Longtime Booksmith book buyer Brian McCormick died October 22. He was 76. Boston.com noted that he was memorialized in "memorable, family-submitted obituary," which read, in part:
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| Brian McCormick | |
"In an era where statues became controversial (for which he had a view), few others less need 1,000 pounds of bronze to be remembered. To have met him is to have remembered him.... Brian leaves behind his colleagues at Booksmith, the New England bookstore chain he served as buyer for for over 20 years, that loved him and became his lifelong friends. That saw his tireless work ethic. That saw him find great passion in his trade, in his two decades of 'remainder' crates, galleys, and publishing reps.
"Brian leaves behind the patrons of the Paper Store, a New England multi-purpose retailer with a book section, who were greeted for almost 15 years by the golden retriever asking if they'd 'read anything good lately?' Where his two great loves, books and human connection, combined to give them what so many across the U.S. Northeast over 76 years were left with. A memory."
"And anyone he met with a backstory, which turned out to be everyone. To have met Brian is to have been canonized. To be added to his catalog of keenly observed vignettes for endless retelling. To have met Brian is to have been noticed, to have been lifted.... Deeply curious, forever energetic, complicated, loving, and handsome. To have met him is to have remembered him....
"Please, no need for flowers. Go to an independent bookseller and purchase a physical book and read it and loan it to a friend and moan about how many books you've lent out over the years. You'd bestow him no higher honor."