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| Marshall Curatolo | |
Marshall Curatolo, who founded Walden Pond Books, Oakland, Calif., in 1973 and "officially" retired a year and a half ago, died February 29. He was 95. Walden Pond Books celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and it remains family-owned and operated.
Walden Pond Books shared photos of Curatolo on Instagram: "Here he is in 1988 (after our victory over Kmart/Waldenbooks demanding we change our name), with his son Paul in 1998, and again with Paul pricing used books from storage in March 2023 in Humboldt County... still working!"
In another post, the bookstore noted: "One only has to peruse the aisles of Walden Pond Books to know Marshall. He was a bohemian, a progressive, a proponent of the arts, a lover of music, and, of course, a worshiper of the written word. His generosity and humility drew people in--customers quickly became friends. Over the years, the bookstore has served as a beloved community space, where locals and visitors alike encountered themselves and each other in the pages of its wares. As the latest bestsellers change from week to week and Walden Pond shifts and grows to mirror the community which has so embraced it, Marshall's vision will remain at the core of Walden Pond Books....
"We are grateful to Marshall for establishing an institution that will always belong to Oakland. He will be remembered fondly by the community for having helped shape generations of Bay Area readers, writers, and thinkers."