Old Man at the Bookshop Yesterday

I went to readings yesterday http://www.readings.com.au/ its my favourite bookshop. I love it because its local, its not monolithic and because the people who work there obviously care about books and enjoy working with people which suggests to me they are paid well and treated with respect. I also love that they don't require a deposit when I order a book and that usually books I order arrive sooner than I was expecting.
I do love amazon but that's a scary place to visit with a credit card - I'm more in control in the face to face situation of real books!

My trip today was caused by listening to the book report on national Radio in the morning. there was an interview with Emmanuel Jal.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Jal He was a child soldier rescued by an aid worker and has become a rap artist and writer. He has a facebook page and is building a school at the moment. I was enthralled by his passion and his eloquence and his ability to reflect on his experiences.

It's a voyeuristic experience, I think, to listen to someone talk so clearly about the horrific experiences they have, not only endured but also used in a creative sense to recreate the world they wish to live in. I ordered his book War Child and his CD also entitled War Child.

While I was waiting for the charming man at the counter to find another book I wanted - entitled Warriors and a photo-essay of Indian warriors at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century.
The photographs in this book are extraordinary in their detail - old photos are created through stillness in a way modern photos are not and I believe this changes the experience of the observer - I'm not sure how yet - because Ive just thought that thought. But there is also the phenomena Barthes talks about in Camera Lucida - where information available to the observer but no to the person photographed or taking the photograph affects intensely the experience of looking. Again we - I mean me - are back to the voyeuristic experience!

The warrior book - which had been on the remainder table at Readings in Lygon street before Christmas seems to have disappeared and so i am going to have to hunt it down.

I wanted to give it to Rory - he is interested in warrior culture - as all young men are and I thought the images in this book would make an interesting counterpoint to the Maori warrior culture and the culture of moko.

Any way, and here we are at the point of this - at the counter was an older man. he was collecting a book for his wife and I listened to his exchange with the woman behind the counter - as I always listen to people talking. I cant remember his wife's name but it was at the end of the alphabet - 'z' or 'w' but I'm thinking 'z'. I looked at the book as it was placed in its paper bag and it was a copy of Graceling. I know this book.
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmhbooks/graceling/

I read it over a series of visits to Borders. Its a fantasy novel and I am very fond of fantasy!

The main character in this book is an assassin born with the extreme ability to kill with her bare hands.

I looked again at this older man collecting this particular book for his wife. he was wearing long cargo shorts belted tightly at the waist with his dark grey tee shirt firmly tucked into his pants. his hair was short and neatly combed. He carried a walking stick and wore sensible walking sandals and walked tall and strong, if a little slowly.

And I wondered about the inner life of the woman reading the book about the assassin.