The Watchung Booksellers Podcast
Watchung Booksellers' community of writers and readers dive deep into what they do for the love of books.
Watchung Booksellers is located in the heart of Montclair, NJ, a literary beacon filled with writers, journalists, publishers, and avid readers. Each year we host hundreds of author events and every day the most interesting and dedicated readers walk through our doors. Their insights and enthusiasm have inspired us to share our conversations with book-lovers everywhere. We invite you to listen and be a part of our community!
The Watchung Booksellers Podcast
Episode 9: A Love of Books
In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, Janet Torsney and Margot Sage-EL sit down to discuss the wonderful partnership between the Montclair Public Library and Watchung Booksellers--two institutions in Montclair devoted to the love of books.
Guest Bios:
Janet Torsney became the director of the Montclair Public Library in August 2022 after six months serving as Interim Director. Previously she was director of the Bradley Beach, Keyport and Brielle Public Libraries and assistant director of the Montclair Public Library. Highlights of her library career include expansion and restoration of an historic library, creating welcoming programs in and outside of libraries, a variety of successful fundraising campaigns and improving library relations with their communities. Janet is a popular speaker about libraries, community outreach and literacy. Prior to becoming a librarian, Janet had a distinguished career in communications with leading nonprofits and UN agencies. Born and raised in New Jersey, Janet earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Medieval Literature from Georgetown University and a Master of Library Science from Rutgers University. She lives in Asbury Park with her husband, Greg, and is extraordinarily proud of their two daughters, Hannah and Michaela.
Margot Sage-EL is the former owner of Watchung Booksellers. Margot started Great Owl Books in 1994, bought Watchung Booksellers in ‘96 and with the help of fabulous booksellers and devoted readers, cultivated a bookstore that reflected and nurtured this wonderful community. After running the store for nearly 30 years, she recently passed the helm to her daughter, Maddie, and continues to help with author events and in-store consulting. Her commitment to reading, social justice, and community partnerships has made Watchung Booksellers a cornerstone of Montclair.
Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.
Fundraising Event: Karaoke Party Fundraiser to celebrate Janet's retirement!
Register for Upcoming Events.
Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.
Register for Upcoming Events.
The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Silver Stream Studio in Montclair, NJ.
The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell and Bree Testa. Special thanks to Timmy Kellenyi and Derek Mattheiss.
Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica.
Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.
Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!
If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!
Stay in touch!
Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com
Social: @watchungbooksellers
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Hello everybody.
Kathryn:Welcome back to the Watch Home Booksellers podcast. I'm Katherine and I'm here with Marnie Hi.
Marni:Marnie, Hi. Today we're so pleased to introduce you to someone who runs one of the most important institutions in Montclair, the Montclair Public Library. Janet Torsney grew up in Montclair and knows and loves this town. She's been the director of the library for several years now and has shepherded in so many wonderful programs. Sadly for us, she's retiring next month, so we wanted to introduce you to her before she goes. And in lieu of a retirement party, the Montclair Public Library Foundation is hosting a fundraiser in her honor on Thursday July 25th at Tierney's, and you can find all the details for that in our show notes.
Kathryn:And with her today we brought in another true lover of books and of this town, our own, Margot Sajel. They're going to share their thoughts on reading and community partnerships. First, what are you reading this week, Marnie?
Marni:I am reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling, and it's the sixth book in the series. I'm reading it with my daughter, june, and we don't want it to end, but we're really enjoying it. How about you?
Kathryn:I just picked up Hero of this Book by Elizabeth McCracken. It came out last year. It is kind of auto-fiction memoir I'm not even sure exactly how to define it but it's about writing and memory and the loss of her mother and it's all very funny and very tender and I love it Okay let's get started.
Marni:Janet Torsney became the director of the Mont Clair Public Library in August 2022, after six months serving as interim director. Previously, she was the director of the Bradley Beach, keyport and Brielle Public Libraries and assistant director of the Montclair Public Library. Janet is a popular speaker about libraries, community outreach and literacy. Prior to becoming a librarian, she had a distinguished career in communications with leading non-profits and UN agencies. Born and raised in New Jersey, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Medieval Literature from Georgetown University and a Master's of Library Science from Rutgers University. She lives in Asbury Park with her husband, greg.
