The Book and Puppet Company, a small independent bookstore in Easton, Pennsylvania is unique. Other bookstores may have puppet shows and other forms of theater. Others may have the obviously tasteful and intelligent selection of books. Others offer items other than books. Book and Puppet is unique in at least three ways. First, and most (I promise) self-serving, it is the only bookstore in the world with Holy Horror on its shelves. I know how it got there, which ties into the second unique feature—the Easton Book Festival. The Easton Book Festival is the brainchild of the third unique element, the store’s owners—Andrew Laties and Rebecca Migdal.
So let’s piece this all together. The Easton Book Festival launched in 2019. Being local to the event, I volunteered to present because Holy Horror had missed Halloween in 2018 when it came out, and it was still technically a front list book. As with any event that wishes to grow, the Festival was extremely inclusive. Despite its price point Andy had ordered copies to have on hand to sell. He assigned me to a panel discussion and even gave me a time slot to talk about the book. The event was one of the highlights of my true calling—being a writer of books. Weathering the Psalms was less expensive but more technical. Holy Horror is for a general readership, although the publisher sees it differently and prices it accordingly. You have to start somewhere. In any case, it was part of a book festival that contains memories that still make me glow.
his year, like many events, the Easton Book Festival (October 16-24) is going hybrid. As we start to regather, is there any better place to coalesce than around books? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if that were true? A recent visit to the shop led to a conversation that seems likely to result in a chance to plug Nightmares with the Bible, the more expensive sequel to Holy Horror. Well into the writing of my next book, my attention has momentarily turned from demons to more human horrors. Nevertheless, books are what my lifelong goal has always been. I thought that I would be writing as a professor, but even editors can make some modest contributions, I hope. Regardless, since much of the Festival will be online, it’s accessible from the comfort of your chair. Why not tune in? In any case, supporting your local bookstore will do nothing but improve society.
