Barry Hoberman, longtime bookseller at Wellesley Books, Wellesley, Mass., died suddenly on April 23. He was 69.
The store wrote: "Beloved by staff and customers alike, Barry held court at our front register for over 20 years--he was proud of having been hired on the very first day the bookstore opened on Central Street in 1999. Considered by many the unofficial mayor of Wellesley, he took a genuine interest in those around him, warmly greeting customers (and their dogs) by name and recalling every detail of previous conversations. Barry was a gifted writer and a formidable scholar, possessing a deep knowledge of history, religion, baseball and music. He always relished the challenge of helping a customer track down some esoteric and often out-of-print treatise on one of his favorite subjects. We will miss his sense of humor, his affectionate banter, his freely-expressed opinions, his extraordinary intellect and his kind heart. Our community has lost a dear colleague and a true friend. We love you, Barry. Rest in peace."
According to the Swellesley Report, Hoberman published a scholarly book, The Early Jews in China: The Origin of the Jewish Community of K'aifeng; articles on Middle Eastern and Central Asian history, including one for Harvard Magazine on the origins of Good King Wenceslas of Christmas Carol fame; and poetry for Spitball, the Literary Baseball Magazine and other publications.
The Swellesley Report highly recommended Hoberman's essay "Thinking Outside the Boomer Box," which appeared in Rumpus, saying, "If you want to know who Barry was, read every word of that extraordinary, impeccably researched, and imminently readable piece. In it he covers religion, civil rights, feminism, sports, and world events in a tone that juxtaposes the serious with the frivolous. His well-reasoned and backed-up argument that he was not--repeat, not--older than rock 'n' roll is priceless."