President Patronizes Indie Book Store For Small Business Saturday
via Writers Write:
Small Business Saturday is the rational person's response to Black Friday. It encourages shoppers to invest in local economies by patronizing mom-and-pop shops, a much nicer alternative to lining up outside a Wal-Mart at 3 a.m. to get pepper-sprayed for an XBox 360.
It's a lovely sentiment, even if the event is sponsored by American Express.
President Barack Obama marked Small Business Saturday by taking his daughters, Malia and Sasha, to Kramerbook & Afterwords Cafe in Washington, D.C., an independent bookstore near the White House.
See!? Even the president supports indie bookstores! Stop doing all your shopping on Amazon.
So what books did the president and his daughters buy?
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- Tails by Matthew Van Fleet
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
- Zen Shorts by Jon Muth
- The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
- Descent into Chaos by Ahmed Rashid
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selnick
I bet Obama was all like "Yea, my daughters bought Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and then he went home and read it himself.
Check out the video of the president's visit to the store:
News by Rob Hart
Rob Hart is the class director at LitReactor. He's also the author of five novels and the short story collection Take-Out, and co-wrote Scott Free with James Patterson. His next novel, The Warehouse (Crown, August 2019), has been sold in more than 20 countries and been optioned for film by Ron Howard. Find more at www.robwhart.com.
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The President and his daughters bought The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz?
Newfound respect for him.
You definitely bring on the most interesting columns, Rob. Big fan over here.
And stop hating on amazon -best prices, best selection, best methods of delivery.
Even when I try to go to a bookstore, they never have the books I'm looking for. Amazon can get me whatever I want, whenever I want, and faster than the bookstores who have to special order. Or when the bookstores actually do have a book I want, say a more popular title, amazon always gets it to me cheaper. Not to mention now I can get my books with a click from wherever I am. So I don't know... I hate to see a bookstore go out of business, but you have to have something to offer if you're taking my money, and look at Blockbuster or the Sam Goody type chain stores that used to be the primary source for buying music. All fading out.
I don't think it's a "bookstore" thing -I think the "store" or the "plaza" mall concept in general is going digital like print and paper and banking.
Oh yeah, who the fuck cares? Why doesn't he try reading The Constitutuon.
Hahaha. Damn durty librulls!
First I applaud the First Family for supporting local business and for supporting reading.
I do find it ironic that an article about supporting local/independent bookstores is followed immediately by the ability to purchase several of the books mentioned in said article - from Amazon ...
Thanks Nathan, I appreciate your support.
And I'm with you on Amazon. I'm doing 80 percent of my holiday shopping there. But I can never resist the snarky comment.
Plus the digital publishing imprint I work for is run through and indie bookstore, and of course I need to root for the home team.
Nothing wrong with promoting reading. I just thought the "patronizing" in the title was the bad kind of patronizing, until I read the article.
Cynical photo op. Read article, unimpressed.
Don't know how a photo op itself can be cynical, but I get what you're driving at. This definitely has to do with publicity.
Publicity, yes. I don't particularly care if they care about the indie bookstore. If some moron sees this and says, "I love the President. I love bookstores because the President loves bookstores. Let's save the bookstores!" I will be pleased. Thanks man, much appreciated.
Casey Dee: Agreed. Who cares how as long as bookstores stay in business.