Kathryn:And Margot Sejel is the former owner of Wachung Booksellers. After running the store for nearly 30 years, she recently passed the helm to her daughter, maddie, and continues to help with author events and in-store consulting. Her commitment to reading, social justice and community partnerships has made Wachung Booksellers a cornerstone of Montclair Enjoy the conversation and we'll be back after to fill you in on what's coming up in the store.
Janet:Hi Janet.
Margot:Hi, margo. Thanks so much for coming. This is a real treat for me to have you here. As you said, this might be the first time we've been one-on-one, I know, but it's a little bittersweet with your impending retirement. But I do want to celebrate your long history in Montclair at the library with Watch on Booksellers. So tell us a little more about your life, my life in Montclair, at the library, with Watch on Booksellers. So tell us a little more about your life.
Janet:My life in Montclair, your life in Montclair. Well, we moved from Clifton. No, I grew up in Montclair. We moved when I was in fourth grade. That's so great and it's a great place to live right, particularly then. I'm 67 now, so it was a time where it was really a wonderful place and I had no idea until I lived in other places how special Montclair was.
Margot:So you did like when you, you left for a while and lived other places, right, and then came back. So I went to.
Janet:You know the classic Montclair thing. I left for college and I came back and lived in New York and then I came back to Montclair to take care of my father who still lived in our childhood home. So it was all lovely but a very classic, the classic. And then we had two kids. We lived on Berkeley which is a wonderful neighborhood to raise a child there's so many right and my kids went to Edgemont and we loved the watch on Bookseller and so I asked my family before this what they remembered.
Janet:And I remember my father, who was I did not know at the time that this is like the Holy Grail for booksellers. He read only hardcover mysteries and he read a lot of them. So that's a very good customer to have. I've learned since that. So he, yeah, exactly when I came home he's like we've got a new bookstore. So I remember so clearly climbing up those drugstore steps to that space. They were pretty wild. And then it was like you know, a whole nother world. And I asked my daughters I have two daughters, they're in their 30s now about it and they both remembered like being little and kind of scampering up those stairs and then the bookstore it was.
Margot:It was a little hidden oasis up there.
Janet:And I did for a while. I did a lot of women's self-employment training and I always almost always mentioned about you and your partner how you knew you could open a bookstore, which you had never done before, because you went to Sunday school together. Oh yeah, and the women everyone was like oh yeah, of course, like it was a really excellent anecdote to really bring.
Margot:That's so funny.
Janet:So thank you for all that.
Margot:No, because it's like you know you can work together. You know you can handle the difficult clientele the preschoolers.
Janet:It was all going to work. Yeah, it was all going to work, so it was great. But then when did you become a librarian? Oh, I. So we were raising our kids in Montclair and I was actually. I volunteered at the Edgemont School Library, which I love, and I was doing a lot of refugee work. At the time, I was working as a consultant and I thought, oh yeah, I should be doing something more where I live. I mean, I really liked my work, but I was something closer to where I live. So I decided to go to library school and I went to Rutgers, which was great. So I graduated from library school in 2008. And that has been interesting too, because, although I'm like a young library school graduate in that, I don't have strong feelings about a reference department and you know why don't people come and ask reference questions anymore department, and you know why don't people come and ask reference questions anymore.
Janet:You know they just don't so let's turn this space into something else. You know, even though I'm of the age oh, I know it's so sad. It's so sad for some librarians like their whole careers.
Margot:Yeah, because I do remember that that was like your go to.
Janet:Yeah, wow, yeah, and that's you know. It was such an important skill, so I love that. So then you know, I was in different libraries. I was the director of the Bradley Beach Library. I was at the Colwell Library for a while. I lived in Asbury Park, so that's where I was Brielle Keyport, all those libraries, and then I came back to Montclair. Thank. You were constantly concerned about children going down to the second floor because it was unsafe. Wow, so it remained like 60 years later, and then the main avenue was my kids' first library.
Margot:And then you came well after the whole renovation.
Janet:Yeah, I think that was in 1997. Yeah, but my kids went when it was. Do you remember when the children's thing was like in that pit on the first floor? Yes, and the kids were running out the door.
Margot:Yes, the third floor is a much more contained space.
Janet:I think actual librarians might have been involved in that decision. That's so funny so that's, and so I let you know and I came back to be the assistant librarian actually a certain assistant library director, which I really enjoyed great, because it's a great library, yeah it's's a great library.
