Book Store Boneyard -

[William Moore]

Don't know how Europe is affected by economic conditions impacting public venues for book buying, but it is pretty dismal here in the States. This is a 3 shot stitch job (panasonic zs20) looking inside one of our neighborhood's past bookstores. See if you can unscramble the letters to reveal the company. As public meeting spaces dwindle, I fear there will be more temptation to hole up at home or in the office to do ones socializing. I especially love book stores and hate to see them fold.

 

[Pete Askew]

Borders?

I like this very much William even though, like you, I mourn the demise of the bookshop. A suitably empty feel to it and a cross to the left!

 

[William Moore]

Thanks Pete - knew the identity wouldn't be too hard to figure out - guess the cross serves as a solid graveyard reference.

 

[Tom Dunne]

It's not only book stores here William but worse still, public libraries especially in the London area.
Your picture tells it all.

 

[William Moore]

Thanks for filling me in Tom and let me say I'm not too surprised but concerned and disappointed. Access of books being threatened can be a foreshadowing of things to come. I'm not paranoid (as I look over my shoulder) but know certain liberties require vigilance and action to ensure its continuance. Not wanting to get political here, I'll let the photo do that if that's the way it's interpreted. Bookstores like old friends are missed when they slip away -

Familiar with the cinema of Lindsay Anderson? He's one of my heroes.

 

[Tom Dunne]

I remember seeing Lucky Man in the seventies I think. Cannot remember whether I enjoyed it or not.
I mostly enjoy world cinema stuff now. Cries And Whispers by Ingmar Bergmann being one of my all time favourites.

 

[William Moore]

Tom, perhaps you might be interested in one of his interviews on "Free Cinema." Youtube covers his work pretty extensively. "This sporting life" is my favorite of his films. Also Bergman deserves his notoriety and praise - once you've seen the work, his genius becomes clear (well depending on who's viewing).

 

[Paul Lange]

I never knew they had Borders bookshops in the US. Well spotted and a good idea behind the image too I think. I am not sure if books are so much becoming redundant just that the format has evolved. Not that I necessarily think that this is a wholly good thing.

 

[William Moore]

Good observation Paul - even though printed material is available in various formats, it is sad (for me) when public meeting spots fold. Quality of life (and in this case humans) should trump baser economic concerns. I think some countries have their shit together on this issue .. but I'm not sure if that's really the case.

 

[Beth Carter]

i like this shot, really great find.

i miss borders, barnes and noble just isn't the same. when borders shut down our local became a 2nd and charles (like a borders with used books) pretty quickly, which isn't a bad store to waste time in. which is nice considering our libraries have more homeless people in them than books.

 

[William Moore]

hi beth - plenty of homeless in our libraries here in chicago - where else are they supposed to go? at least our libraries have free dvds and a great selection of cinema - i'm seeing all the stuff i didn't see before gratis - not bad!