Does anyone have journal entries? I'll dump some horseshit I had to do for a class.
barnes & noble
Crowded today
Smells like fresh print, good paper, and coffee
Many people seated, reading
Younger people sitting on the floor
One dark skinned girl sitting with her shoes off against a support pillar
People of all types. Black, white, brown, man, woman, young, and old. All spread out in various sections.
Popular items in the center: hamilton, harry potter, a song of ice and fire, toys
Obscure items to the sides: books on politics, religion, philosophy, and more
Gone to restroom to relieve myself
From in the stall i hear what sounds like three different farting older men with prostate issues
The bathroom stall has a number of scented plastic adornments. It is cleaner than most
As i leave i see a large white uniformed military officer with white hair pissing
As i write his description, he comes out of the restroom and we briefly make eye contact
A woman with her child peruse the children's section
Another woman asks a clerk if she has correctly located the first harry potter book. She has
A black man with an older woman comments on to kill a mockingbird
An old white man with a beard reads a book, sitting by a younger black man reading a graphic novel
I look at my favorite section: philosophy
It appears that atheism has been granted its own subsection within philosophy
Ayn rand is seriously overrepresented
I briefly thumb through a book by slavoj zizek, who i've never read, laugh at his absurd sense of humor, and decide to buy the book
A woman with two children walks with them, holding the hand of the younger, a girl
She is asking her mother why adults are sitting on the floor over and over again
An older woman looks through the magazine rack
Malala yousafzai's autobiography is in the young readers section
I walk to the cafe section and sit alone at a small table
People are more active here. They talk about their days and what they're reading. There are so many people that their conversations interweave and it is difficult to hear what is said
Some people sit alone and read or work on their laptops, as i will be doing shortly
The military man is currently picking up his venti cinnamon milkshake latte
He joins another, smaller man, also in uniform
One man with headphones stares out into the space in front of him intensely
When i was walking around the store typing into my phone, i felt more comfortable
I now feel rather strange sitting in one spot writing about the people around me
A few young women sit together eating rice and vegetables from tupperware containers from home
A young woman in a bright green dress speaks animatedly to an older woman with short hair.
I stand and make my way to the counter
I stand behind a young woman with red hair as she orders her coffee
She has a bad sunburn and a tattoo of an egyptian eye on the back of her neck
She moves forward to the area where the coffee is brought out as i step up to place my order
1/1
>>8258041
A young woman with short brown hair and freckles takes my order: a tall black coffee $2.04
She asks me a question that i don't understand
"What?"
"Oh nevermind. It's black."
"Oh yeah it's black. Is the cream and sugar over there?"
I indicate a small table with cream and sugar
"Yes it's over there. So do you want room?"
"Sorry what? Oh yes I'd like a little bit."
"Okay that's $2.04. Can I have a name?"
"Mitchell"
I hand her three dollars and wait a moment for my change.
"Thank you."
"You too. Have a nice day."
"You too."
I head back to my seat, but my coffee was ready instantly and before i make it to my table, my name is called
As I add cream and sugar, i notice that the older woman with the short hair and striped shirt is giving her younger companion in the green dress advice on how to deal with a dispute among friends
A serious looking young black woman with short hair and headphones intently reads a book entitled "manwhore"
The girls with the tupperware containers talk the loudest. One complains of hip pain. Another complains about her lack of creativity. The others encourage her. They talk about their dislike of yoga, but one defends it.
The young woman who took my order walks over to their table and they call her by name: "Ally."
They invite her to some sort of event.
I open my book and begin reading.
A group of three adults and one teenager sit at a table near me and discuss the youth's recent academic failures and plans for the future.
I head to the counter and pay for my book, fumbling with the new chip card system and complaining about it with the store clerk, a woman in her fifties or sixties.
2/2
>>8258046
Next day
Slower today
Older crowd
Starbucks still crowded
Twangly classical guitar music
Many people seated reading on one side of the store near clearance bins
Slaughterhouse five in clearance
One older bearded man seated in same chair as last time i was here
George eliot books are bright pink and green pastels
So is the beautiful and damned by f scott fitzgerald
Gendered colors seems more readily differentiated by subject matter than by author's gender
Music changed to flute jazz
Having a hard time staying focused: keep looking at books
I hear a child calling out for his father
He responds, "im right behind these shelves"
Many books have moved since i was here last. Vonnegut is running low.