Margot:I really love it. It's such a great town.
Janet:It's such a really great town.
Margot:I know when we first moved here and it was like my haven with the kids because you could just really spend hours, you know and reading all the books and bringing stacks home.
Janet:And meeting other parents too, right, I think it's such a great place yeah, the whole aspect of community center and all that's interesting.
Margot:You said you were like a young enough, new enough librarian that you had a whole new outlook and you're sort of at the forefront of this new movement where libraries are trying to figure out who they are.
Janet:Right, right. And people find me like in library land, find me a little on the radical side because I'm like, well, why don't we just have a statewide library card?
Margot:Oh, that's interesting, or why doesn't?
Janet:Wi-Fi extend out of all the building. You know like things like that.
Margot:Right Like no, we can't do that, See, and I don't even understand the my library card.
Janet:We're doing it. We're doing it. We're reading those e-books. Yes, I know we're downloading things. You're amazing.
Margot:But what's also amazing is like the amount of community service that you guys do, and I mean well, first let's go back when you came in as a director. It was a difficult time for the library and you really came in like a breath of fresh air and we so needed your positive inclusivity. The whole message that you gave was it was a godsend.
Janet:So yeah, it was a funny time, you know, like I was like how did it, how did this come to be? But then all I would say and I said it ad nauseum is that you know, we all want the same thing. Right, we all want the same thing, we all want the same thing. We want this library to rework, we want to, you know, reengage with our town. So I got off kilter but I think it was kind of easy to get it back in shape because people wanted it that way.
Margot:You know people really wanted their library to work. Yeah, and you had a dedicated staff and people were well and you were coming out of COVID.
Janet:And that was a hard time. But and I'd like you know I'm not, I'm more of a yes person too, like I, I try not to say no. I mean when I say no I really mean no. I don't have a problem saying no. But I think you know, if people have an idea of something they want to do, I'm for it. Like try it then, especially at a library. You know you're not putting millions of dollars on the line or you're not going to be humiliated. You, you know, it's just someone I know at the Princeton Library which has fantastic everything you know, and is very high quality in film study and stuff like that. But one of their most popular programs is origami that one of their patrons started years ago and you know they're like nobody was interested in origami.
Margot:But they're like okay, fine, yeah, well, and then the adult school was, should I say, enveloped by the library. Yes, as it should be. We're all one happy family. No, that was really great, obviously, you know, bringing community people in to teach their classes is great.
Janet:Yeah, People worry about paid classes in the library, which I you know, I take that very seriously because it is a public library and everyone should have access all the time and everyone's equal. But this has kind of an interesting ladder. The Excel classes, for example, are free, but if you want to learn something like pivot tables, you pay something for that and Montclair residents are half off. So I feel like that's still a level of accessibility and it kind of works the other way. The sign language class was a paid adult school class but very popular. So now that group just meets in the library to be with each other and also to teach other people, so it has a really nice circular effect, yeah, and then you have book groups out of the library, but they're through the adult school and just meeting at the library.
Janet:Exactly, exactly.
Margot:And how do people come to you to meet at the library? Do they just sign up for a room?
Janet:Right For that. How House event right? In fact, we made you fill out the form. There's a form and if it's available, the availability is a big thing. Particular auditorium is booked quite a bit, yeah.
Margot:Yeah, that auditorium is fabulous and we've used it over the years and it's generous of you guys not to charge us to really to have formed a partnership where we can work together.
Janet:Because we all want the same thing, don't we, margo? We do. We secretly want everyone to read because we know their life will be better. That is true. Sneaky literacy Don't talk about it, but it's true, I know.
Margot:There was also one thing that you spoke about the whole issue where the libraries are really, I have to say, more endangered with the banned books movement. So there are a lot of bookstores around the country who have trouble with it. But you know, thankfully we are happily in our Montclair bubble and really have not had a problem. Every now and then somebody will complain that we don't have a certain political book front and center or not in the window or whatever, but for the most part people have left us alone, which is great.
Janet:But you've had some more pushback, right, right right and that you know people are certainly entitled to that. Like I try to bring the temperature down on that, people certainly have a right to reconsider a program or a book or displays. Sometimes people object to displays.
