When A Town Loses Its Bookstore
Friday, Jan. 2, a fire broke out at the 800 block of 10th Street in Arcata, California. Seven local businesses, apartments, and an art studio were destroyed. Half of the block is now gone. One of the businesses was Northtown Books, a sixty-year staple of the community. I worked there for eight years. It greatly shaped who I am.
There’s a dark symbolism in the burning of books. The local media outlet, Lost Coast Outpost, asked me to write something on it. You can read it here: