Saturday, January 4, 2014

In Praise of Indies - Bookstore Edition

Huffington Post recently published a piece declaring that the word "indie" has been so corrupted that it's virtually meaningless. While I agree that most of the "indie" films and many "indie" projects of all sorts are bankrolled by huge corporations, and therefore perverting the word, I think a distinction must be drawn where bookstores are concerned.

Earlier this week I drove out to Pasadena, to see the Rose Bowl floats. But that was only part of the reason for my trip, for no journey to Pasadena is complete without a trip to Vroman's Book Store, one of the best indie shops in the country. While further up Colorado Boulevard "Barnes and Noble" was shuttered, it was no surprise that Vroman's, where the store supports the community via donations and the featuring of books by local authors, was full of customers.

Rightly so. We writers are readers. We must support our larger word community. Shop the big box stores by every means - who wants to see B&N go the way of Borders - but also stop by your local shop if you're lucky enough to have such a bookstore anywhere near you.

Happy 2014! May all your writing dreams come to fruition this year.

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