Janet:Yes they do. So we have a process for all that. But I think you know, and I think I mentioned to you like I don't like to talk about banned books. I like to talk about the right to read, because the question is, who decides that? Like for myself, I decided, maybe like 20 years ago, I wasn't going to read any fiction that had child abuse as a plot point. I just stopped. But that doesn't mean, I think, that you shouldn't carry books like that or you shouldn't read them, or you know, in our family then, when my kids were little, I might have told them they couldn't read a book, which I'm sure they ignored, but I I might have mentioned it and I think that's legit. But how much? What you're right is to tell other people what to read.
Margot:So how do you handle it if people come up and like demand that a book should be removed?
Janet:We go through the reconsideration process, you know, and it's a form. They have to fill it out to say why they objected to it, how they objected to it. Libraries are always taking books off the shelf anyway, because we're always ordering new books and there's, you know, some really horrendous books that somehow remain on the shelf. You know, like about East Germany would be good, but there's some things about native peoples that are just like, how could this possibly still be on the shelf? So I try and put it all in that context and just be calm. You know, because when people act crazy, I just be calm. You know, because when people act crazy, I try and act calm and it seems to work. Everybody wants to be heard if it's. Yeah. You know, and we did, we did change our reconsideration form that you had to have a montclair public library card, okay, and we debated that a little bit like is that a barrier? But no, it's a free card and our library supported by our community financially and otherwise, so so that seemed legit.
Margot:So you have the major supports from the town and then you are generously supplemented through the library foundation. Right, exactly, our foundation friends.
Janet:I love them, I love our foundation and they're also really fun. It's so creative and it also brings so many people into the community and into the library.
Margot:Yeah, They've had some really great events, like fundraisers that again are all centered on literacy. And it's just great, you know, author at the table, or?
Janet:Yeah, there was like a series of three of them. Yeah, yeah.
Margot:That was wonderful.
Janet:And then they recently had an event, a trivia contest, at Tiernese, of course, where else and I was so happy to hear that most of the people were not involved with the library at all, you know. So that's a wonderful thing too, because I'm always very interested in who's not coming in, right.
Margot:You know I'm sure you are too Like, yeah, why, yeah. So what do you find is your most effective outreach?
Janet:I think you know the programming that represents different people's interests and different people's identity definitely helps. You know people want to feel welcome. Yeah, people. I don't know if it's the same with bookstores too, but people I feel like they almost feel like judged or bring their childhood library experiences with them. You know, like it's a little hard to know where you're supposed to go and are you going to get a, a fine, or are you talking too loud?
Kathryn:You know so there's, a level of anxiety too.
Janet:So that's why I like to do more fun things in the library and then gradually let people get more and more comfortable and then start reading.
Margot:So I find selecting books is an incredibly intimate process and so people might feel I mean, we have tried really hard to have like a judgment-free zone. You want to read a beach read, or Fifty.
Janet:Shades of.
Margot:Grey, like that's what people wanted. We had stacks Like I was not going to turn my nose up like that. And then you also mentioned that you liked our social media. Now that it's another way of recommending books without like being we're still in contact with people, but it's a safer zone is that what it is?
Janet:yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think so, and also a reminder of how different obviously your staff is different, like it's just refreshing every time.
Margot:Yeah, you know, because you tend I mean in life and in reading you tend to get in your zone a little bit exactly, and that's I know what try, and I'm sure you guys do among the librarians is you really try to spread out the reading, not just your responsibilities in the bookstore but your personal reading. So, sometimes, when a book is really popular, like just one person on staff has read it because we know. Oh, she said it was good, so you know.
Margot:I'll try something else because you're always trying to discover the undiscovered book.
Janet:Wow.
Margot:And so I don't know if you guys find that among the librarians.
Janet:Yeah, for sure, for sure. And there's the people who are really ardent readers and people who read certain kind of books. It's very interesting. And still they say I don't know if this is still true but the handwritten note, just like the index card, that moves the books more than anything.
Janet:And again, maybe that's that same thing. You're not getting personally involved, but you are. When I was at the Bradley Beach Library I forget why we did this but we put a sticker in the new books with describe this book in five words or three words. It was a very small amount of words.
Margot:And I think we just wanted people to be reading more and more engaged and, you know, destroying the books also by putting stickers. Wait, they were actually stuck. It was like a it was a bad.
