Book lovers
Thursday, March 12, 2009
BY MEA KAEMMERLEN
On any weekday, some 20,000 state workers go through the Lunch Hour Ritual in Trenton. Some sit at their desks, chowing down PB&J sandwiches. Some take power walks through the streets of the capital.
And a few indulge their passions at Classics.
Classics is Trenton's downtown second-hand bookstore, a nook of a place stretching from the show- stopping storefront on South Warren Street into the deep interior of the building.
Here you might meet book lovers from the Governor's Office or the Department of Agriculture or Community Affairs. They come to Classics to feast, not on calories, but on printed words.
Tom Hunt, for instance, assistant director of Banking and Insurance, a reader and collector of books. "This store is a haven," he told me, clutching David Macau lay's "The Way Things Work" for his 8-year-old son. "It's a great place for first editions and older, rarer books you wouldn't expect."
After a 45-minute peaceful shopping spree, he stood at the cash register, smiling broadly. "This is my lucky day," he said and showed me a 1929 edition of "Bambi" illustrated by Kurt Wiese. "My grandfather was in the book business, and he knew Kurt Wiese."
Down the fiction aisle roamed Amy Taklif who works with the Department of Human Services' Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund. "I come here as often as possible," she told me. She'd already found what she was looking for -- "A Son of the Circus," the only John Irving she hasn't read -- and a few other books she wasn't. "That's the joy of this store. You never know what you'll find. And the price is always right."
Laurice Reynolds sits at the large, book-strewn desk, welcoming visitors, chatting and finalizing their purchases. She's manager of the store and co-owner with her son-in-law, Eric Maywar.
At her core, Laurice is a book lover. She and her father read Faulkner together. She and her daughter read Jean Auel's "Clan of the Cave Bear" series together. "My bedroom was always covered with books. I love reading. I want every child in Trenton to be a reader."
Cathy Morgan enters. She was an early cheerleader for this downtown bookstore and handles a 911 phone line for the NJ State Police. "There's always down time on 911," she says, "and I always have a Faulkner nearby. I love William Faulkner." She's buying Faulkner's "Light in August" and Mitch Al bom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven." "Comes to $4.50," says Laurice.
Classics is a hub of activities for locals and visitors: talks and readings by authors, book discussion groups, Scrabble tournaments, a knitting and crocheting group. Noontime on Wednesdays usually sees readings and discussions.
Aside from books, Classics is rich in gifts, jewelry, furniture. When, four years ago, Eric Maywar was flooded out of his New Hope, Pa, bookstore and opened in Tren ton, he had few books. So he took on small tables, mirrors, frames and photo albums, all handmade in Indonesia. Other interesting items such as Frank Weeden's ANA candles and Barbara Moore's Capital City Craft Studio wares sell here.
You already have too many books? No problem. Bring them in and Classics will sell them for you for cash or store credit.
Classics is at 117 S. Warren, just up from the Trenton Marriott Hotel. Call (609) 394-8400 or email book--cellar@mindspring. For events, see trenton-downtown.com.
On another note, if theater is your thing, Passage Theatre presents an extraordinary series of solo performances this month. To night is "On the Way to Tim buktu," featuring Petronia Paley. I've been going to this series, called "Solo Flights" for years and there's not been a dud in the bunch. www.passagetheatre.org or (609) 392-0766.
Mea Kaemmerlen lives in Plainsboro. Contact her at meakae m@aol.com
Press
Book lovers
