Yesterday I went to Cody’s, not to buy a particular book, but to renew myself, to wander around and discover new authors, to drink up the non-commercial atmosphere of a bookstore that is a national treasure for lovers of words.  Strangely, even though it was the middle of the day, the store was closed.  There were no signs telling visitors why.  Nothing said “be back after lunch” or “closed for the week because of vacation.”  Nothing.

I was puzzled, but not worried.  I knew Cody’s had problems, but a store that had been around since 1956, a store with so much history, could not die.  Or so I thought, or perhaps just hoped.
 
The next morning there was a front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle about the shuttering of Cody’s.  There would be no more second chances this time.  Cody’s was gone, forever.
 
The demise of Cody’s represents so many of the dehumanizing tendencies of contemporary life – the decline of reading and reflection, the homogenization of commerce, the growing dominance of a culture saturated with trivial and ephemeral diversions.  I could of course go on, but it would seem trite to do so.  It is simply too obvious.

Here are some stories from around the web on Cody’s closing:  (I will add more in the coming weeks.)

San Francisco Chronicle, June 23, 2008                                                              Cody’s Books, the legendary Berkeley bookstore that catered to literati nationwide for more than half a century and was firebombed in the 1980s because of its support of the First Amendment, has closed its doors, the victim of  lagging sales.  Read More > > >

Contra Costa Times, June 23, 2008
Revived once when on the verge of bankruptcy, Cody’s Books of Berkeley has closed for good. There is no evidence a savior will emerge —as one did before— to save the iconic retailer. Read More > > >

East Bay Express, June 25, 2008
The final owner of Cody’s Books, Hiroshi Kagawa, sent a letter to the store’s original co-owner, Pat Cody, on the store’s final day, June 20. It was mainly a letter of apology, as a copy received by the Express reveals:

"Dear Pat,

"Today I apologize to you. I could not protect Cody’s. … I have done my best and spent millions, but I am unable to keep this landmark independent bookstore open." Read More > > >

 
San Francisco Chronicle, July 2, 2008
A week ago Monday night, three days after the store closed, Cody’s brought together its very last writer and reader. The writer was me. I was scheduled to give a reading from my thriller, "Hooked." Even though I knew the store was shuttered, I showed up at Cody’s just in case some prospective readers came too, expecting the show to go on.

One reader did. Wearing a boiled wool yellow jacket, she stood with her arms crossed, reading a white sign on Cody’s locked door explaining that management could no longer afford to stay in business. Read More > > >