Janet:It looked like. It looked like a library takeout card sort of you know, and so it's just, and so people just love that it would be somebody's initials and you know the two or three words, and then people are trying to discover each other, you know who returned this. I think I'm in love, but it was so because it is. It's a private activity, right, but there's a communal aspect to it, for sure.
Margot:Definitely, and yeah, that's interesting because people do try to find out who recommends the books that they like. So, yes, everyone has certain followers at the bookstore, so it's kind of kind of cool to watch that happen. So the other thing I want to talk about is all the programming you guys do, that we do, and I know sometimes people think that we're competing against each other.
Janet:Can you imagine? I know, People. What are you thinking?
Margot:Whereas we feel totally supported by the library and in turn we try to support the library, like when there are certain events, the proceeds basically go to the library.
Janet:No, it's absolutely. We have the same mission, right? Yes, and also our beautiful community, all these wonderful people who are here, you know, to talk about their books or talk with other people about books. It's so wonderful. But, yeah, I feel like we are completely on a mission and we don't, as you say, get a chance much to talk about it, but we totally are in the same wavelength about.
Janet:you know we can count on you. I know we were talking today about an event that wasn't getting as many people signing up as we were hoping for and we're like, oh, we don't want Margot to come and have it be so few people buying books. But you know, and I said well, you know, we have some big events, some we don't, and you know we're respectful of each other, of course, always, and your abilities, oh my gosh, margot.
Janet:When you had I'm thinking of Colson Whitehead at First Kong, you know the books were flying, he's signing, people are coming in, everyone, like it's just a beautiful I don't even want to use the word machine because it's more beautiful than that but you really know exactly what you're doing.
Margot:You do it so very well, but that's because we also have great partners, like a few guys, the Literary Festival and community groups around town and the spaces right.
Janet:I know we decided for our larger groups to really lean on our neighbors to have things there, and that's made things much better. It's more predictable. Yes.
Margot:And it's also, it's part of the whole drawing people in again more so, and yes, and hopefully, they'll support each of us in our endeavors. One event that's coming up in the fall that I think we're both particularly excited about is having Matthew Desmond, the author of Poverty in America, come, and you made arrangements with Partners for Health, another community organization, to support this event, which is amazing, oh my gosh.
Janet:They are so generous. They're so in for this. I'm so proud to be part of it and they are just so generous. They wanted people to have a chance. I'm so proud to be part of it and they are just so generous. They wanted people to have a chance to have book clubs before he comes to speak in September. So we have a call out now to different community organizations for people who want to get the book and read it, and Partners for Health is going to buy the books. So generous, it is amazing, and it's already up to 100 books just for this kind of at-large community and it's all different kinds of people. I mean, a lot of them are people actually, I don't know organizations and churches, I don't know. So I'm just so excited about that and I think there will probably be, before he does his public talk, there'll be a working group session with some people who work with unhoused and poverty issues in Montclair. That will be like a real working group, finding out from him what he thinks and what we've learned.
Janet:I'm very excited about that too, so I really admire their vision. It's been so fun to work on and you, of course, are so key to it, because neither one of us know anything about book selling and you've made it so easy, and every time we're like, ok, well, what about audio books? Ok we'll figure that out. Or what about having these, you know, book club orders now and then more orders. So you've really been helpful in making it oh thanks, but I think it's going to have a very big impact. I'm really glad.
Margot:I think it's going to have a huge impact and because of the Partners for Health, generosity and your organization, it really is becoming like a townwide read, exactly, and I love the idea of having book groups. I was at an AAPI event the other night and someone there was talking about how their book group was doing the poverty in America and I'm like, oh great, it's like this is actually going out into getting people to come. So that'll, and that is September 12th. I think it's September 12th. Yeah, Did you guys initiate this?
Janet:No, they were interested in co-sponsoring an Obama event. I thought you know this is like they've done, I believe, a new strategic plan.
Janet:So they're looking at different ways Sorry open book open mind. When I came back to the library, I thought that Obama for some reason had a much bigger presence, because when I left it was open book open mind. When I came back, it was Obama. I'm like is he coming? I don't know, but yeah, so that was that. But it's, it's a really, it's a level of sponsorship we haven't done before. It's really great. No, I think it really fulfills everybody's mission yes, yeah, definitely, and for the whole town too.
