Sigh

So, I found out yesterday that one of my favorite independent bookstores here (Kepler's), which was celebrating its 50th anniversary, has gone out of business as of today. I was shocked and sad and a little glad that I had bought my copy of "Harry Potter" from there just last month. They said they just couldn't make it in the economic downturn we're still mired in, and that's understandable. But they're an icon and a community gathering point around here (and a good bookstore to boot) and I always tried to support them, even if it meant paying a little more.

What made it even sadder for me is that when talking to my roommate, she said one of her co-workers had likened it to the closure of Wordsworth, in Harvard Square, last year. Having moved across the country in the years since college, I hadn't known about that until just then -- which made it even more sad to have lost two bookstores in one day.

The worst thing is imagining what the landlords are going to pick to fill the space. I sure hope it's not a Gap or something.