Dan Chartrand, owner of Water Street Bookstore, Exeter, N.H., was interviewed by SeacoastOnline.com about the indie that "has become an Exeter institution over the last 23 years." Among our favorite exchanges:
What was your first full-time job?
I worked in an independent bookstore in St. Paul. The owner saw me hanging out in the store and said, 'You're here all the time. You should apply to work here for the holidays.' I started there in November 1981 and loved it. The hook was set. I thought, 'I could make a living with this.' I continued there through June 1983.
What was opening day like?
We did a soft opening on Aug. 10, 1991. It was a Saturday. It had rained like crazy on Friday, but the sun was out. We took the paper off the windows, unlocked the door and wondered, 'Will people come in?' And they came in.
You must like recommending books to customers.
One reason I've done this for so long is the people who are attracted to books are almost exclusively great people. They skew toward introverts. They take a lot of care with their inner life. I love when they come in and say, 'This place smells like books.' I can't smell it. I've been around here too long.
