It was great to be back in the old city. I hit a few of my old haunts for good measure. The highlights were of course, finally meeting Flavius Jankauskas (one of the heroes in the book) and visiting readers at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore. (More on Flavius next week.)
The Big Blue Marble Bookstore is in Mt. Airy, a lovely neighborhood in Philadelphia. Sadly, I had never been there while living in Philly. Seeing it now, I sure wish I had. It’s filled with great big homes and warm neighbors. And, there is a cool co-op a few doors down from the bookshop.
I enjoyed my time getting to know Maleka and Mo, the shop’s keepers. They were surprised when I said my home base was Pittsburgh. What a drive!
The shop itself is a marvel. It’s not that unlike my own home. It was built more than 100 years ago, including 3 floors filled with books, and creaky narrow staircases. I loved it! They had a great children’s area downstairs and a delicious café upstairs- where the readings happen.
We had a small crowd who came because they love ham radio (Saul was our evening ham expert) or were simply interested in learning about a new topic. Even the young readers were intrigued by the subject matter. All in all- a good show. Thanks Blue Marble. I hope to return one day soon.
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