Yousafzi's autobiography has been replaced with "dear dumb diary"
Large young man sheepishly looking through "dreams and divination"
New large section of vinyls
"A little princess" all in pink
"Jurassic Park" inducted to b&n classics
Lots of toys
Pink thomas kinkade disney puzzles
Hidden cameras - panopticon
One small bookcase for social sciences: pinker, zimbardo, no bell hooks
Bookcases in one row in order:
Self-transformation; divination and dreams; supernatural and mystical philosophies; african-american; cultural studies; true crime; social sciences
Cultural studies subsections:
Native american studies; gay fiction, lesbian nonfiction, lesbian fiction; women's studies; true crime; anthropology
Anthropology is by far the smallest section, with women's studies the only one to take up two shelves
Why is true crime butting into anthropology's shelf when it has an entire bookcase next to it?
Why is there no gay nonfiction?
Legos. Girls sets are pink and purple. Guys are black and blue. Lego has a long history of weird gendered stuff. Now they have gone so far as to replace traditional minifigures with princess dolls and ponies. Only in the "girl's" sets
Lots of harry potter hype for the cursed child
The kid from earlier is continually losing his father and calling out to him. Most times his dad doesn't answer.
Starbucks is clearing out now
1/2
>>8258052
I return to my favorite section: philosophy
There are two clearly demarcated sections on the last bookcase:
Atheism/agnosticism; linguistics
Linguistics has many noam chomsky books. Two books by pinker.
Thumbing through a book on critical theory, i spy a number of familiar names: judith butler, jean-paul sarte, slavoj zizek, jurgen habermas, max weber, michel foucault
Many more i dont know
I want to buy the book, but it costs $20 and i don't want to spend the money. I still haven't read the last book i bought here.
I move over to starbucks and order a coffee and a water
The woman behind the counter, an older black woman, informs me that water and cups are self serve items over at the counter.
This has changed since i was here last.
I pick up a copy of the economist and take a seat in the cafe, banging my head against an ill placed wooden crown moulding as i do so
I wince in pain, clutching my head, and nobody notices.
In my delirium, i overhear a girl telling her friend about her boyfriend. She says she needs to change the way he dresses. She says she's often guilty of projecting her problems onto others. They speak about whether or not he's likely to go bald.
I see a young couple, a black girl and an asian guy who I had seen earlier, looking through a stack of books.
Earlier, the asian guy had said that he didn't want to dive in, as he already had too many unread books at home. It seems he reconsidered.
Everyone is conforming to an atmosphere of intellectualism. Myself especially.
I notice that the economist costs $7.99. On the cover is a picture of the robot from fritz lang's metropolis
The asian guy boasts to his companion about the quality of the book he is reading.
She shushes him, as she has it at home and has only read the first chapter.
I read a few pages of an economist special report on artificial intelligence. When i look up, the cafe is full of people.
After finishing it, thoroughly freaked out, i search for and grab nick bostram's "superintelligence" in order to purchase it.
I cannot resist the extreme scintillating cultural pressure. I must buy books. All of the books. Shut up and take my money.
2/2
>>8258056
Last Day
Barnes and noble
As i enter a girl holds the door for me
In turn, i hold the door for a woman and her son
I likely would not have done so otherwise
Many people staring at phones
Young black guy ive seen before reading graphic novels
Old bearded white man ive seen every time reading in the same chair
A guy in basketball shorts with serious, far-reaching bo
I head over to my usual starting point, philosophy, to get acclimated
I pull out a copy of “the human condition” by hannah arendt, absentmindedly scan the back cover, and struggle to place it back on the shelf
Today there is jazz playing
I notice, "senses of the subject" by judith butler and read the back
A little girl begs her father for a toy, and he tells he that she already has too many. That she has plenty.
"But i dont have a bunny thing that has wheels."
"I know, but you have so many other toys already."
