Interview with a Bookseller: Vince
Who are you? What do you do at the store?
Hi, I'm Vince (he/him). I've been hawking queer fiction and campus novels at Dog-Eared since September 2021. Before this, I was slinging espresso shots at Morning Bell Coffee Roasters and selling kitchen goodies at Cooks' Emporium, both here on Main Street. You could say I like downtown Ames. Outside of Dog-Eared, I work as a project manager at Iowa State University, bringing creative projects to life and appending puppy pictures to the ends of emails.
What genres do you read?
Oh, boy. If the story contains any queer or BIPOC content, I'll read it regardless of genre. Most of the time, you'll find me rotating through the following genres: sci-fi/fantasy, graphic novels, contemporary literary fiction, cookbooks, and writing craft. I also read one personal finance book per year, mostly so I don't blow all my money on, like, cute tote bags or something.
What is your favorite book?
I'm glad I can pick more than one because my brain would've exploded. I'll lead the pack with Brandon Taylor's Real Life, a campus novel that explores race and agency and how they shape our relationships with others. Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles because 1) I'm a sucker for Greek mythology and 2) her stunning portrayal of Achilles and Patroclus's relationship. I'm actually still crying over the ending. Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See because every sentence he writes is so beautiful, every page feels like drinking in a painting. Other honorable mentions include Koushun Takami's Battle Royale (think Hunger Games but in Japan) and Christopher Paolini's Eragon because, well, dragons and elves and magic. Need I say more?
What is the book that changed or affected you the most?
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman transformed my approach to day-to-day life. He points out the pardox of productivity: our time is limited, but our to-do lists are always growing. In other words, you'll never have enough time to accomplish everything on your list. Before you write me (and Burkeman) off as Debbie Downers, please know the book offers solid philosophies and actionable strategies for making time for what matters most to you. Read the book to find out more!
What’s a book that helped you get out of a book slump?
At the end of 2021, I finished reading Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. It's a stunning book following the lifetimes of four characters who feel so real, you alternate between wanting to hug and slap them. However, it's not a book you should read casually. There are scenes with graphic, devastating trauma, and by the end, I was ambling through life in a daze. So, I turned to an old favorite next: Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and I've lived in Riordan's world ever since.
What’s a book that you read at the exact right time?
I was a young, closeted teenager when I discovered Benjamin Alire Sáenz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. For the first time, I was reading about queer, BIPOC characters like me, and that changed my life. Never underestimate the impact of seeing yourself in a story.
Are there any books you own several copies of? Why?
Nope. I live in a studio apartment the size of a shoebox, so every inch of real estate counts.
What is your earliest book memory?
My parents used to read me stories from Jane Gerrard's A Treasury of Bedtime Stories, and I remember loving the book because its pages had shiny gold-leaf edges.
What is your favorite place to read?
I'm easily distractible, if that tells you anything. I romanticize the idea of reading in coffee shops and cafes, and I wish I could be that person! But I always end up talking. So, my favorite place to read is also the quietest: my apartment.
Show us your bookshelf! How do you organize it? What are the vibes?
Yeah, sorry. I don't have any rhyme or reason for which books go where. When I no longer live in a shoebox, I intend to change things up!
What advice would you give readers? Non-readers?
Advice is hard to give without context, so I'll just say this: read what interests you, even if it takes you in a surprising direction. Life's too short to read books you find boring.
Tell us a controversial book opinion
I don't like book covers showing you what the main character(s) look like. I would rather imagine them myself. :-)
Why do you read?
To experience the world as someone other than myself.
What do you love about bookselling? About our store?
Before Dog-Eared Books opened, I felt like Ames was missing something. Now, people have this space to connect over stories that impacted them, changed their lives, and shifted their worldviews. That's how I approach bookselling, anyway. Every story is an opportunity to reflect on our understanding of the world, how to become even better people. Stories are our lifeblood. Few things feel better than connecting someone with the right story at the right time, and Dog-Eared regularly excels at this. From the first book I bought (Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials"), I knew Dog-Eared was special. Now, I'm grateful to be a small part of its magic.
