"Retirement!" read the subject line of an e-mail from John W. Marshall, who, along with Christine Deavel, owns and operates Open Books, one of the few poetry-only bookstores in the country. (There's Berl's in Brooklyn, Innisfree in Denver, one in Boston, and maybe that's it?)

Anyway, here's what the rest of the e-mail said:

Dear Friends of Open Books,

It is with mixed feelings that I tell you I will retire from bookstore ownership sometime this year. This spring will mark the 21st anniversary of Open Books as a poetry-only bookstore, as well as mark the 29th anniversary of my owning Open Books, which started life as a small general bookstore with a large poetry selection. Christine and I have built what we could and now are running out of the initiative to maintain and improve it.

What will happen to the bookstore? We don't know. We would like to have it carry on, so we will pursue selling the store — its stock, its name, and perhaps a reasonable lease, since Christine and I own the building. There is considerable evidence that independent bookstores are having a resurgence in this country and that the sales of actual books will not sink beneath the waves of the e-book, an unimaginably freakish future some people somehow imagined. A new owner or owners may further establish Open Books as a great place to browse for poetry books and ephemera and as a cultural hub for those interested in printed poetry in the city, the state, and around the world. Christine and I hope to shop at Open Books. We rather suspect we will have that chance. If you know of potential next owners, please share this letter with them.

This transition need not happen quickly; the decision was not based on economics or health. Open Books will remain open regular hours, we will continue to order books and hopefully you will continue shopping here. By continuing to shop here you can be a partner to the store's changing hands. We will seek new ownership for up to four months. If by the end of June new ownership does not appear possible, we will look towards other options.

My feelings are mixed. These last twenty-eight plus years have been amazing. I've learned more about poetry and people and even commerce than I could ever have thought possible. I am pleased that Open Books has been a place where aesthetic and personal eccentricities are valued — bookstores usually are, bless them all. The store has been, and will remain inextricably, my life. I will miss much of it, but I am ready to experience the pleasure of books and reading as entirely and solely personal. I may engage in the world of poetry as commerce again, and I may not. I am excited to learn by going where I have to go.

With great affection,

John

First of all: Congratulations for running an independent bookstore for 28+ years. Open Books is a pillar of the Seattle literary community and also just a very nice, clean, quiet place to explore new poetry. You can find almost everything there, from first edition stuff to 'zines and chapbooks and magazines. Every time I'd walk in I'd want to spend $100 but then realize I was a graduate student.

Second of all: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

In case you can't tell from that letter, John and Christine are two of the kindest, most approachable, most knowledgeable people on the planet. When I taught poetry at UW I sent my students to them for book recommendations because I knew they'd be in good hands. They're quick and accurate with recs and never judge you for your tastes. Both booksellers are incredible poets in their own right. (Here's a poem from John, and here's Christine's book, Woodnote, which won the 2012 Washington State Book Award for Poetry.) Hopefully the bookstore will sell quickly so they can have time to work on their own stuff.

Third of all: Who wants to own the best poetry bookstore in the United States? If you know anybody who wants to buy the store and keep a key literary institution alive, then please contact John and Christine soon. Within four months, at least!