Confessions of a Curious Bookseller(12)
From: Jacob Whitney
Sent: Sat, Nov 24, 2018 at 3:56 PM
To: Fawn Birchill
Re: Black Friday Hell
Fawn,
Please expect the books to arrive within the next couple of weeks.
Best wishes,
Jacob
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Sat, Nov 24, 2018 at 4:09 PM
To: Angela Washington
Subject: Punishment
Angela,
I have thought about it long and hard, and I believe the proper step to take is suspension without pay for one week. I will see you back here on Monday, December 3.
I looked up the price of the arrangement you sent us, and it almost knocked me to the floor. Though it was an expensive apology, it doesn’t take away the sting of abandonment. Enjoy your week off.
Fawn, Owner
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In West Philadelphia, steps from Clark Park and the Green Line, sits one of the most renowned and beloved bookstores in the city: the Curious Cat Book Emporium.
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December 1
Dear Florence,
Enclosed please find three CDs I found at a thrift store that I thought Little Joe might like to have as he practices his singing skills. I realize Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church might be out of his vocal range, but they are lovely to listen to all the same. The Josh Groban CD skips a little, and Sarah Brightman’s “Moon River” is a disaster, as it skips throughout the entirety of the song, so he might want to forego that one altogether. Otherwise the CDs are in good shape. I hope he enjoys!
Fawn
December 4
Fawn,
Thank you so much for the CDs! When Little Joe opened them, he screamed loud enough to scare the parakeet. She made a beeline toward the cage bars and landed on the ground in her own seeds and poo. It was funny (only after we realized she was okay). So, yeah, the scream proves that Little Joe can definitely reach the range of Charlotte Church and Sarah Brightman! It was very nice of you to think of us while you were out shopping. He is currently listening to Sarah Brightman in his room. I had to pull out my old boom box from the basement because we don’t have a CD player in the house anymore. Guess what was inside the CD player: the Chopin CD you let me borrow a million years ago. Do you want it back? I had completely forgotten you let me listen to it.
Thanks again, Fawn.
Flo
P.S. You were missed at Thanksgiving this year.
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Thu, Dec 6, 2018 at 8:13 PM
To: Staff
Subject: Customer Bathroom
Dear Staff,
This evening I discovered that despite the out-of-order sign and the water on the floor, someone is still using the customer bathroom. I do not know if it is our illiterate customers or employees who can’t seem to hold it long enough to climb the stairs to my abode, but please do your best to not let this continue! It is unsanitary and an eyesore. I am in the process of trying to fix it myself—I promise—but until then we must endure this setback.
Thank you for your patience!
Fawn, Owner
P.S. Speaking of eyesores, I have left a live trap outside the alley for one of the cats that has a perpetually watery eye. If you see it in there, let me know. I plan to take it to the vet.
phillysmallbiz.com
Sun, Dec 9, 2018
Top Review—The Curious Cat Book Emporium
Ah, every time I walk through these doors it makes my day! I came in looking for Les Misérables, and one of their fine employees (the handsome one with the beard) was able to help me very quickly. In all my travels around the globe, this is by far the finest bookstore I have ever been in. And that Butterscotch! Ah, what a darling! Clearly, he is well cared for and deeply loved. And this cannot be just me who thinks this, but I have to ask: Doesn’t the owner bear an uncanny resemblance to an older Keira Knightley?
And let me also say that I have been to the new store down the street, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the emporium. Its dullness is palpable. I can feel it emanating off the street like a rank odor from the moors in which I grew up. I feel sorry for whoever must work in that drab establishment all day.
Can’t wait to return to the emporium! Keep up the great work!
—Sybil C.
phillysmallbiz.com
Sun, Dec 9, 2018
Dear Sybil C.,
Thank you for your five-heart review of my bookstore. It means so much when I know my hard work has paid off. I’m also glad we were able to locate Les Misérables for you. It is on my reading list, so please let me know what you think of it. I have a feeling that we have similar tastes. When it comes to literature, I find that it’s less about the books themselves and more the moments we take in the day to read the books. I often look back and remember the rain on the window or the tea in the cup. I remember the angle of a splash of sunlight, or the purring of my cat on my lap. The book is only a companion to these moments, but without the book, these moments may not have happened. Therefore, it is all the better, I think, to have as excellent a book as possible. Don’t you agree? I think you would.