Jeremy Mercer Reading
Jeremy Mercer reads from and discusses his memoir, Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co.. He goes on to detail the events that led up to his arrival at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris, France. Mercer had previously worked as a crime reporter in Ottowa, Canada, and was forced to flee from a criminal that had threatened his life.
Mercer goes on to describe the colorful life of George, the bookstore’s owner. He explains how, through the years, George’s famous bookstore had become a haven for such writers as Anaïs Nin, William S. Burroughs, and Henry Miller. Mercer goes on to describe the relationship he developed with George while living at the bookstore.
In a question and answer session, Mercer explains how he was able to help George secure the fate of the bookstore. He also details the falling out between himself and the owner, pointing out that George had been unhappy with the title that the British publishers had chosen for Mercer’s book, Books, Baguettes, and Bedbugs, claiming that the title fed a longstanding rumor which George despised.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Nonfiction
Authors: Jeremy Mercer
Date Recorded: November 21, 2005
Works Read: Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.
Topics: crime reporting, Shakespeare & Co. bookstore,
Note: A short video is played during the discussion.