SOLSC: Weird Things

            While I was in New Orleans early this month, I visited Faulkner House Books. It’s located in a building that was a rooming house in the 1920s, and William Faulkner actually lived there when he wrote his first novel, Soldier’s Pay.

            Of course, I had to buy a book. When I saw Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores, I had to have it. My daughter is a librarian, and customers (that’s what they’re called in libraries these days, not patrons) in libraries also say weird things.

            Here are a couple of weird things customers have said in bookstores.

            1. “Can I return this book? I’m allergic to ink.”

            2, “My best friend came in here last weekend and bought a book, and she really loved it. Do you have another copy? I don’t remember the title.”

            3. “Did Charles Dickens ever write anything fun?”

            Then there was the customer who wanted to know what the second title in the Harry Potter series was because he (or she) had found that first books in a series took a while to get into and she (or he) didn’t want to waste time on the “useless introductory stuff.” After buying the second title, the customer came in a week later to complain that this book was far too confusing and how could children be expected to understand it.

            Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores was put together by Jen Campbell, a bookseller in England, who started posting these weird things on her blog (jen-campbell.blogspot.com). Once Neil Gaiman found it and posted about it, she got lots more comments from other booksellers, as well as interest from a U.K. publisher. Overlook Press has published it in the U.S. If you want a copy, go to your local independent bookstore—please.

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I’m participating in the 11th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 28 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!