Today we’re talking about one of the simplest, but most crucial, lessons: the importance of being nice. While many imagine the rare book dealer as an unhelpful curmudgeon, Ken believes that, not only is it nice to be nice, it’s also good for business. We’ll talk about times when the shop’s friendliness paid off, inadvertently building relationships with mayors, newspaper editors, and the New England mafia—as well as doormen, secretaries, and restaurant staff. Settle in and get comfortable with this convivial new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #156 - Rock & Roll Collections
In this episode we’re talking about—or “riffing on”—a group of classic rock-related books, magazines, and memorabilia that recently arrived at the shop. While not the most monetarily valuable, it’s a fun collection to have around, mostly because it takes Ken back to his days as a young rocker in 1970s Boston. He saw The Stones at the Boston Garden, Van Morrison at Harvard Stadium, and—he thinks—Jimi Hendrix at the South Shore Music Circus (if you can confirm that this show happened please email the shop). Somewhat surprisingly, Ken also reveals that he attended Woodstock in 1969, but volunteers only that it was “interesting” and that “the traffic was bad.” Listen to learn more about electric guitars, Tulsa tourism, and the power of nostalgia on this very freewheelin’ new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #129 - Handling Adversity
At an event to mark the release of Jordan’s new book (On Air: My Fifty-Year Love Affair with Radio), fellow author and CEO Victoria Bondoc gave a thought-provoking talk on overcoming adversity. Ken has learned some lessons about resilience from having his family’s only slightly insured bookshop burn down one cold February morning, destroying all the books inside and creating a plume of smoke so large that his friend could see it from a passing airplane. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for your own bookshop to catch fire, but instead can hear what the experience taught Ken about the importance of community, keeping busy, and making tough decisions on this week’s #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #106 - Tales of Ken's Father
People often ask Ken how to start a bookshop, but the truth is, he’s never done it. The Brattle has existed since 1825, and was in pretty tough shape when it was purchased by Ken’s parents, George and Dorrit Gloss, in 1949. Ken essentially grew up in the shop; legend even has it that his first word was “book”. All of us, to a certain extent, struggle to get along with our parents; imagine how difficult that relationship can become when your parents are also your coworkers. That difficulty is compounded even further if the parent in question is George Gloss: a larger than life local character with a passion for books and bookselling, a briefcase full of unpaid utility bills, and a penchant for firing Ken on a nearly daily basis. It was a real personality clash, and Ken eventually left to study chemistry, vowing to put his career at the Brattle behind him forever. Learn what drew him back in and what lessons he ultimately learned from his father on this week’s episode.
As things open up again, we’d like to encourage our listeners to visit our shop at 9 West Street in Downtown Boston to see this and thousands of other fascinating items!