Margot:I mean it's such a.
Janet:These are people are really interested in talking about issues here.
Margot:It's a really wonderful thing yeah, are things quieter for you guys in the summer?
Janet:A little bit. The children's world gets busier.
Margot:I know a couple years ago we did try to delve into summer reading program, but then we realized, man, the library does such an incredible job. Like we're not going to try to duplicate anything and instead, I think we just donate the gift cards.
Janet:Oh, that's so nice, that's perfect For your winners. Yeah, I mean, is it competitive gift cards? Oh, that's so nice, that's perfect For your winners.
Margot:Yeah, I mean, is it competitive? Some people like to compete.
Janet:We do, we do. But I worked in one library where the school district switched their you know, the summer assignments to do the diorama and whatnot. They just said, just do the public library program. And when the school started and this was just, the superintendent decided this, you know, did not consult with the teachers. Oh, I'm not one to judge. I saw opportunity, yes, but when the kids went back to school in September the teachers were like what went on this summer, especially for the reluctant readers?
Janet:Because we'd be like if you read a dinosaur book five times, that is five points for you. My man Pick a treasure and it was incredible.
Margot:Isn't that funny, that treasure and it was incredible. Isn't that funny? That's great. Yeah, so is the program growing at the montclair library? Yes, and the same thing.
Janet:I think that we're much more involved with the school district. We're doing a big supportive thing for their science of literacy actually. So we're doing story walks. We have a resource thing on our website. We're doing training. So we're really that's great.
Margot:Yeah, yeah, and that's already in place.
Janet:Now, right yeah, I'm learning about decodables.
Janet:Yeah, I didn't know about decodables before I know, I think I think we have to up our game on that, but oh, I want to talk about this gift that you gave me and my family personally, which is, as I said, I have these two daughters, hannah mckayla walker, and they grew up going to your midnight harry potter parties and they remember them so specifically that, you know, and they were young, and then at first it was just like you know, kind of get the books and leave, and then the next time it was, you know, people were dressed up.
Margot:The next time it got more and more elaborate, but they just loved it. Did they come to the last one where we had the block party?
Janet:Yes, yes, they block party. Yes, yes, they came to everyone that was, and they would walk home and stop in the street and read on the streetlights on the way home, like it was such a foundational memory. So it was thank you for that.
Margot:No, it was an incredible night and we had Arthur Levine, the that's right, the publisher come and read, and did he come in costume? I can, can't remember now, but yeah, the kids' costumes were amazing and the other thing that was, like you know, and it was midnight, truly midnight, when this was happening Good, choice.
Margot:Hard on you but a good choice. Yes, well, the publisher, you know that was the game that they played, that you couldn't release the book until whatever July 25th, which meant, you know, at midnight. Other people talk about how it was the first time they let their kids out at night alone. To come to that and to come back and yeah, the minute we handed out.
Margot:There. Kids were just sitting on the curb just reading the book. It was wonderful. It's magical and talk about getting reluctant readers to read. I found the Harry Potter books really special because they were not dumbed down. It was great vocabulary and, of course, lots of adventure, but the kids who didn't normally read read those.
Janet:Absolutely. Came and read those books Absolutely and they were long right Like people didn't think kids would read kids that age would read long books at all. Yep, but each one was long, got longer and longer. Yes, but it's another.
Margot:Yes, that was another issue. But I know, and I kind of keep looking for another like place thing, like that.
Janet:Yeah, like Percy Jackson, those were good books, those were great books, but not the same shared experience. I don't think.
Margot:Well, there are summer camps. A lot of people have Percy Jackson summer camps. Oh my gosh, how fun At least they did, you know, five years ago. We should look and see if that continues. But yeah, there is that whole thing about bringing reading to life and I feel like we definitely have more of a challenge these days. Did you find that COVID affected reading habits For sure?
Janet:For sure. Yeah, the attention span and yeah, it's hard. I mean it's really, I find for myself. I just went I saw a play of the Scarlet Letter, which I really enjoyed the play, and I'm like, oh, that's one of my favorite books, I'm gonna read it. I could not. It was just too. I don't know if it was too complex or you know. It has like that whole beginning. There's a lot of history in the beginning. I'm like, come on, but it really was my favorite book.
