In Memory of Bookseller Steve Richards

By Kelly Justice of the Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

As I head into this holiday season, I'm doing it without the guidance, support, and expertise of one of the best booksellers with whom I've ever had the privilege of sharing a stool behind a counter. Steve Richards passed away suddenly from a brain infection on October 21, and the bookstore's owners and I and the rest of the crew of the Fountain Bookstore are devastated at this unexpected loss.

The Fountain is a small store located in the historic and financial district of the medium-sized city of Richmond, Virginia. It's a comfortable place, if cramped. Steve was quite tall and most of his non-floor time was spent in the receiving room, which we affectionately and accurately call The Closet because it is, in fact, a closet with a sloped ceiling. I always felt bad about Steve's afternoons in The Closet, doing the receiving, the boring and uninspiring job that is, as you all know, fundamental to daily operations. Done accurately and promptly, followed by swift shelving, and you almost don't even notice it being done. I didn't notice most days.

Steve and I were the only two full-time employees at the store with a staff of six total. Some of you may remember me mentioning Steve as "my right hand" that allowed me to do things like go to [Southeast Booksellers Association shows], serve on [ABA's Booksellers Advisory Council], and schedule a ridiculously full events calendar for a store our size. His quiet steadiness, his consistency, and unfailing dependability are a large part of the reason that the store has been able to grow so much in the last two years.

He was my friend. We didn't hang out at each other's houses. Never went out for a drink after work. It wasn't that kind of thing. But over the last two years, we've been through a lot together. I can honestly say that I probably spent more time in a waking state with him than anyone else in my life during that time.

We were working on September 11, just the two of us in an empty store. We sat in the back room and watched the video footage over and over again on the computer. We ranted, we raged. We decided to stay open. Together, we comforted confused refugees whose flights were stopped in Richmond on the way to D.C. and who were unceremoniously dumped in Downtown to find a way to get back to their families.

He wasn't afraid to criticize my decisions. That's a valuable thing -- to be appreciated, even if it hurts sometimes. He was extremely funny. In fact, since his death, the thing that creeps into my mind most is his staccato laughter. He made working fun.

As a handseller he was unstoppable. His caring and personal service allowed me to meet with reps, do stupid computer work, etc. and never worry about what was going on on the floor.

Why am I telling you all of this?

In part, I want our community to know what a loss has been had here with the death of this man. Also, especially during the stressful months to come, I'd like you to take a look at your co-workers. I mean really look at them. Share things with them. Get to know them. Steve was an artist, a superior baker, a gardener, a lover of animals, wonderful with children. All of us have lives outside our stores. Those lives are important. Appreciate them. Take them into account when you deal with your colleagues.

On a last note: We use WordStock as our inventory control software. Those of you that have it and an ancient Okidata Microline printer know that it makes a distinctive and irritating sound when it prints out the stickers for the backs of the books. Steve had a dance that went with that grinding, monotonous drone. We call it "Steve's Sticker Dance."

Since I've been doing more receiving lately, I've been trying to get it right without much success. But I'll keep trying. I'll keep dancing. And I'll keep thinking about Steve dancing too.

Steve is survived by his partner of four years, Chris Kopczynski, their four dogs, his mother, three sisters, and too many others to count. Please keep them in your thoughts.

(On www.fountainbookstore.com, you can find some of Steve's favorite books that he recommended over and over again with passion.)