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My photo roll now jumps ahead to the last day of February and also the last regular day of operations for Archives, the more antiquarian-minded bookstore in East Lansing. We got to it after work, in time to be --- I believe --- the last two paying customers before it closed up apart from by-appointment openings while stock gets sold online (I imagine) or moved to its sister store.
A warning that the parking is only for Archives, the bookstore, and Dino's. There's nothing there named Dino's and there hasn't been all the time I've been in town, yet the sign looks great, possibly because they hung it up behind the power lines. (There's no reason that would have anything to do with anything.)
We were not the only people who came to Archives for last-day photos. I believe the guy taking the picture here has two cameras.
Tabooli is a local microchain (two restaurants) of Mediterranean-style food, for people who want a hummus wrap built your way like Subway would do. This spot used to be a coffee shop and there was a door to pass through into the bookstore.
And here's what the sign looked like. Today, seven months later, it ... still does, actually.
The last day that would be out there, except by appointment.
Setting sun, closing bookstore, do you get it? Huh? Symbolism? BETTER SAY YES.
And here's what it looked like inside, which is your usual sort of used bookstore arrangement.
Some of the vintage magazines, from back when The Saturday Evening Post existed or Collier's existed or people in Southern England enjoyed leisure.
Aisles half-blocked by aged cardboard boxes full of other books, not because of the closure, just because used bookstores are always like this.
Someday someone is going to file an ADA lawsuit on behalf of people with mobility issues and it's going to decimate the used bookstore industry. In the back there the shelves are boxes full of postcards, I believe.
Your usual used-bookstore arrangement, here of books about Canada. Surprised that text about Upper Canadian politics of the 1850s didn't move sooner.
Archives was more into antiquarian and rare books, which didn't mean it lacked for science fiction, just that the section was smaller than its sister store in downtown East Lansing has, and it includes things like those Gentry Lee Rendezvous with Rama sequels. Also note they have a book by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley that isn't universally panned Hugo winner They's Rather Be Right, assuming that's not just another name for the same book. (It was.)
Trivia: The British 46th Division's capture of the St Quentin Canal --- making possible the breach of the Hindenburg Line the 29th of September, 1918 --- was preceded by a creeping barrage of about 126 shells for every 500 yards of German trench over the course of eight hours. Source: The First World War, Hew Strachan.
Currently Reading: Comic books.
