Independent Bookstores Are Still Alive
The article about the new owners of the Washington bookstore, Politics and Prose, includes an unfortunate line: “the age of independent bookstores seems to have closed” (“Coveted by Jewish Bidders, D.C. Bookstore Finds New Owners,” April 8).
The vigor of Politics and Prose and its many prospective purchasers, as reported in your story, belies that assertion, as do more than 2,000 independent bookstores that continue to make important contributions to book lovers, to their customers and to communities throughout America. These stores work powerfully as small, local businesses to preserve the printed book against technology fads. They deserve our full support, not premature obituaries.
MORTON I. TEICHER
Scarsdale, N.Y.
"Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief"
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
