My first-ever bookstore boss, Joel C. Turner, has died. More than twenty years ago I worked part-time at Joel's Under Cover Books in Shaker Heights. Joel was quirky, but in time I learned the quirky ones are the best booksellers. I've never seen anyone hand sell a book like Joel. He read, obviously, and loved it. And he loved talking about books, sometimes spending thirty minutes to an hour with a customer. It might sound cliched, but Under Cover Books truly was a family business. Joel's parents, Sylvia and Earl, worked there all the time. They were a real treat. Sylvia was about the nicest person I've ever worked with anywhere, and Earl was a sweet curmudgeon; I remember working slow Sunday afternoons with him and talking basketball all day long. They all made you feel like you were helping the family doing something it loved, not just working retail. I made some good friends there, friends I still have and friends who for years would all get together and tell funny stories. I remember a pre-holiday staff meeting at the Turner house which turned out to be about two hours of feasting and fifteen minutes of meeting--a good ratio more businesses should follow. A nice family and a nice bookstore.
Rick Danko-Book Faded Brown
Aww I'm sorry to hear this Dan. Sounds like a nice guy.
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