the nation at how the promises of the Republicans and Tea Party members appear to be hollow and tinged with hypocrisy. Yes, many people who voted for Obama aren’t too thrilled right now, but it appears that the Republicans and TPs in my state and elsewhere are feeling let down even more. We shall see.
It was inevitable that Obama would fail the Left. It was definitional that he would the right. He was touted as near Messiah to the Left, but frankly the rest of Congress just wasnt’ up to the task. Pelosi seems one of the few who actually could deliver. Reid could not. Too many bluedog Dems in the Senate. I fully expected the right to not be happy with the Rethugs. The GOP + TBagger is a very unnatural pair, and doomed in my opinion.
A Borders store in my area is closing next month, and my heart is breaking. I love books, and a kindle just wouldn’t have the same authenticity for me as a real book.
Sigh…I know what you mean.
Major News: Barnes and Noble has replced Amazon.com as the leading Reviwer, finder of Books, Including Rare iones, and offers Magazine Subscriptions, etc. Freee Shipping on all Book Orders, Return policies, etc., etc. Online they offer Textbooks in many fields, etcf, etc. And they have a major store nearby, in Manassas. One of the things I liked Best is they have Published Important books, like “WORLD HISTORY” Encyclopedia, and in many topics. And they have Big Discounts on closeouts, etc., etc. And they Began eBooks. It is The Bookstore in my opinion.
I used to go to one in a largely Jewish community, and their religious section was extraordinary! I miss them!
EVERY part of Barnes and Noble (Now .com also) is most ideal: My fav was their Own illustrated/highly sourced, All inclusive World History Encyclopedia, bought for $1.00 twice a year clearance discount. Their Own publications, like ‘Worlds Worst Cars’, Worlds Worst Aircraft’ were so Mind-opening, informative. I gotta check them out again. One new idea of their’s: Best Law School, Medical School Books, Etc., Etc., Etc.
Sounds like you frequent the on sale area as well as me! lol