Death of a Salesman: Borders To Close Its Doors Permanently

In an era of e-book and iPad obsession, it’s no surprise that Borders, the nation’s second-largest bookstore chain, expects to go out of business by September. The company began its downward spiral when it declared bankruptcy in February, and on Friday it’ll begin liquidating its remaining 399 stores.

The Borders in Fairlawn closed in March 2010.

George Bilgere, director of John Carroll University’s writing program, seemed to predict this fate in "Beyond Borders," his personal essay for our Voice section back in April.

“The days when you could drift through acres of books, sipping a latte and parking yourself with a magazine in an overstuffed chair near the gas log fireplace, are coming to an end,” he wrote gloomily.

As one student told him that she downloaded her class reading assignment onto her iPad, a feeling of dread overcame Bilgere. “A year from now [the students] would all be sitting in front of me with their glowing screens, staring with pity at the old guy shuffling through his primitive pages,” he said.

While some take pride in their nifty gadgets, others recognize the timeless value of books. Dave Ferrante, owner of Visible Voice in Tremont, told Bilgere that a book — as in one made of paper — is technology in and of itself. “It doesn’t break if you drop it. It doesn’t need batteries. And anyone can get one for free from the public library.”

Is this the apocalypse for the printed book? No, but Borders’ closure does mean more than 10,000 people nationwide will lose their jobs. Only five Cleveland-area stores remain open for now: Westlake, Solon, Beachwood, Strongsville and Tower City.

This Festival Stinks

I’ve wanted to get out to Gilroy, Calif., for the annual Garlic Fest ever since I first heard about it back in the ’70s, but I still haven’t made it. The idea of celebrating the pungent, flavorful bulb, nicknamed the stinking rose, with two days of themed food and country fair fun appeals to me.

Who wouldn’t want to try garlic ice cream at least once in your life? And I’m not alone: 100,000 or so showed up during the three day party there in July. Happily I don’t have to go across the country for the experience this year.

The North Union Farmers Market is hosting a Garlic Festival of its own, the first ever for the city and the Midwest. On Sept. 11 and 12, Shaker Square will be filled with chefs, farmers, vendors, arts-n-crafters and musicians. Like the West coast event that inspired it, the schedule features cooks-offs, the crowning of Miss Garlic, her court, and a festival king and queen. There will be beer and wine for grown-ups, activities for kids, bands on stage, and lots of good things to eat on the spot and to take home. Unless you count yourself among the undead, this is definitely the place you want to be this weekend. Tickets are $10 for adults, $3 for kids day of, but discounts are available online for family packages and early bird purchasers, along with a detailed schedule.

More food focused goings on at Visible Voice, the Tremont bookstore, on Saturday. The noon-9 p.m. program, called Fresh: going local in an urban environment, is devoted to the topic of urban agriculture. Local activists, educators and growers will be giving talks, relevant books will be sale priced, the documentary Fresh will be screened multiple times. Learn what’s happening and why it matters, ask questions, and show your support by sipping wine made in the region.

Don’t choose. Attend both. Enjoy!

Bukowski weekend

In the current issue, we named the "Beats, Counterculture, Icnoclasts" section at Visible Voice in Tremont the best bookstore section in Cleveland. It's a great example of a bookstore owner channeling his cultural obsession into a deep specialty no other store can match.

This weekend, Visible Voice and the Barking Spider Tavern in University Circle are hosting "A Poem Is A City: A Celebration of the Words of Charles Bukowski." Various semi-famous people from Cleveland's cultural scene will read from the underground poet's work Friday and Saturday night. Expect lots of material about Bukowski's favorite subjects: alcohol, horse racing, and women.

The weekend begins with an appropriate toast: a Bukowski happy hour at the Spider from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Visible Voice hosts readings in its courtyard Saturday night, 7 to 9. Mac's Backs, the Coventry bookstore, is also a sponsor.

It's the second straight year the three spots have teamed up for a weekend devoted to a hero of the literary counterculture. Last fall they hosted a bunch of people reading every word of Jack Kerouac's On the Road.