He speaks in soft comforting tones. He is tall and fat and she is tiny and thin.
The cafe is less crowded than usual, but there is still much noise and excitement compared to the rest of the store
They have no chalmers
They do have searle and dennet
Near me, a woman is telling a man a story about how she used to socialize with some guy. She has been using his hulu account, though they haven't seen each other in about five years. The account requires new credit card information. She is asking about the social implications of asking about getting it turned back on.
An older couple join me in the philosophy aisle, which is also the sports aisle.
They're talking about somebody else who is supposedly depressed and training for a marathon.
I can't believe that bill o reilly writes and sells so many god damned books
I haven't yet commented on the prices of the books: everything is very expensive
They want $15 for a 120 page collection of la rochefoucauld's maxims
I notice and thumb through one punch man volume 1. Maybe i should be reading manga
There are four different versions of moby dick ranging from $11 to $20
I pick up and read the first page of "my struggle" (literally mein kampf) by karl ove knausgaard. This is intense. I want this book, but i'm broke
A woman comforts her screaming infant, seemingly to no avail
Some employees discuss their plans to set up a special finding dory event on friday
Apparently alejandro jodorowski writes novels and graphic novels in addition to making weird-as-hell movies
A mother tries desperately to get her lanky, long-haired son into reading
The old bearded man has been replaced by another old man, this time with glasses and a southern drawl speaking on his cell phone
Big double stack of "the art of the deal" by donald trump
Holy shit they sell playboy?
People actually come to barnes and noble to buy playboy?
I'm astounded
1/2
>>8258059
Starbucks is pretty quiet. It's 4:00pm This is the latest I've been here, and I've got another two hours to go.
The young black man at the register apologizes for the wait; the woman in front of me has ordered something fancy
I see a guy i know
I dont say hello
He leaves
I do my usual stumbling mumble job to order a coffee, pulling my card out of the chip reader too soon. He has to do it again.
If he's annoyed, he's hiding it well.
I sit down with my coffee and a copy of "on the road" by jack kerouac, intending to read for a while
I can't focus. I'm scatterbrained and too interested in the moving bodies and absurd interactions of life in the bookstore
I manage to get sucked back into the story anyway and spend way too much time reading and not enough time observing. I'm going to need to stay here longer, now.
While I was distracted, the coffee shop filled up. There seems to be a lunch rush and an after work rush at barnes and noble, despite it not being a restaurant.
The old man with the beard is back in his usual position. I'm not sure if he actually left earlier or was just looking around. He treats this place like a public library, which I think is a very good strategy.
While I was reading, a large display of finding dory merchandise materialized in the center of the store.
Barnes and noble seems to entail more product shifting and reorganizing than other retail stores I've worked in.
I awkwardly and absentmindedly ran into an older man while typing that. I look like a goon sitting here and typing. Though people are constantly on their phones, they aren't usually typing this much or this fast while walking through a store.
A clerk is telling a story about a guy who was tasered and disabled by the police, then shot six times while on the ground. The other guy says that we live in a police state. A woman who works here walks up to the desk and is greeted. The first clerk asks her if she's alright, as she apparently looks either tired or depressed. He suggests that she have some coffee.
The music has changed from elevator jazz to a more popular playlist. "Under the bridge" by the red hot chili peppers plays.
All of the harry potter books have new covers. I guess they're sprucing it up to prepare for the cursed child.
Some guy just preordered a copy. They're having a midnight release party and will hold his copy for three days.
2/2
>>8258061
There are five full bookcases of bibles. Reference bibles, devotional bibles, compact bibles, gift bibles, study bibles, and large print bibles.
There are also 9 side (taller) bookcases of christian life books and 2 side bookcases of christian fiction.
There is a bookcase labeled "Judaica," but it has to share space, half of its shelves under the "eastern religions" heading.
Eastern religion then has an entire bookcase to itself, but many of the selections involve new age and western reinterpretations of the faiths.
Next is a bookcase split between Islam, the LDS, and comparative religion books.
There are nine different versions of the Qur'an, followed by a shelf about Islam.
