Describe your job.
I run the middle-grade section and am part of the children's team at Powell's Books on Hawthorne, but all of us here do everything!
Where are you originally from?
I was born in New York, but I was raised on the surface of the sun, which some people call Florida.
What did you do before you came to Powell’s?
I moved out here for a job at the
Oregonian, where I worked for about two years. But I love books more than newspapers.
Share a memorable experience you've had on the job.
There's a little girl who was having a really tough time deciding what to read next, and I suggested the
Fairyland books by Catherynne M. Valente. She loved them, and now she comes back every once in a while to get ideas. Having a customer get excited about a recommendation is the best feeling!
Share your favorite customer quote.
Probably the cutest was when a tiny little girl came up to me and solemnly asked where she could find "The Particles of Narnia." Also, once a kid saw me in my wheelchair and said, "Race car!"
Why do you think bookstores remain so popular in the digital age?
The simplest answer, I think, is that people just like to hold books. Shopping for books feels so luxurious, and it's an experience you can't have clicking through a website. But I also think people love the life raft of being able to ask us for help and suggestions. It can be wild out there without a bookseller.
What was the last book you loved?
Last month I read
May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes, and I liked it more and more as it went along. It's funny and insightful and a little dark — overall just a really lovely story.
Recommend a book or author you think everyone should read.
I've been recommending
Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson like crazy since I read it a couple of years ago. It's about a social worker and a survivalist family in 1980s Montana, but it is so relevant, and it's also this beautiful portrait of a man and his daughter. It's phenomenal. I also don't think anyone can go wrong reading
Anne Tyler.
Do you collect any particular types of books?
I collect pop-up books, picture books about monsters, and different editions of my favorite novel,
Lolita.
Do you have any odd reading habits or book rituals?
This probably isn't weird, but when I'm on the fence about a book, I read page 1 and page 99 to decide. I also love to crack the spines on new books when I buy them. It's a filthy habit, I know.
When you’re not reading, what do you like to do in your free time?
I spend most of my free time with my horse, Cash. He's the best buddy and trail partner a girl could ask for!