Comments on: Thomas Gladysz Laid Off from Booksmith http://www.edrants.com/thomas-gladysz-laid-off-from-booksmith/ a cultural website in ever-shifting standing Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:01:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Praveen Madan http://www.edrants.com/thomas-gladysz-laid-off-from-booksmith/comment-page-1/#comment-250759 Praveen Madan Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:17:56 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/?p=10239#comment-250759 Thanks for your concern. This was a difficult decision made after much deliberation. But when you take the reins of a cultural institution like the Booksmith, in a tough market environment, you don’t have the luxury of making decisions based on sentimentality. I agree with you that we have an obligation to the San Francisco literary community – it’s an obligation first and foremost to survive and thrive as an independent bookstore so we can continue to serve readers and writers, failing which we would follow the same destiny that befell CWLP, Cody’s, and more recently Stacey’s. If you have any constructive suggestions or further questions, we are always open to hearing from our community members. You can reach me at the store. Thanks for your concern. This was a difficult decision made after much deliberation. But when you take the reins of a cultural institution like the Booksmith, in a tough market environment, you don’t have the luxury of making decisions based on sentimentality. I agree with you that we have an obligation to the San Francisco literary community – it’s an obligation first and foremost to survive and thrive as an independent bookstore so we can continue to serve readers and writers, failing which we would follow the same destiny that befell CWLP, Cody’s, and more recently Stacey’s. If you have any constructive suggestions or further questions, we are always open to hearing from our community members. You can reach me at the store.

]]> By: thomas gladysz http://www.edrants.com/thomas-gladysz-laid-off-from-booksmith/comment-page-1/#comment-250733 thomas gladysz Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:44:38 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/?p=10239#comment-250733 Thank you for your sympathetic words regarding my job loss. Suffice to say, I was not fired, let go, or "asked to step down" - I was laid off. As I understand it, the new owners of the store plan to take the Booksmith in a different direction. Those plans do not include me. I am proud of my accomplishments as a bookseller and event coordinator. Over the last 10-plus years, I set up / promoted / and hosted nearly 1000 author readings. Many of those events were successful, many memorable, and some historic. I always tried to offer a platform to local writers, debut novelists, and the like. If memory serves, I hosted the first San Francisco appearances by Chuck Palahniuk, China Mieville, Sarah Waters and many others. As I have been telling people lately, after having promoted the work of so many other authors, I plan to take some time and work on my own book projects. Thus, chances are I won't see you at the next William Vollmann event! Thank you for your sympathetic words regarding my job loss. Suffice to say, I was not fired, let go, or “asked to step down” – I was laid off. As I understand it, the new owners of the store plan to take the Booksmith in a different direction. Those plans do not include me.

I am proud of my accomplishments as a bookseller and event coordinator. Over the last 10-plus years, I set up / promoted / and hosted nearly 1000 author readings. Many of those events were successful, many memorable, and some historic. I always tried to offer a platform to local writers, debut novelists, and the like. If memory serves, I hosted the first San Francisco appearances by Chuck Palahniuk, China Mieville, Sarah Waters and many others.

As I have been telling people lately, after having promoted the work of so many other authors, I plan to take some time and work on my own book projects. Thus, chances are I won’t see you at the next William Vollmann event!

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