“I’m going to retire someday and live off my savings. What I’ll do on the second day, I have no idea.” ~ Unknown
The day was going swimmingly. We had listened to preservation strategies against climate change (such as they are) and had just settled into a conversation between Brent Leggs, whom you just met three weeks ago, and Stephen K. Benjamin, White House Director of Community Engagement when the fire alarm went off. It kept going off. The entire hotel evacuated. The National Trust was one of two large conferences happening in the hotel this week, so there were thousands of people hitting the street. What’s a girl to do? Go to Kramer Books in DuPont Circle, of course. I grabbed a Metro card, and down into the pit of the earth I went. I don’t think I’d been to Kramer Books since at least 2019, if not longer. It has changed a lot: more dining space, fewer books. They used to have a really great section on religion, but I struggled to find any related books today. Mind you, I found other books that I’d been searching for, but I was disappointed with the major reduction in inventory and selection. I had made reservations in the cafe for lunch because their food was delicious. That, too, has changed, and not for the better. This all sounds sad and depressing, doesn’t it? It’s not. The books I got are fabulous. The information I’ve been given at the conference has been perfect for my research. Am I bummed Kramer’s changed? Sure, but I still love it, and I’ll keep returning when I’m in town. Every bookseller has struggled in the last 10-15 years, so I will do my part to keep Kramer’s in business. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got four new books to read.
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