Dear friends,
It’s hunker/bunker season in London, Ontario! Blessed as we might be with brief, clarifying moments of sun, the greater vibe of our town is grey and dreary. Canada has not yet learned how to do winter like the Nordic countries. We don’t line our streets with strings of warm lights and decorated trees, or provide our citizens with happy snow-ploughed bike paths and reliable socialism. No, our version of winter (outside of Montreal) is a janky hit-and-miss effort. Psychologically, we’re still in a frontier fort, drinking piss-beer, warming ourselves by the caustic fire. We are fearful of the dark forests surrounding us. Our malaise, though, does present an opportunity. In our self-imposed exile, thoughtful Canadians retire into the dank cultural unconscious, snoring dreams of reading, watching old movies, dreaming of vegetable gardens, and planning to finally start a root cellar of preserves.
In addition to our own root cellar planning, we’ve been digging through boxes of unprocessed material. Hope springs eternal that perhaps someday ALL OF THESE BOOKS WILL BE CATALOGUED AND OFFERED FOR SALE. Titles and authors we love and cherish populate our New Arrivals Section one by beautiful one. Elizabeth David, Tod Browning, Anne Carson, Seamus Heaney, Anias Nin, Mary Oliver, Vampirella and Joy Division to name a few. Even Leonard Nimoy blessed us with an appearance:
I may not be the best
Or the brightest
But one thing I can do better
Than anyone else…
That is
To be me
It’s so genuine, it avoids mockery. Almost avoids it. Nearly careens into it, honestly, yet deeks masterfully aside.
We’ve been getting back to ready here at Brown and Dickson. It’s taken us a few weeks mainly because we’ve been drowning ourselves in literature such as the above. Single tears have hung like Swords of Damocles over our snarky, world-weary lips. The shop is full of books. Our hopes are rested and full. Our New Arrivals section is bursting with the eclectic life and culture of an intergalactic Space Pub. Other bookshops may have gone to school, but we joined the circus. We’ve joined the intergalactic circus of North America and bring you the best and brightest an intergalactic circus will allow. So step right up, friends. Dare to wander the halls of our library. As poet Ima Ryma wrote:
Thank you for your time and space walk.
Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock.
Much love,
Jason & Vanessa
