Stacey’s Bookstore has closed after 85 years in business.
In 1998, I visited San Francisco with my then boyfriend, and one of our stops during my introduction to the City was Stacey’s. A mutual friend showed off her Stacey’s “Literary License” membership card, so we stopped by to check it out. It felt like a regular bookstore at first, and then I climbed the stairs and hit the incredibly well-stocked magazine section. I was in love. I was a fan of obscure travel and art magazines, and I remember buying at least five of the damn things right then.
After I decided to actually move to the City in 1999, I would encounter Stacey’s several more times. I went back for the occasional birthday gift (Example: A book about Germany for my friend Jesse who was going on holiday there), a few author talks and book signings (Example: I was there when Jack Bishop gave a little Q&A about Cook’s Illustrated taste tests), and yes, another indulgent stop at the magazine rack. I’ve always had fond memories of that place; the multi-storied building with its multi-storied shelves.
And here in my hands, I hold a Kindle, an e-book reader that has replaced much my reading. In this 0.36-inch piece of plastic and metal holds the potential to condense most if not all of the contents of a brick-and-mortar bookstore. It is, ostensibly, the future.
So why then, even as its doors have closed and its days are gone, do I still want to get a Stacey’s “Literary License” membership card?
(Originally posted on my Tumblr)