Margot:I know, but the writing was much denser back then Very, very Was that because they had no other. Well, not that they had no other form of entertainment but I mean it's like storytelling, or yeah, or was that part of it, like, if you just started to go right into the story.
Janet:What was wrong with you? People would be like no Interesting. All right, We'll have to. We'll have to study that, and I know for myself during COVID I started reading romance novels at a clip that everything with the Duke, anything with the Duke, and I read it to probably numerous times because I don't even care.
Margot:It was all escape reading, although, except for after George Floyd's murder, that was an explosion of books, like people seeking answers about race relations.
Janet:Yeah, and what they could do too. It was very interesting, really important too, yeah.
Margot:I know. So yeah, I mean, I mean, over the years we have found that not that we have made a difference, but in shepherding the books it's a huge difference.
Janet:Yeah you know, and for, I think especially for kids, I think particularly for boys, I think for younger boys, I think they're you know, they just get pushed to the side a bit with their reading. You know it tends to be repetitive, it tends to be non-fiction, you know, yeah, that's all it's. That's very legit. I was gonna say but anna green gables.
Margot:That's fantastic good for you you read a real book, you know well, and the whole graphic novels, exactly, you know, dog man, or what is it miss?
Janet:right captain, captain, underpants, it's like go.
Margot:Yeah, exactly, he's reading, he gets pleasure out of it. It's like let let them enjoy it yeah yeah, it's interesting because we're on the same page as per. So where are you taking all of this in your retirement? What are you going?
Janet:to do. Well, I'm going to take the rest of the summer off and enjoy asbury park, which I love, and then move to delaware. Wow, so that's the plan that'll be great sell my house. I'm really hoping my husband will sell my house while I'm still working.
Margot:Oh, I thought you mean while you're lounging around in Asbury Park.
Janet:That would be fine. I want to be as uninvolved as possible.
Margot:Do you? Is it going to be hard to leave the library world? Do you think, although moving to a whole new, like location will put you in a different perspective, right?
Janet:Yeah, and actually Wilmington has excellent libraries, yeah, but I just feel like you know, especially this has been very enjoyable but kind of intense. So I'm really looking forward to you know getting back to writing a haiku a day, and you know cooking maybe beekeeping that would be great, so I don't know how long that will last, but yeah, and what are you reading?
Janet:I am reading, in preparation for the Montclair Literary Festival event, the Demon of Unrest Great, which I really enjoy, and it just happened to be because it came through in the library as an e-book and an audio book. I'm listening to it and reading it at the same time.
Margot:Oh wow, so it's interesting.
Janet:So how do you do that? Well, in a very random, disorganized way, when I'm in my car sometimes. It's probably already heard, but it's interesting. It's also interesting, it's a nonfiction book, but the guy does different voices. Oh really yeah.
Margot:I tend to for audiobooks. I tend to do nonfiction.
Janet:Oh, really yes.
Margot:And so I have never read Robert Caro's A Power Broker. Oh, my goodness, and I'm like, okay, I live in New York, you hear or I did live in New York and you hear of all of his impact. Oh, my goodness, yeah, I really should read this. So I downloaded it from our partner, libro FM, and it comes in three parts, and the first part is 22 hours a day of your life yeah, well, okay, so it's going to take me a while, but it it is amazing, like the amount of information, the detail which.
Margot:I'm kind of like scoping out but his impact.
Janet:So yeah, that was yeah, and kind of original too, right it? Wasn't like yeah was he.
Margot:He did central park right not central park, riverside, jones beach. He did, he definitely did.
Janet:You know, all the long, all right, the long island things, that's right, that's, that's right there was something about the rock movement, like he would take out the rocks that were originally there and then bring back ones that were just like.
Margot:Well, that's a whole level of detail.
Janet:I'm not there yet. Well, when you get there, go home.
Margot:Well, it's interesting because he had such a major impact on New York, Like all the things that made New York livable are all these parks, and yet he has kind of an evil reputation. So I'm just getting into like the power part of it. So I find that fascinating. But for pleasure I just picked up Night Watch by Jane Ann Phillips.
Janet:Oh, I just started to read that, so good, I'm a little worried about the gal, though.
