1 00:00:01,201 --> 00:00:05,171 >>Pick these up and find a place in the front, 2 00:00:05,171 --> 00:00:08,108 we can put them down they're gonna be table books. 3 00:00:08,108 --> 00:00:09,809 >>Electronic books are becoming 4 00:00:09,809 --> 00:00:12,078 more and more popular all the time. 5 00:00:12,078 --> 00:00:14,447 Yet there are still people who firmly believe 6 00:00:14,447 --> 00:00:16,416 you can't just beat the look, 7 00:00:16,416 --> 00:00:19,419 feel and smell of a real book. 8 00:00:19,419 --> 00:00:23,156 Our guest today has been providing people from far and wide, 9 00:00:23,156 --> 00:00:26,960 with a huge variety of used paperbacks and hardbounds 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,664 along with many personal stories, for over 41 years. 11 00:00:31,664 --> 00:00:34,734 Join us today as we visit with Sandy McAdams, 12 00:00:34,734 --> 00:00:37,737 owner of Daedalus Bookshop on the Downtown Mall. 13 00:00:37,737 --> 00:00:38,538 Come on. 14 00:00:39,606 --> 00:00:40,840 >>Everybody's gonna find 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,776 something remarkable in here I think. 16 00:00:42,776 --> 00:00:45,111 >>Thank God nobody has a pair of scissors, 17 00:00:45,111 --> 00:00:47,113 but this would be like a barber shop. 18 00:00:47,113 --> 00:00:50,050 People come in and get the news and gossip. 19 00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:53,486 >>So Sandy, when did you first fall in love with books, 20 00:00:53,486 --> 00:00:54,788 and why? 21 00:00:54,788 --> 00:00:56,289 >>Well, I grew up where there was books 22 00:00:56,289 --> 00:00:58,558 and my mother loved books. 23 00:00:58,558 --> 00:01:01,327 And I had a pretty decent speaking voice, 24 00:01:01,327 --> 00:01:03,997 so I would read different things in school. 25 00:01:03,997 --> 00:01:07,467 And even in early grades I could do it okay 26 00:01:07,467 --> 00:01:09,569 so they kept asking me and I enjoyed that, 27 00:01:09,569 --> 00:01:14,541 and I just grew in to me being mesmerized by them. 28 00:01:14,541 --> 00:01:16,643 And then I was going to school 29 00:01:16,643 --> 00:01:21,281 and there was a guy whose shop I passed everyday. 30 00:01:21,281 --> 00:01:24,851 It was called Martin's Book Shop, it was a wonderful shop, 31 00:01:24,851 --> 00:01:26,386 but he didn't care much for fiction 32 00:01:26,386 --> 00:01:29,656 so I'd go in there and look at fiction all of the time. 33 00:01:29,656 --> 00:01:32,559 But I didn't have any money but he knew I was interested, 34 00:01:32,559 --> 00:01:35,428 so he took me on my first book-buying trip. 35 00:01:35,428 --> 00:01:37,564 >>And that began the whole idea 36 00:01:37,564 --> 00:01:39,866 of wanting to have your own used book store. 37 00:01:39,866 --> 00:01:41,134 >>Yes. 38 00:01:41,134 --> 00:01:42,402 >>What brought you to Charlottesville? 39 00:01:42,402 --> 00:01:45,171 Why did you decide to open a book store here? 40 00:01:45,171 --> 00:01:49,642 >>I had sort of a book store in the house I was living 41 00:01:49,642 --> 00:01:51,878 in Westhampton in Long Island. 42 00:01:51,878 --> 00:01:55,582 And then a guy, a friend of a friend, 43 00:01:55,582 --> 00:01:58,051 gave me a picture of this building. 44 00:01:58,051 --> 00:02:00,720 The building just looked like a bookshop. 45 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,455 Although there was a barber shop here 46 00:02:02,455 --> 00:02:05,024 and a private detective in the back. 47 00:02:05,024 --> 00:02:09,729 >>And now the store is three levels, three different floors. 