The Good Word: A Recurring Reflection

by Scott Foley

It didn't happen again this year, either. Susan Stamberg didn't call me from National Public Radio to solicit my opinion about great new holiday titles. Every year about this time I'll depart on occasional reveries, imaginary conversations with NPR hosts. Occasionally, I'll even jot down a list of the books I'd mention were such a windfall to come my way.

I imagine the selection process isn't dissimilar from that of an elementary teacher in a forest of upraised hands. Certain teachers will call on the child who appears most eager, while others might target the one trying to blend in with the surroundings. Are the booksellers who are in the good graces of Ms. Stamberg the ones who left messages at her NPR office, "Hi, Susan. You don't know me, but I'm from a New England bookstore with a quaint name. Give me a call this holiday season, and I'll rock your literary world with my list!... Please?" Or does she cold-call the humble bookseller who labors diligently with no expectation of NPR recognition?

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, is Scott available?"

"Scott's currently tugging wayward glue bits from the spines of our backstock. May I tell him who is calling?"

"Certainly. This is NPR's Susan Stamberg."

The best of us reach our highest heights when we are making recommendations for what to read next. These moments serve as our limelight, and we should take advantage of them to make our Big Statement as independent booksellers. Like the lowly cinematographer who unexpectedly finds himself at the Oscar mic, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Forget Seabiscuit! Even if you absolutely adored Olivia and the Missing Toy, she doesn't need your help. This isn't to deny the worth of every book that finds its way into the national spotlight. But if Susan Stamberg is on the other line, what a fabulous opportunity to tout the small press, the regional, or the first time author! At Grass Roots, our monthly bestsellers are liberally peppered with books that owe their sales to such NPR moments.

I encourage you to make your lists, to put some thought into the books you read and the potential power you wield in determining what other people read. Finally, I implore you to put in a good word for me should National Public Radio bestow upon you a moment of their valuable time.

Please?

Reprinted with permission of the author. This column originally appeared in the December 2003 issue of Footnotes, the newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.