50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Portrait of a Bookseller

Portrait of a Bookseller: Gordon P.

by Powell's Books, February 14, 2019 9:48 AM
Portrait of a Bookseller: Gordon P.

How would you describe your job to someone you just met?
I'm a Used Book Buyer. I get to sort through books and pick out the best ones for our shelves. I also get to work in the Art, Literature, and Social Science sections.

Last book you loved:
Omar Cáceres’s Defense of the Idol (translated by Mónica de la Torre) debuted in English this year from Ugly Duckling Press. Cáceres was a Chilean poet with an unbelievable biography who tried to destroy every copy of his only book because of errors in typography. Fortunately for us two copies survived, and we now have this weird and wonderful little book. 

Where are you originally from:
Petersburg, Alaska.

What did you do before you came to Powell's:
I've been a commercial fisherman in Alaska, worked at another bookstore in Oregon, and at a couple of libraries in Massachusetts.

I still feel like I remember every word of The Phantom Tollbooth.
What is the best part of your job:
Sifting through the huge variety of books that come across the buying counter every day. It’s fun every time.

When you’re not reading, what do you like to do in your free time?
I love heading to the beach and getting out in a kayak or paddle board. I also enjoy riding my bike and photography.

Recommend an author you think everybody should read:
Jorge Luis Borges has been my favorite author for a long time. I particularly like his poetry and essay collection, Dreamtigers. Not one word is out of place! 

Walk us through your favorite route when browsing books at Powell's:
I like to start in poetry and literature, make my way up to ghosts and UFOs, and finish on the third floor in the photography section.

Do you collect any particular types of books?
I've been collecting Anchor Doubleday paperbacks from the ’50s and ’60s with covers and typography by Edward Gorey.

Tell us about your first memorable reading experience.
I still feel like I remember every word of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. 

What’s your favorite book of all time?
Moby Dick! It gets better with each reread. 



Books mentioned in this post

Dreamtigers

Jorge Luis Borges

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster

Moby Dick or, The Whale

Herman Melville

Defense of the Idol

Omar Caceres
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Books of 2022: Fiction by Powell's Staff
  2. The Big List of Backlist: Books That Got Us Through 2022 by Powell's Staff
  3. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  4. Powell's 2023 Book Preview: The First Quarter by Powell's Staff
  5. 7 Essential Authors Recommend Their 7 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

2 Responses to "Portrait of a Bookseller: Gordon P. "

Powell's Books February 26, 2019 at 11:24 AM
Hi Sylvia, We do have a copy of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Here is a link to the product page on Powells.com: https://www.powells.com/book/-9781250301697.  If you need assistance with ordering, please don’t hesitate to call our customer service center, open daily 9am–5pm PT, at 800-878-7323 or 503-228-4651. Thank you!

Sylvia February 15, 2019 at 07:54 PM
Do you by chance have "The Silent Patient?" by Alex Michaelides. It's new, so the chances are slim

Result(s) 2

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms