Confessions of a Curious Bookseller(92)
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 at 10:15 AM
To: Mark Nilsen
Subject: Reading
Mark,
Thank you for the voice mail, and sorry I missed your call. I am at the airport and only have about thirty minutes before I have to catch my plane, so I will be quick! I am glad Mr. Collins reached out to you and changed his mind about the visit. I am sad to be missing the great author, but I believe he will be back as long as he feels welcomed and it is a successful, well-attended evening—however, I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be.
I do not know when I will be back. Gregory mentioned staying and getting a work visa in Ireland, and I may join him; however, I’ve always wanted to live in England so we might end up parting at some point. I hope getting those visas is easy. I know nothing about the process at all. Once I get a more permanent address, I will send it to you (and also send for Bert). Please text me photos of the store and keep me updated on all your adventures. Oh, and please don’t forget to feed the alley cats while I’m away.
I wish you much happiness. It is all that matters.
Fawn
From: Sybil Crawley
Sent: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 at 10:30 AM
To: Mark Nilsen
Subject: Be True
Mark,
As a longtime customer of the Curious Cat Book Emporium, naturally this is a difficult transition for me. And as my beloved bookstore owner sets sail for new waters—as she gazes off into the sunset, the golden rays reflecting off her sunglasses, her eyes squinting toward an unfamiliar but exciting future—I cannot help but be extremely happy for her. All that said, I am saddened by change, but I also welcome it. Fawn has sold her building and her store to someone who, I think, is a man worthy of receiving it.
I obviously can’t see inside her soul, but I have the feeling that Fawn knows as well as I do that life is short and that sometimes the best way to live is to learn to let things go—like pets, money, seriousness, lovers, and sometimes one’s business. In the time I’ve spent in that place as a loyal customer, I can say with honesty and with a heavy heart that you very well may have purchased the most wonderful bookstore there ever was. And perhaps the saddest thing of all is that there will be no great sending off, no dramatic conclusion, no orchestral denouement. Just a quiet cessation, as there is in real life: the folding of the hands upon the chest, the closing eyes, the wintry end—a new silence in an unruly world.
But then, it isn’t all ending, is it? You have pulled the curtain aside to reveal a new life hidden between those dusty walls. I am eager to patronize your store just as I did the Curious Cat Book Emporium, but remember that you have been given an opportunity to rise again, so you must be careful. Take her out slowly, sail with the wind at your back, keep your shipmates close and happy, and always, always be fair and true.
Your future customer,
Sybil C.
From: Mark Nilsen
Sent: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 at 10:45 AM
To: Fawn Birchill
Fwd: Be True
Hi Fawn,
I know you wrote this email. All the same, thanks for the well wishes and your signature hyperbole. I’ll miss receiving it on a regular basis.
Take care,
Mark
From: Fawn Birchill
Sent: Sat, Aug 31, 2019 at 11:13 AM
To: Mark Nilsen
Re: Fwd: Be True
Mark,
No, I most certainly didn’t write this. Do you really think I’m so sneaky that I would think to open two email accounts just for the purpose of emailing you as someone else? This is why we had trouble in the beginning. You must think me completely mad.
Unfortunately I don’t have time to settle this, as my flight is boarding and Gregory is standing over by the windows chewing his fingers and gesturing like a mime for me to get going. He is actually quite entertaining. I’m surprised people aren’t throwing coins at him.
We will settle this later. Besides, I don’t see why you care either way since Sybil was nice this time.
Much love,
Fawn
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First I would like to thank my incredible agent, Elizabeth Copps, who believed in this project way back in 2013 when Fawn’s story was in its infancy. Thank you for sticking by me, for fighting for me, and for never giving up hope. I am fortunate to have you as my agent, my champion, and my friend. And to Maria and the entire team at the Maria Carvainis Agency—thank you a thousand times for your support.
To my wonderful, insightful editor, Alicia Clancy, thank you for your vision, talent, and sense of humor. And to the entire team at Lake Union—thank you for your creativity and hard work throughout this process.
Thank you, Cindy Johnston, my mother-in-law, who was one of the very first beta readers for this book. You have become my friend and also one of my greatest champions. Your constant support means the world to me.
Andrea Lynn Green, my talented and beautiful sister, thank you. You’ve been creating with me since we were old enough to scribble sketch comedy out on scrap paper and insist that everyone watch. Laughter got us through a lot and allowed me to see the importance of it in art, life, and relationships. Without you there infusing your unique sense of humor into all things, I’m not sure I would have made such a realization. You are a huge anchor in my life and one of my best friends.
Mom, thank you for encouraging my creativity, allowing me to try anything I wanted to try, and always accepting me for who I am. You have always been there for me, sacrificing and cheering me on, and I will be eternally grateful.