This shelf includes works like, "Islam for Dummies," "Heretic" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and "No god but God" by Reza Aslan.
There are also four books on Rumi.
This strikes me as an extremely shallow and western view of Islam. The same can be said for any of the religious sections other than Christianity
Next to the "exotic" religions is a section on travel. I don't think this selection is equipped for any sort of scholarly study on religion. The religions other than christianity seem otherized and fetishized, but not quite idealized.
I'm just realizing that I have never set foot in the children's section. This is largely due to an article I read a few years ago about how a man was asked to leave because he was in the children's section alone and was accused of being a predator merely on the basis of being a man near children.
It's time.
I didn't have the courage to stay there very long, but it's a very interesting section. The gendered color coding and atomization is much more pronounced in the children's section.
Science books, sci-fi, and adventure novels are in dark colors, while books on dresses, cakes, and ponies are in pink and purple.
The children's section deserves more attention. It seems like kids are forced into gendered roles, then slowly worked out of them through adolescence and adulthood, which is not intuitive to me. It seems like if social conditioning is to occur, it should do so slowly as one grows. I suppose it runs much deeper than the color palette of an activity book, but it is striking and obvious in the children's section.
3/2
>>8258063
The section, "books everyone should read," is full of stuff I either like or think I would like. I wonder what this says about me and my quest to pull off the empty pseudo-intellectual posturing I've been trying to maintain my entire life.
It contains:
A clockwork orange, the picture of dorian gray, slaughterhouse five, cat's cradle, a streetcar named desire, the hobbit, the odyssey, dune, the grapes of wrath, ender's game, fight club, great expectations, dante's inferno, the great gatsby, beowulf, for whom the bell tolls, a tale of two cities, maus, candide, the adventures of tom sawyer, brave new world, jane eyre, the screwtape letters, the sun also rises, and many others i haven't heard of
I already own many of these books, and I've read fewer than I own. Is the canon maintained for any real reason? It is just the lowest common denominator of competent writing?
It's about time for me to leave, but I feel obligated to buy something. I've been skulking around for the past four hours guzzling the free water, touching everything, and using the bathroom. I think this is another element of how barnes and noble uses cultural expectations to keep their doors open.
I think about that karl ove book.
Then i think about the $17 it costs.
A policeman looks at me, and I feel fear. Why? I haven't done anything wrong.
Why is there a police man here?
Barnes and noble classics are much cheaper than penguin classics. They're exactly the same thing.
A clerk speaks on the phone with a potential customer at home. She wants to know if they have catan and for what price. Unfortunately, she calls it "settlers of catan." The clerk, thinking that this is a special version, says that they only have catan and "settlers of america" catan. I could have cleared this up if I told the clerk that "settlers of catan" is just what everybody calls catan. It would have been awkward, but I could have helped and I didn't. I felt that it wasn't my job or my place to tell the clerk how to do his job.
4/2
>>8258063
I may have already mentioned this, but the gendered color coding extends to the barnes and noble collectible hardcovers. "Alice's adventures in wonderland" is in bright pink whereas "the adventures of huckleberry finn" is in blue and green.
A little black girl innocently walks toward the exit with some product, and her mother warns her that she'd better get in line.
"See that man?" Indicating policeman.
"If you don't pay, he's gonna take you and put you in jail!"
"Noooo!!"
Policeman covers his face, "I'm the invisible man."
"Mommy!"
"Nooo. I won't do that."
They get in line to pay.
I decide to leave without buying anything.
But walden is only $9!!
So why is fahrenheit 451 $16? Why is catch-22 $18?
I really want "the sirens of titan" by kurt vonnegut, but it is $16. All of the large print vonnegut books are $16. They have a small print version of "slaughterhouse-five" for $7, so why don't they have one for the sirens of titan? I prefer the small print!
I'm having such a hard time just leaving. Every time I've come so far I've bought a book. I have not started any of those books, yet.
I grab "the picture of dorian gray" for $7 and walk to the checkout line with my tail between my legs.
The woman at the checkout counter didn't ask me if I wanted to sign up for a barnes and noble mastercard, though she did ask the woman in front of me. Do I look poor? Probably.
5/2
