Confessions of a Curious Bookseller(30)
Merry Christmas,
Kyle
P.S. I’ll be at the holiday thing, and I’ll be bringing Aiden.
From: Florence Eakins
Sent: Wed, Dec 26, 2018 at 3:30 PM
To: Fawn Birchill
Subject: Merry Christmas!
Hi Fawn,
I tried calling, but of course you didn’t pick up. Just wanted to say thank you so much for the Christmas gifts. They must have been expensive to ship.
I hope you had a nice Christmas! Ours was very relaxing, with minimal tears and fighting over toys this year. And the kids behaved pretty well too.
Flo
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Wed, Dec 26, 2018 at 8:17 PM
To: Staff
Subject: Holiday Party
Dear Staff,
Do not forget to RSVP. So far I have only heard from Kyle, who will be bringing his boyfriend.
Also, who tacked up the Season’s Greetings card from the Grumpy Mug? Did he hand deliver it, or was it mailed? If he thinks a card is going to put out the fire he started, he is truly delusional. Please do not display anything in our store that comes from him.
Fawn, Owner
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Thu, Dec 27, 2018 at 9:18 PM
To: Angela Washington
Subject: Posting
Dear Angela,
Thank you for your help with the Philly Love Finder posting. Please do not tell Sam or Kyle about this. It will be our secret!! Hope you are enjoying your week off!!
Many thanks,
Fawn, Owner
PHILLY LOVE FINDER
My Summary
I am a fiftysomething woman who enjoys traipsing the aisles of bookstores and tickling the spines of old, dusty books. I love being among that which is old and antique, for it holds a mystery that, as much as I study and learn about and dive into history, I will never fully comprehend. I love cats and have only one after his brothers, Juniper and Mistletoe, died of old age. For his own privacy I won’t reveal his name, but he is a sweet little lamb of a cat and has never lashed out at a single human being in his long life.
I am at once both afraid and in wonder of the city I live in. Being underground and riding public transportation makes me feel like a rat, while being up in high-rises makes me feel like a bird. I feel like an ant among ants on the sidewalk. In the city, we are forced to feel like animals, and so animals we become. In the country, where animals live among humans, we are made self-aware of our place in the world and do not need the reminder that we are human beings, and so we behave accordingly. I am not good at cities, as you may have gathered, and so I mostly stick to my five-block radius, where I can walk to the grocery store and the pharmacy. I would move, but I love the building in which I live and the safe life I have carved out for myself.
People generally find me to look much like a slightly older Keira Knightley. You may notice my unique feet and the way that they splay out when I walk. It is something you sometimes see in ballet dancers; however, I have no such excuse, as I have never taken formal dance lessons outside of one interpretive dance class in college. Most of all, I believe I have an illuminating intelligence and warmth that I bring to all conversations. It is overwhelmingly the most noticeable thing about me.
I love adventure but have never left the East Coast. One day, I would like to do that very much. I like Chopin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, honey in my tea, and back rubs. I used to be a Wiccan and a pagan, but now I am an agnostic.
Occupation
I own a successful used bookstore in Philadelphia. It is the heart and soul of the neighborhood, a cornerstone of culture, a place for families to spend quality time, and a melting pot for diversity.
Talents
I am quite skilled at taking care of myself in all aspects of life. That is to say, I would never be a burden on a man should he choose to be with me. I am very good at riding bicycles and can pick up M&M’s with chopsticks (a talent I discovered when I was quite young at a carnival where I won a Chinese coin).
A Few Favorite Things . . .
I just LOVE The Great Gatsby and Madame Bovary. Those two books say the most about my personality. As I read them, I am also aiming a mirror deep down into my very soul. If you were to read these books before meeting me, you would have a head start on getting to know me. I have extremely varied tastes in food, but my favorites include rice, Wheat Thins, and crème br?lée. My favorite music leans toward classical, with a few modern choices sprinkled in: Chopin, Ella Fitzgerald, and édith Piaf. I love Titanic, Gone with the Wind, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Ah, that Blanche. And for shows, I absolutely ADORE Downton Abbey. If you dislike Downton Abbey, it’s very possible I will dislike you.
Age Range of Men
I do not discriminate based on age. I believe I could learn as much and have as equally fine a time with a twenty-year-old as with a fifty-year-old. If you are young at heart, I will consider you even if you are in your seventies. I hope that answers the question.
Astrological Sign
I no longer buy into this.
My Idea of a Great Evening
Writing letters and emails to all my friends with a bottle of wine at my side.
Secret Time! Dish What You Can . . .
Sometimes while writing letters, I fall asleep at my desk and wake up the next morning with the letter stuck to my face. This is not the secret. The secret is that each morning I wish there had been someone to lift me up and tuck me into bed.
Phavorite Philly Location