Some years ago, just before closing, an attractive young woman came into the store and asked if she might browse for a while. She was casually dressed: frayed cut off jeans, a tee shirt, and thong sandals. I didn’t recall her being in the store before, so I explained how the books were organized and moved to the hallway. The shop is small and I did not want her to feel watched. Within a few minutes she selected a book and paid with cash. We exchanged customary pleasantries. She left, I locked up.

The next day, she returned with the actor Nicolas Cage, who had been in the store several times. Almost immediately, the two of them gathered a dozen or so recordings of famous writers reading their work. I mentioned to Cage before they left that his companion was here yesterday. “I know,” he replied, “she insisted on returning; she loves your bookstore. Let me introduce you to Patricia Arquette.”

-Joe DeSalvo, owner, Faulkner House Books