The Book Juggler

Chris and Greta bought themselves a bookstore. It’s in Willits (see below post for a brief geographical description of Willits), it’s on Main Street (which is technically Highway 101) and it’s adorable. It makes me happy thinking of them with that bookstore, knowing that over the years they will turn it into a wondrous extension of themselves.

The store is ginormous. It keeps opening onto further rooms where you expect to come to some final back wall. It reminds me of Green Apple in San Francisco, which I also love, and has all these maze like rows and hidden rooms full of freaking books.

A brief note on Chris and Greta: Chris and Greta drunkenly agreed to run off and get married with us. This involved a large rented car, a late night and hell bent drive to Reno, a $100 bottle of scotch, many games of bowling, a three hour stay in a sketchy hotel room that apparently doubled as a set for a film about crack whores, the tackiest wedding chapel we could find, a female minister that for some reason I remember having a fake hand (though I’m almost positive she didn’t) and a two for one coupon to pay for the weddings. Our names are on their marriage certificate, theirs on ours – we often mention all being married to each other in a joking way, but we know how literal it is. Chris is also of the same sort of neurotic collector type as me.

Anytime I walk into a used bookstore, there are certain books I always look for, certain authors. Though I probably wouldn’t buy any William S. Burroughs any longer, I always take a look at what said store might have – just to see what sort of book buyers I’m dealing with. I’ve been on the hunt for a book called Blameless In Abaddon by James Morrow for a couple of years now and have had no luck. But wandering around in Chris and Greta’s new bookstore? Of course, it’s there.

I’m excited for them and I’m proud of them. I step inside their store and can immediately feel that it’s a place that will be filled with their love and obsessions, their gorgeous style. I envy the people who get to be regulars.

If you find yourself in Willits, stop by The Book Juggler, they are currently working on Willits’ most impressive collection of tattoo books.