CLARISSA
One of the "Young'uns", Clarissa works at the BoG during her summers and weekends. She's our resident fantasy-obsessed bookseller, and I'm pretty sure she mostly works here for the discount. Clarissa recommended reading >
DAILIS
He's been at the BoG for over 21 years, from bookseller to supervisor to book buyer. If you've shopped at the BoG, he's chosen your books for you, whether you know it or not.
And now I'll quote his answer when I asked him whether he had any good stories about tracking down a book for someone: "I was most pleased to identify for a customer the poem "Horatius" by Thomas Babington Macaulay. Thanks to my 7th grade history teacher Mr. Doherty who first quoted it to my class in 1977. (Special thanks to novelist William Goldman for naming a character in MARATHON MAN Thomas Babington "babe" Levy. That always helped me remember Macaulay's name.
DAWN
The ultimate multi-tasker is the owner, accountant, human resources, sidelines buyer and event coordinator. She went from a part-time employee to buying the store when she saw that someone needed to in order to keep it alive, and we love her for it. She's run a trucking company, a catering business, taught preschool and is the perfect person to give you your next favorite cookbook. Dawn recommended reading >
JOANNE
Joanne's been an elementary school teacher, a real estate broker and worked at the Boston Public Library. She remembers growing up next to her uncle, a minister with a background in theater... he would read myths out loud to the kids, and her love for stories has been strong since. Joanne recommended reading >
KAREN
Karen's been everything from a school librarian to a commercial oyster person to Christmas pageant wrangler. If you've lived on the Island more than 30 years, she probably knows when your kids graduated high school and if you've shopped here in the past 4 years, she's probably given you your favorite book. Her least favorite part of bookselling? The dusting. Karen recommended reading >
LEROY
When he was 14, a short order cook named Jimmy gave Leroy a copy of CANDIDE and one book led to another... The BoG was the first store he walked into when he came to the Island in 1967, but he didn't work here until 42 years later. A longtime teacher on Island, we often hear 30 somethings in the store exclaim at seeing "Mr. Hazelton!" Leroy recommended reading >
SUSAN Our new children's buyer, Susan wears her inner child on her sleeve and is happiest when she's engrossed in story hour or helping a tiny customer find just the right book to read. She loves Frog and Toad, Janet from the Bunny Planet, Harriet M. Welsch and Katniss Everdeen with equal ferocity and will gladly introduce you if you haven't already made their acquaintance. Susan is new to the Vineyard, but not to bookselling, having owned and operated her own children's bookstore on the mainland for many years. Even though she's been at it for a while, she still needs to pinch herself when she realizes that she gets paid to talk about books! Susan recommended reading >
