“Why I Chose to Silence My Stories: The Shocking Truth Behind the Vanishing Rewards of Book Publishing”
Have you ever stepped into a place that felt like a portal to your past? I recently did just that when I took a trip to the Mall of America with my kids after dropping my wife off at the airport. It was a nostalgic adventure, reminding me of my youth in the ’80s when malls were the beating hearts of our social lives. Yet, as I wandered through its brightly lit halls, I couldn’t help but notice how much had changed—not just in the mall itself, but in our world of publishing as well. This juxtaposition between my cherished memories and the modern realities got me thinking. What does a simple visit to a mall reveal about the current state of literature and publishing? Join me as I explore this journey and uncover the surprising truths lurking behind the familiar storefronts. Click here to LEARN MORE.
THE RECKLESS WRITER
What a trip to the mall revealed about the reality of modern publishing
Yesterday, I dropped my wife off at the airport and me and the kids went to the Mall of America. It’s always an odd thing to visit a mall in modern times. I grew up in the 80s, and malls were our main way to connect.
I’m old enough to remember when the Mall of America opened. It was a big deal at the time, but even then we wondered if it would really be sustainable. The structure is massive, with huge parking garages on either end. To my astonishment, parking is still free. This is remarkable in an age where access to breathable oxygen on an airplane requires an additional fee.
Walking through the doors of a place you haven’t visited in a while brings back a flood of images. It’s like walking through a memory palace in real life. I remembered visiting the mall with various girlfriends. Without conscious awareness, my feet took me in the direction of the food court just so I could get a whiff of the baking cinnamon rolls.
As always, I made my way to the bookstore. My eldest daughter devours books at a greater rate than I ever did. Going into a bookstore feels like going home. It’s the place where all my old friends still live. They sit on the shelves, patiently waiting for me to pick them up and peruse their pages.
But this time the bookstore felt different. Of all my mall memories, those regarding the bookstore were the strongest. That’s where I spent the most time. That’s where I experienced the greatest emotions.
I know that this is something all old people say, but the modern bookstore is not what it used to be.
Struggling to accept impermanence
I keep waiting to walk into a toy store and see a floor to ceiling display of Star Wars action figures. When I was young, I never had enough money to buy all the figures that I wanted.
“Someday I’ll come back,” I thought to myself, closing my five year old hand into a defiant fist. “Someday I’ll come back and buy them all.”
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