joanne Weck Author Page

Monday, November 16, 2015

Friday, November 6, 2015

HERE'S THE STORY, UNION, NEW JERSEY'S HOMETOWN BOOKSTORE







A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.

–Neil Gaiman

Joe Leo, the owner of HERE'S THE STORY BOOKSTORE, has kindly invited me to do a book signing/reading at his Stuyvesant Ave, Union, NJ store. In many ways, it feels like going home. I lived and taught in Union for many years. I moved to Fort Lee shortly before I retired from teaching so, after retiring in 2001, I haven't had many occasions to return.
But when I drove to Union to talk about doing the reading it was very much a case of deja vu. There was the high school that was my home away from home. There were the familiar landmarks, the familiar streets. And yet things have changed.

Joe's bookstore is one of the few independent bookstores surviving in this world of Amazon. It's a lovely oasis in the desert. It bright, cheerful, arranged to lure you in and encourage you to stay. There's a rocker, inviting children to gather around for Story-time.

I hope that friends and strangers will stop by to say hello on November 14th, between 1:00 and 2:30. I hope you will support Joe and his beautiful bookstore. We can't let these islands of culture and community slip away.