Belatedly blogging

For over six years, I have privately proclaimed, “I have not yet begun to blog! (but I’d like to, and I probably should).” Somehow, in between getting married,  becoming a father of five, buying a home, opening and managing four stores, and (sadly) closing two of them, all since 2013, I haven’t managed to fit the writing in though.

Just as I’ve discovered that my home and my stores rarely get spic-and-span until I decide to host guests or a party, so too, it is only because I suddenly realized that I'm imminently expecting an influx of guests that I am so belatedly beginning this blog.

The New York Times will likely soon be releasing an article about Amazing Books & Records, which may drive at least two or three additional people to our website, and I’d be a tad embarrassed were there nothing to find here. And so here I am at the very last minute, metaphorically pushing clothing under the bed and couch, and scrubbing the toilet of my website.

The fact is, real writers write, in poverty and wealth, in illness and health, whether working seventy hours a week or working not at all, whether single, married, or divorced, whether imprisoned or free, so there are no excuses, and so with G-d’s help, I aim to carve out the time to post here at least once a week.

I’ll tell you the story of Amazing Books & Records from its inception until now, and will give you the inside view of how a small retail business manages to survive, and specifically how a used book store manages to survive, in the internet era. I’ll likely share thoughts on other subjects as well.

I'm very grateful to Mark Oppenheimer and The New York Times for writing and publishing the article. Thank you.

It’s a couple of hours before Shabbat, and I’ve gotta run.

Shabbat Shalom!
Eric Ackland
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