Andrew, San Francisco, 5/25


Are you a book hoarder?

Yes, I hoard heavily. I like photography books, art books, books on New Mexico… I also store books at home that I don’t want to sell too quickly or cheaply. I keep a sort of reserve supply in my apartment. If the store burned down I could reopen in a new location with a full supply.

Your apartment must look a lot like your store, then!

It’s a total mess. It’s really sad. I take people over there and – women won’t talk to me afterwards. There’s no sofa. The bed is consumed with books. I’m living in a coffin – not quite, but I should build a coffin. Then the books wouldn’t nudge into me. I need more space. I like a little mess, sure, but I’d like some property where I could shove everything and display it…a farm, or a warehouse somewhere. I looked at some property in Montana, but it’s a hard place to run a bookstore…

You could get rid of some of the books, or bring them to the store -

I could, I should, but I love books, I love some of them for their – I guess I don’t realize my own mortality. I want to hang onto them. I’m a greedy person, a miser. I don’t know, if I meet the right people I love to get them the right books, but – books are precious. Some of them you don’t see every day. Might as well hang on to those. Any book that could bring me pleasure I like keeping by. I don’t have to sell them all – I sell a lot of books! I don’t know. I need to sell more. I need to sell online. I’m lazy. I’m really lazy. I’m a lazy person. My house is a mess. It’s laziness. Am I a brilliant mind? No, I don’t think so. I’m no Einstein. I’m just – very lazy! Help me out here, I’m not telling you what you need to know.

[lots more from this interview coming soon!]