Politics and Prose bookstore to be put up for sale.

[elleng]

Relevant here, tho not technically in MD; VERY close, and VERY apropos for this forum, imo.

'they are simply too tired to keep steering Washington's most prominent non-chain bookstore -- a premier stop on top-shelf author tours and a frequent setting for book talks televised on C-SPAN -- through the uncertainty of an industry threatened by e-books. Cohen is also seriously ill.

"It's time for us to stop and let somebody else take over for the future," Meade said during a quiet interview in the store's cramped office. Cohen, eyes reddening, said, "I just don't have the energy like I used to."

Meade and Cohen conceded that their 60 employees are nervous, but the owners stressed that the sale should not be perceived as the store's final chapter. Despite doom and gloom in the industry, Meade said, "There are no financial problems here. We make a good profit."

Two years ago, the store sold 141,000 hardcover books, for $3 million in sales, the owners said. This year: 156,000 hardcovers, for $3.3 million.'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/09/AR2010060903413.html?hpid=editorialpromo

[wordpix]

1. hopefully we won't get another Starbucks---wish I could buy P&P, it's great

[elleng]

2. Prolly not; Starbucks just a few blocks up!