Cody's Books of Berkeley, RIP

Cory Doctorow 1:56 am Sat Jun 21, 2008

Aw, shit. Cody's Books, the half-century-old Berkeley bookstore that has long been an East Bay institution — one of the truly great west coast stores — has closed its doors forever.

After 52 years, Cody's Books will shut its doors effective June 20, 2008. The Berkeley bookstore has been a beacon to readers and writers throughout the nation and across the world. Founded by Fred and Pat Cody in 1956, Cody's has been a Berkeley institution and a pioneer in the book business, helping to establish such innovations as quality paperbacks and in-store author readings. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Cody's was a landmark of the Free Speech movement and was a home away from home for innumerable authors, poets and readers.

The Board of Directors of Cody's Books made this difficult decision after years of financial distress and declining sales.

According to Cody's president, Hiroshi Kagawa, "[It] is a heartbreaking momentâ€¦in the spring of 2005 when I learned about the financial crisis facing Cody's, I was excited to save the store from bankruptcy. Unfortunately, my current business is not strong enough or rich enough to support Cody's. Of course, the store has been suffering from low sales and the deficit exceeds our ability to service it."

It was an incredible honor to stop at Cody's for a signing on my book tour last month — I'm really glad I got a chance to connect with the wonderful staff and patrons there while the store was still around.

(Thanks, Spincycle)

I enjoyed reading the post-apocalyptic superhero series "Murder of Crows"

Chris Tullbane's series Murder of Crows is a fun, moderately-paced series that builds an incredible world and some interesting characters. See These Bones is the first in the series. Damian Banach is a moderately powered teen about to become an adult, which would normally have been good news for him — but he is a… READ THE REST
Book "Fillmore East" reminisces about legendary lost NYC rock venue in interviews and photos

Rock promoter Bill Graham's East Village venue, Fillmore East, was only open from March 1968 to June 1971. But in that short time, many performers played at what was nicknamed "The Church of Rock and Roll," including some legends like Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Janis Joplin, The Who, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, Led Zeppelin, and… READ THE REST
Remembering Olivia Munn's tone-deaf jokes

Actress Olivia Munn has been in recent headlines following the announcement of her pregnancy with comedian John Mulaney. She's also gained attention for excerpts of her 2010 book that critics call fatphobic. In the book, Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek, Munn writes this: "I will fix America's obesity problems by… READ THE REST
Get the most out of your internet with an award-winning VPN and a year of PlayStation Plus

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. In the modern world, we're practically dependent on the internet. Everything from working to socializing and general entertainment can be found on the web. So if we can't seem to get our… READ THE REST
Juice up your iPhone or iPad with this rugged-yet-colorful Lightning cable

Remember the last time you juiced up your iPhone using that short little charging cable it came with? The phone probably rang mid-charge, and it was a call you absolutely had to take. Of course, if you were at full charge, you could've taken the call from the comfort of your armchair. But if that… READ THE REST
Become a one-year Sam's Club member with this $15 deal

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Let's face it. Getting what you need from a store shouldn't be insanely inconvenient. But, often, that can be precisely the case, and sometimes prices can make the experience even worse. So, with no… READ THE REST