I wanted to do something that would stand out. We had a think-tank and this was something we could have a crack at.

This event is right up there with anything in the Bay. It's going to grow and grow because there's a real place for it.

When I started I thought this would be a piece of cake.

Trying to make her angry is like trying to find a corner on a bowling ball.

That’s the other thing about bookstores: things may appear quiet on the surface, but passions run high. When you’re surrounded by the innermost thoughts of some of the world’s greatest minds and greatest perverts (often one and the same), it can have a tangible effect on the brain. Squeeze twenty or so full- and part-time neurotics into a space like this over time and strange things happen.

Everyone should work in retail at least once in their lives. Consider it a form of national service.