Margot:Well, you should be worried. Okay, Well, because it's also, you know, it's a story of how women navigated the Civil War when they were left alone, and you know it was a dangerous time. But her writing is really beautiful.
Janet:And she hasn't written anything in a long time, right, no I?
Margot:think it's been a couple years.
Janet:I remember when she first came out and she was just so popular and different.
Margot:Yeah, Beautiful too, actually, yeah, and this is yeah, so this is. That was good. Huh. All Beautiful too, actually, yeah, and this is yeah, so this is that was good.
Janet:Huh, all right, I'll pick it back up. I thought it was in my danger zone.
Margot:Probably good.
Janet:Well, I want to say one more thing about this. I don't know if people are aware of how incredibly well regarded you are in the publishing industry and among other bookstores. You know you are really a total leader in other independent bookstores and in publishing and leader in other independent bookstores and in publishing, and you know that's something really to be proud of for you, of course, but for our town, like it's the whole other, and you built that.
Margot:Well, margo, you built that yeah I built that, but it's also because, as you know, the town is full of all these incredible writers. The publishing industry lives here, as does half of the new york times.
Janet:It's like it's not hard to so you say but we've got great people here, so yeah, but no, you've really done a great job and I, you know people from other, I think you know I did this thing with the forming a book cooperative and everyone I talked to was like you have to talk to margo first. I'm like, I know I'm really good.
Kathryn:I'm not as smart as Margo.
Janet:Stop it. I think she also works harder. No. But it really is true and I think you know people might not realize that, but it's really Thank you. It's very much a feather in your cap Since you started with your Sunday school teaching.
Margot:Yes, yes, Trina Rogers, who has always, always kept me on the straight and narrow. You always need that friend right?
Janet:So true. Who will keep you on the path? So true.
Margot:So, yeah, well, we. This, I know, will not be your only send-off because, as I said, you have left the library in incredible shape, or you are leaving the library in incredible shape. It's a great library.
Janet:And Montclair's a library town, as we know library.
Margot:Yes, it is definitely a library town, but you came in as you said you. You came in with this yes, attitude which was so wonderful and was like being hugged. It's like, oh, janet, what can we do for you? No, and it was really. It was. It was really wonderful because and it was really it was. It was really wonderful Because it was as I said, since it was such a difficult time that you came in and here you are, like leaving this jewel in jewel shape and shape.
Margot:I love that. And so you know, and I know a new director is going to come in and you know, make their own mark. That's gonna be great. You have left a mark in.
Janet:Montclair, and we are very grateful, thank you. It's been my pleasure Thank you, janet, especially conspiring with you for good, so thank you. Janet, thank you, that was great. This was so fun.
Marni:Thanks, janet and Margot. Janet, we will miss you but are so grateful for the work you've done to keep Montclair a library town.
Kathryn:And before we go, I want to highlight a few of our upcoming events that you won't want to miss. This Thursday, june 27th, we've got Julia Phillips back to share her second novel, bear. Julia is the author of Disappearing Earth, which was a New York Times Top Ten Book of the Year and a finalist for the National Book Award and for our spy thriller fans. Don't miss our night with Daniel Silva on Tuesday, july 9th. He's launching his latest Gabriel Alon novel, a Death in Cornwall. That very day. He's only doing a handful of events on the East Coast, so don't miss out on this chance to meet him.
Marni:And on Thursday July 11th we welcome Joyce Meenert back with her latest novel how the Light Gets In. She'll be in conversation with our own Alice Elliot Dark, so it's sure to be a great event. And don't forget about Janet's sending off party Karaoke Night at Tierney's on Thursday July 25th. Details will be in the show notes. You can find out about all of our upcoming events in our newsletter show notes and at watchhungbooksellerscom Recording and editing at Silverstream Studio in Montclair, new Jersey.
Kathryn:Special thanks to Timmy Kelleney, brie Testa and Derek Mathias. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica, art and design by Evelyn Moulton and research and show notes by Carolyn Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watch, young Booksellers and the Kids Room for their hard work and love of books.
Marni:And thank you for listening. If you enjoy the podcast, please like, follow and share it. You can follow us on social media at Watch Young Booksellers and if you have any questions, you can reach out to WB Podcast at WatchYoungBooksellerscom.
Kathryn:We'll see you next week. Until then, for the love of books, keep reading.
Janet:Thank you.
