'In the Scheme of Things'

In honor of both National Poetry Month and Independent Bookstore Day...from the Poetry Window at East Village Books... featuring the work of Johnny H., an East Village poet...

"In the Scheme of Things"

What is a cocklebur waiting

For a bear that never comes

What does it do the day

But wave in the wind

At the end of a stem

What nature is this

To have gifted a purpose

Crafted a means

Assigned proper tasks

To chloroplasts and sun

Was it better that one day I,

Yes a mammal with no hair

To speak of

But new jeans and argyle

On a clumsy path

Through loblolly pines

Become a raison d’etre

East Village Books,  99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue

Saturday hours: 1 p.m. until late

An appreciation: East Village Books

New York City entered Phase 1 of the four-part reopening plan yesterday. In this initial phase, curbside and in-store pickup are now available for certain retail outlets, including clothing stores, florists and bookstores.

This does not pertain to East Village Books. The used-book mainstay at 99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue has been open throughout the COVID-19 PAUSE. Gov. Cuomo stated in March that "any business that only has a single occupant/employee has been deemed exempt."

And we've heard from several residents who have been grateful that East Village Books remained open — albeit with instituted time and occupancy limits while following CDC guidelines. Having the opportunity to be inside a store and find some pandemic reading has been therapeutic.

With the proprietor's blessing, EVG contributor Stacie Joy recently wandered the stacks and shared these photos from her visit...





















East Village Books is also continuing to buy used books. Per their website: "On the store-open days, should you wish to sell books without entering you would phone from out front and use the designated bins. You would be paid by envelope and offered an alcohol wipe."

A real, live page-turner at East Village books

So the Post has a piece (an exclusive! FRONT-PAGE story) about this guy, described as a "serial thief who reportedly stole books from the New York Public Library." So the guy would rip out the official-looking library pages and sell the books around town.

Donald Davis, owner of East Village Books on St. Mark's Place, had been fooled by the guy before. So they set a trap for him the next time he walked in.

Anyway, long story, the guy returns... and, after a confrontation, a tussle ensues, the Post reports. But! Davis was a wrestler in high school. He pinned him until the cops arrived.

“There’s no other situation where I would do this. I was so angry that he was stealing from the library,” Davis said. “The library is just a very important piece of our community.”