Buy A Book. By Chance?

Buy A Book.  By Chance?

Justin Pense (2018)

Who would ever write a story about buying a book.  I suppose it may be the result of some book buggy willy kind of illness or fever one gets after they read a few pages they really like. But I didn’t really know how much the book may come to bite me curiosity wise, early on, to bring on such a measurable reaction or symptom.

So I presume this is a story about buying the book, or the fact that I did or didn’t buy it at first, but how I ended up buying it in the end.

Firstly, I found the book, the suspect, or perp as one might put it, inconspicuous.  It didn’t present any harm to my person, thus far, not visibly yet, and had been fairly passive and static. Not moving.  It doesn’t talk too much, look at me the wrong way, make unpleasant smells or walk too hard across hardwood floors.  So far as I can tell, the book seems pretty tamed and human-like. And that’s ok.

When first observed, evidenced, it was some sort of “pick.”  Not that anyone told me that, or as if a conspirator may have steered me over by it to investigate or peruse. I passed it on the alleged shelf and noticed it.  It was among several others in a line up of about three or four. None of them looked alike and all quite different in size, posture, weight and face color, or rather “covers” for that matter.  All sitting carefree under and next to a square sign, saying, “Librarian’s Choice.”  I didn’t see the librarian on the premises, at that particular time. I did see several attendants and clerks that may have been, or looked like a librarian, but no one officially representing themselves as the librarian – proper.     

I did take a moment to pick up this alleged suspect and began reading about various paragraphs and chapters hastily, hoping the official librarian might not show up and interrogate me on my interest with the suspect I was holding, unofficially, without authorization. Several of the alleged paragraphs and chapters did spark my interest, and zeal, which pleased my interest handsomely and I committed to provide bail for this unlikely suspect for leave of that shelf and those other characters underneath the mentioned sign.

I greatly appreciated the writer’s vast interest and presented examples in the first chapter about Brahms, and Brahms lullaby.  He substantially researched this alleged 1868 tune and the phenomena of how it filtered out into the cosmos and sprinkled its way into so many unsuspecting ears who eventually passed it down to their ancestors, generation to generation, into many a young infant’s conscience and memory banks. 

Familiarity and the genius of repetition, and variations upon themes of those repetitions and how the whole alleged “incest” factor of familiarity goes, does seem to have some mystical and navigational ways, pass, into the conscience of the unsuspecting public and mind; hence - the MAYA effect (“Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”, Raymond Loewy, 1893–1986).

My ear and curiosity were most certainly taken hostage, without opposition or argument, and I read on with sustained enthusiasm as I paged through the first 4 chapters of Derek Thompson’s  “Hit Makers – The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction, Penguin Press. I knew instantly there was something suspect and familiar about what this gentleman was writing about.

Unfortunately, I was slightly stressed with the last minute timeline to get out of dodge, posy and all, and head off to a teaching assignment in a very “unfamiliar” distant land, China. Where I would, unpredictably, spend seven weeks.

But now I had to return to the aforementioned original crime scene whereby the “Librarian’s Choice” sign was and noticed none of the previous suspects present.  A variety of different suspects were then, situated beneath that big white and naked “Librarian’s Choice” sign. It truly was a sight to see!

“Hit Makers” did bug me enough in ear and mind, that I decided the day before my departure at JFK, I would go downtown and find the book to purchase it.  I had numerous stops along the way, but tried Barnes and Nobles on 86^th Street but too long a line there, no different than two other stores I passed before heading downtown to Union Square B&N. Even there I had no luck finding my item of interest. I then decided to walk further down Broadway to Strands at 12^th & Broadway.

Now if any of you have ever been to Strand Books on Bway, it’s an experience – a getaway, a memory, a get lost and lose yourself kind of place if you like literature, books, people who like books, people who think they like books and want you to think they like books – but are indiscriminately hanging out to.. ?  It’s a moment.  So like me I get lost in the basement floors and start pacing the aisles of countless handsome book covers, looking for old songbook publications, bought of few, “Grateful Dead Greatest Hits” 1972, but couldn’t find the one I really wanted. Finally, I asked the clerk to look up my suspect’s cell block.  She leads me down a few stacks, turns right, third shelf up on the right and boom. There it is. Marked down to 60% retail and I was done.  I hung out a little longer, enjoyed the milieu then headed back up town. I had to pack for my departure.   

Few weeks later.

Since returning from China some weeks ago, I pulled out my now unsual suspect and finally sat down to finish the last few chapters. I knew I had to finish this case, given my studies in music history.

What happened next couldn’t have shocked my conscience even more than when I first suspected this unusual suspect, on the shelf, among those others.

When I reached the end of chapter 11 of the book, I knew something was about to happen.  Something was about to break, finally!  It was after that chapter that I sort of collected myself and reached the point, the direct evidence that I needed, to complete my case.  Right there before my very own eyes, “Interlude: 828 Broadway.”

So said it was there, supposed writer Derek Thompson claims in his book, to have had the premonition, let along wherewithal, albeit inclination, to investigate the shingle and location of the alleged company on the 4^th floor, called “Chartbeat.”  Now, Chartbeat is a slightly large digital information company that provides “surveillance,” ; ) , ok - monitoring of readership AND metrics of digital content while it’s being  “observed,” or read of course, in real time around the world, and particularly for alleged company “The Atlantic” website. Our author of interest in this case, Mr. Thompson is employed by “The Atlantic.”

But what is more, was the direct evidence that “828 Broadway” brought to this case to a head and close. “828 Broadway” was the home to Strand Books on the ground floor, and the entire corner of 12^th Street and Broadway; a slightly popular corner to numerous suspicious looking, possible fake, if not avid readers. The exact same location where this investigator bought said traveling copy of subject book, hardbound, to take abroad.  All the while, down there in Strand’s basement, 2 rows down, 3^rd shelf up to the right, it all happens, among other places as I’ve learned. Those 4 flights down from the very staircase where writer Derek Thompson had the “epiphany” (see: Interlude) to write “Hit Makers,” after just visiting co-instigators “Chartbeat” place of business.   

Case closed.