48 00:02:09,729 --> 00:02:11,865 How many books do you have here? 49 00:02:13,266 --> 00:02:15,802 >>It's certainly a guess, but I think an educated guess, 50 00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:17,770 probably 100,000. 51 00:02:17,770 --> 00:02:19,639 >>How do you keep track of all of those books? 52 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:20,607 >>We don't. 53 00:02:20,607 --> 00:02:22,008 >>You don't. (Terri laughs) 54 00:02:22,008 --> 00:02:23,409 Alright Sandy, explain that? 55 00:02:23,409 --> 00:02:24,911 (Terri laughs) 56 00:02:24,911 --> 00:02:27,614 >>We're very very well, divide it in to sections. 57 00:02:27,614 --> 00:02:28,648 >>Okay. 58 00:02:29,816 --> 00:02:32,685 >>And so if you want a book on psychology, 59 00:02:32,685 --> 00:02:37,690 we have a lovely group of psychology books in one place, 60 00:02:39,092 --> 00:02:41,761 they're non-alphabetized but they're in one section- 61 00:02:41,761 --> 00:02:43,263 >>Right. 62 00:02:43,263 --> 00:02:44,964 >>And that there wouldn't be anywhere else you need to go. 63 00:02:44,964 --> 00:02:46,399 >>Okay. 64 00:02:46,399 --> 00:02:48,768 >>We have a wonderful hardback section of fiction, 65 00:02:48,768 --> 00:02:51,271 a wonderful paperback section of fiction 66 00:02:51,271 --> 00:02:53,706 and those are alphabetized. 67 00:02:53,706 --> 00:02:56,809 As are the westerns, as are the mysteries, 68 00:02:56,809 --> 00:03:00,346 and then for instance, in this room the kids books, 69 00:03:00,346 --> 00:03:01,614 Virginiana books, 70 00:03:01,614 --> 00:03:04,651 and first editions and signed first editions 71 00:03:04,651 --> 00:03:09,622 and erotica and it goes floor by floor, 72 00:03:09,622 --> 00:03:11,357 with different sections. 73 00:03:11,357 --> 00:03:13,026 >>So tell us about the inspiration 74 00:03:13,026 --> 00:03:14,661 for the name of the bookshop. 75 00:03:14,661 --> 00:03:18,498 >>When I first had even a little bit of a bookshop, 76 00:03:18,498 --> 00:03:20,967 was in a bar in Westhampton. 77 00:03:20,967 --> 00:03:25,672 My favorite writer at the moment, "God of my Universe", 78 00:03:25,672 --> 00:03:27,540 was James Joyce. 79 00:03:27,540 --> 00:03:30,977 And so I thought Steven Daedalus is the main, 80 00:03:30,977 --> 00:03:33,479 the protagonist both in the Portrait 81 00:03:33,479 --> 00:03:35,014 of an Artist and Ulysses, 82 00:03:35,014 --> 00:03:37,884 so I thought let me name it after Steven Daedalus 83 00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:39,519 in his honor. 84 00:03:39,519 --> 00:03:42,522 Joyce named Stephen Daedalus 85 00:03:42,522 --> 00:03:45,692 because Daedalus in Greek mythology was 86 00:03:45,692 --> 00:03:47,727 the great artificer. 87 00:03:48,828 --> 00:03:50,730 And he built the Labyrinth, 88 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:52,899 which many people see as our bookstore. 89 00:03:52,899 --> 00:03:55,235 >>My grandfather was a writer, 90 00:03:55,235 --> 00:03:57,403 and so he used to love to come in here 91 00:03:57,403 --> 00:03:58,972 when he was visiting us, 92 00:03:58,972 --> 00:04:02,008 and we actually lost him once in the shop. 93 00:04:02,008 --> 00:04:04,744 He's very hard of hearing and so he just went 94 00:04:04,744 --> 00:04:08,047 and got lost around the twisted passageways in here 95 00:04:08,047 --> 00:04:09,315 and we couldn't find him. 96 00:04:09,315 --> 00:04:10,550 (Eleanor laughs) 97 00:04:10,550 --> 00:04:13,052 But it's funny little quirky things like that 98 00:04:13,052 --> 00:04:14,821 that I enjoy about this place, 99 00:04:14,821 --> 00:04:18,157 it's just kind of a Charlottesville staple. 100 00:04:18,157 --> 00:04:20,126 >>I'd always had trouble with my eyesight. 