Last night, I was working at the cash desk in Bookstore C, and a young man of about 20 came in, accompanied by his posse. Booksellers and customers looked around uneasily as this crowd walked to the poetry section in the back of the store.
In a few minutes the group came to the cash desk, and I could see that the young man -- clearly their leader -- was buying Dante's Inferno. "Is this for a class or are you reading it for the heck of it?" I asked, wondering which answer would surprise me more.
"It sounds interesting," he said bashfully. "One of my teachers said he thought I'd enjoy it."
Some of his friends muttered as he said that. He turned halfway around to them. "Seriously!" he said. "This dude dies 'n' goes to hell 'n' this is the story of what happens. Mr. [teacher's name] read some of it to us in class the other day and it sounded cool."
He and his dozen friends left the store. I thought, y'know, I like that -- the gang is out on Friday night and they take time to drop by Bookstore C so one of the guys can buy Dante!
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2 comments:
Makes me think of a certain young man, his droogs, and his relationship with Ludwig van.
Not to imply that this gentleman is about to do something untoward.
You mean Schroeder? Schroeder never did anything untoward in his life.
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