She asks permission of her readers to rant and I say rant away, Written Nerd, rant away. And here’s an excerpt from her blog.

So why, I ask you, is it that whenever a bookstore closes, it’s because bookstores are a thing of the past, and no one buys books or read anymore, and those who do buy their books online, and if we were all better people we would support those quaint indie stores (whether or not they’re doing a good job)? And why, when a new bookstore opens, is it seen as a wonderfully naive venture, suitable for Don Quixotes or those who have money to “prop up” such a business? And why, when a bookstore is successful and has been around for 3, 10, 30 years, is it always a surprising exception to an otherwise sad state of affairs?

So why, I ask you, is it that whenever a bookstore closes, it’s because bookstores are a thing of the past, and no one buys books or read anymore, and those who do buy their books online, and if we were all better people we would support those quaint indie stores (whether or not they’re doing a good job)? And why, when a new bookstore opens, is it seen as a wonderfully naive venture, suitable for Don Quixotes or those who have money to “prop up” such a business? And why, when a bookstore is successful and has been around for 3, 10, 30 years, is it always a surprising exception to an otherwise sad state of affairs?

I’ve been lucky enough to be the subject of a couple of interviews lately (I’ll let you know when they run) because of my PowerUp win, and I chortle secretly at the chance to “spread the gospel” to interviewers about this widespread misapprehension. One reporter asked me flat-out why I thought it was a good idea to open a bookstore in Brooklyn, when everyone knows independent bookstores are on the decli