To whom it may concern, I am writing to voice my support for preserving Feldman's books from being disrupted, dislocated, or shuttered. It is the only used bookstore remaining in Menlo Park, and an oasis of cultural life that would be hard to replace. Yes, it is near the wonderful Kepler's bookstore, but while Kepler's is great in its own way, it does not have the same variety, vibe, and local flavor that Feldman's does. I travel regularly from San Francisco to specifically visit Kepler's. When I browse through Kepler's, I feel like I am walking through the libraries of people who lived on the peninsula in the 20th century. What were they reading, what books were lovingly dog-eared, which had been purchased but never read? Often, you can find the reader's names & addresses on neat labels on the first page; you might also find a handwritten dedication to someone on their birthday in 1979. You're not going to find that on Amazon (or, Kepler's) In addition, Kepler's has a great selection of quirky, out of print, and obscure books. A collection & atmosphere like Kepler's has takes decades to accumulate. Kepler's is a comfortable, inspiring mess. When I visit, I never know what I might walk out with, which is part of the fun. I like to grab a stack of books and flip through them while sitting in the back garden. I would like to share these words, from an anonymous poster: "This is a Book-Shop Cross-roads of Civilization. Refuge of all the arts Against the ravages of time. Armory of fearless truth against whispering rumor. Incessant trumpet of trade From this place words may fly aboard, not to perish as digital waves, but fixed in time. Not corrupted by the hurrying hand, but verified in proof. Friend, you stand on sacred ground: This is a Book-Shop." Thank you for your consideration. Alberto Alberto P. Forero San Francisco, CA 415-786-7125 albertpluso_at_(domainremoved) Received on Fri Dec 20 2019 - 15:52:56 PST
