Author Archives

Dan Danbom

Donuts & Bad News | A Bookseller’s Diary

August 7, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

I think if there were ever a service you could hire to deliver bad news that you didn’t want to deliver, booksellers would be naturals for that kind of assignment. Books mean a lot to lots of people, and they…

A Bookseller's Diary

Dead Man’s Books

July 6, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

We get to know a lot of people after it’s too late to meet them. Their books tell me who they were. Go into a stranger’s house and look at their books, and you’ll come as close as possible to…

A Bookseller's Diary

Forgetting Bad Habits | A Bookseller’s Diary

May 20, 2023 1 0 Dan Danbom

Golf’s never made me feel good — “klutzy” is more the word –but that isn’t true for everyone. One of our friends from the St. Francis apartments for the homeless — where we stock a library — used to play…

Short Stories

10 Months | A Bookseller’s Diary

April 26, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

I got a call Monday that has bothered me since. A woman I'd bought some books from called and angrily said, "I sold you some first editions. You gave me $3 apiece, and I want to know what you sold…

Short Stories

Printed Page Auto Parts | A Bookseller’s Diary

March 15, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

We feel Denver's population boom at Printed Page. Today, we had customers from Massachusetts, Alabama, New York, California and Kansas, all new to the city.

A Bookseller's Diary

A Daughter’s Loss | A Bookseller’s Diary

January 24, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

A daughter asked me to come look at the books from her mother's estate. When I got there, the family was busy cleaning up the house to get it ready for sale.

Short Stories

Military Miniatures | A Bookseller’s Diary

January 12, 2023 Like 0 Dan Danbom

I met another dead man today. This one was an accomplished attorney in a high-powered Denver law firm. He decompressed from his high-stress work by painting military miniatures -- thousands of them.

A Bookseller's Diary

Juke Joints | A Bookseller’s Diary

December 21, 2022 Like 0 Dan Danbom

Today was a day of lows and highs at Printed Page. A cold wind scoured the street; maybe that's why we didn't have any customers. Toward afternoon, an elderly couple came in wanting to sell some books.

Short Stories

White Gloves and Old Books | A Bookseller’s Diary

December 10, 2022 Like 0 Dan Danbom

I get to know a lot of people after it's too late to meet them. Their books tell me who they were. Go into a stranger's house and look at their books, and you'll come as close as possible to…

A Bookseller's Diary

Mild to Moderate Bibliomania | A Bookseller’s Diary

December 1, 2022 2 0 Dan Danbom

No kid in America ever dreams of growing up to be a bookseller, including me. I thought I was set for life with a career in corporate communication when I met a guy connected with one of Denver’s newspapers. We…