One of the most depressing things about the slow, sad demise of publishing is the closings of independent bookstores.
So it amazes me when I’m in a small town and I walk into an indy that has managed to stay open…and has serious soul.
Just like countless small towns around the country, Livingston, Montana has been hit by the economic meltdown. You’d think that a tiny book business like Sax & Fryer would be recession road kill, but it’s open, and when I was there on a sunny and brisk Friday in April, it was hopping.
Specializing in western fiction, it has creaky wood floors and is the oldest store in town. Black and white photographs taken by the owner lined the walls, and when we remarked about them he got out some of his old fashioned cameras to demonstrate.
In the basement of the shop is an amazing collection of old saddles that he’s willing to show you as well. They’re all being donated to a local museum, and the one that struck me the most was one used by a member of a nearby Indian tribe a hundred years ago.
When I decided it was time to buy my books, I walked up to the counter. The owner rang up my order on an old school cash register.
“Sorry, ma’am, no credit cards here.”
Oh, and no website either. I loved every single thing about this place.
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