The Press Citizen Interviews Prairie Lights' Paul Ingram

The Iowa City Press Citizen has a nifty feature where they interview a local person of interest. This week, that person is Paul Ingram, the long time book buyer for Prairie Lights, the local new independent bookstore. It's a brief interview, but if you ever get the chance, go and chat with Paul. He'll give you endless recommendations and probably sell you a few things too.

Personal note from Ali: Paul is the reason I started reading Denise Mina. If Paul tells you to read something, trust him. He knows what he's talking about.

"Time isn't allowed to pass until I'm done with it!" - Nialle

"Trees don't belong in cans." - Ali, referring to pine-scented spray cans

First Officer's Log No 33: Construction, Construction Everywhere And Many Books To Read

Nialle and the crew have begun construction on the new expansion to the shop. We have a Children's Room now, and it is very exciting. The cats are quite impressed as well... as impressed as cats can be, because they seem to enjoy hopping around and exploring the empty hand built pine cases as much as helping with the shelving. That is, cats are helpful by getting in the way and sitting on the shelf where books need to go.

Ah, cats.

Room is being made, progress as well, and our fabulous volunteers and co-workers are making the new addition pretty spectacular. We should be moving on to History in the next few weeks, making more room for US History and Military History, with bigger, sturdier cases, and 1000 more square feet of space. The space was bigger than I thought, and seeing it for the first time was kind of mind-blowing - you just never realize how much space is in one storefront until you see empty floors and shelves.

Ultimately, the move is bittersweet. Real Records is gone, and I miss the jazz and alternative pop / rock music piping in through the dividers. Craig and his crew brought something quite special to this space, and it was nice to share a book shop and a music shop, drawing people in to check the best of both worlds. However, it gains us so much more space, an opportunity to truly make this a massive, unique used book shop, right in the historic Northside District of Iowa City.

Bitter? Yes, because we've lost a great neighbor and a friend. Sweet? Yes, because we get to grow and redesign the layout and show Iowa City the best of what we can offer. It's a great opportunity, like so many things, and it's going to be a step in the right direction. I have a good feeling. It's bittersweet, but still good.

Until next week, fellow bibliophiles.

"Good decisions club. Be a member." - Sydney, to Logan

Introducing: Gabriel

GABRIEL

Gabriel the Snail is happy. He's really happy. He loves surprises, plays hide-and-seek with little kids by ducking into and out of his shell, doesn't mind explaining why he sniffs things with his antennae or what makes him a "gastropod," and even keeps a sense of humor about occasionally ending up in the French regional cookbooks section.

He's also one of the most famous puppets at the Haunted. He gave an interview for local access television last year while helping out at the Iowa City Book Festival and has been known to make guest appearances at coffee shop poetry slams, the kids' table at family dinners, pride parades, and other colorful events. He does a really weird impersonation of Kermit the Frog for extra giggles - and Gabriel is all about giggles. His laugh spreads like a yawn, overtaking whole crowds and leaving them watering at the eyes and sighing joyfully.

Seriously, though, Gabriel's best day ever was the day his little cousins came to live with us. Dan, Mike, and Cass love it when Gabriel gets out their favorite toys - four strips of cloth in four different colors - and they all tie the strips on like headbands and pretend to be pizza-snarfing, unconventional weapon-wielding turtles. Personally, I don't get it, but their routine never fails to leave people in stitches, especially if they can get NICO the rat to put on RALPH's bathrobe and act like a more cynical version of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Kids these days, right? But I can't help laughing with them, even if I don't understand. Because they are just so incredibly happy, and the world needs more of that.

________________________________________________________________________

All Haunted Bookshop puppet profiles reflect the personal ideas and opinions of the Haunted Bookshop crew exclusively and, while the pictures of the puppets are copyright Folkmanis, Inc., none of these profiles are sponsored, endorsed, encouraged, or approved by Folkmanis, Inc.; they are strictly for the amusement of regular bookshop guests who have come to know how Haunted crew develop characters for puppets.

PEN / Faulkner 2011

17 March, the PEN / Faulkner award for Fiction was announced with Deborah Eisenberg winning for The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg. Eisenberg was previously known for her collection of stories Twilight of the Superheroes.

The Annual A-List Contest Has Begun

Folks, please vote for your favorite independently, locally owned businesses on KCRG's A-List site this year. We particularly recommend any of the indie bookshops, The Cat Clinic of Iowa City, Home Ec, Oasis, Hamburg Inn, Motley Cow, r.s.v.p. - good neighbors all, and invaluable parts of our community.