101 00:04:20,126 --> 00:04:22,829 I had heard that Aldus Huxley had written a book 102 00:04:22,829 --> 00:04:24,330 about the Blake Method, 103 00:04:24,330 --> 00:04:27,200 and I'm sort of looking around and this fellow 104 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,104 with a ZZ Top beard comes right up in my face and says, 105 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:33,006 "What are you looking for?" 106 00:04:33,006 --> 00:04:34,741 I said wow, that's a little strong, 107 00:04:34,741 --> 00:04:37,210 but (laughing) I'm looking for this book. 108 00:04:37,210 --> 00:04:39,012 He said, "It's right here." 109 00:04:39,012 --> 00:04:41,080 And he reached over... I don't know if you remember this, 110 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:42,982 it reached over his shoulder, 111 00:04:42,982 --> 00:04:44,951 pulled it out and gave it to me. 112 00:04:44,951 --> 00:04:48,454 >>It's neat, there's books in here come in and look at books 113 00:04:48,454 --> 00:04:51,424 that are two or three hundred years old. 114 00:04:51,424 --> 00:04:54,060 And I just think it's really cool that you can pick 115 00:04:54,060 --> 00:04:55,328 that thing up and look at it 116 00:04:55,328 --> 00:04:57,463 just like somebody did when it was brand new 117 00:04:58,464 --> 00:05:00,166 back in the 1600's. 118 00:05:01,334 --> 00:05:04,003 >>I'm the Shelver and Weeder here, 119 00:05:04,003 --> 00:05:08,775 yeah, basically putting books on and taking them off. 120 00:05:08,775 --> 00:05:12,979 Of course when you're putting a lot of books in 121 00:05:12,979 --> 00:05:15,214 it doesn't leave a lot of room. 122 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:19,052 And so the other half of my job 123 00:05:19,052 --> 00:05:21,120 is going through the shelves, 124 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,692 picking out books that have been on there for too long, 125 00:05:25,692 --> 00:05:30,363 and bringing those back down for Sandy again to decide 126 00:05:31,764 --> 00:05:35,601 whether we want to keep them here after five or ten 127 00:05:35,601 --> 00:05:38,171 or sometimes more year(Philip laughing) 128 00:05:38,171 --> 00:05:39,605 >>What do you read? 129 00:05:39,605 --> 00:05:44,310 >>Well, I think when I turned 60, I thought to myself 130 00:05:44,310 --> 00:05:46,079 I've got enough facts, 131 00:05:46,079 --> 00:05:49,415 but I don't have enough wisdom by a long shot, 132 00:05:49,415 --> 00:05:51,284 so I better just read fiction, 133 00:05:52,151 --> 00:05:53,619 that's what I've done. 134 00:05:53,619 --> 00:05:55,822 Well, and then you also had this great romantic idea 135 00:05:55,822 --> 00:05:57,090 when you started the store 136 00:05:57,090 --> 00:05:59,392 that you'd be sitting around reading all day. 137 00:05:59,392 --> 00:06:01,327 What happened with that? 138 00:06:01,327 --> 00:06:03,896 Sandy, I've never read a book in this building. 139 00:06:03,896 --> 00:06:04,831 (Terri laughing) 140 00:06:04,831 --> 00:06:05,998 >>Cause you have the work- 141 00:06:05,998 --> 00:06:08,034 >>Because I'm always marking books. 142 00:06:08,034 --> 00:06:10,036 >>And then some of the books that come through, 143 00:06:10,036 --> 00:06:12,605 explain the pictures on the wall behind you. 144 00:06:12,605 --> 00:06:15,908 >>Oh, the pictures on the wall are pictures that came 145 00:06:15,908 --> 00:06:18,578 out of books that were marked except for three. 146 00:06:18,578 --> 00:06:20,713 >>So, don't know anybody except for three, 147 00:06:20,713 --> 00:06:21,614 you don't know anybody on that wall. 148 00:06:21,614 --> 00:06:22,749 >>Not a one 149 00:06:22,749 --> 00:06:24,283 >>They just came with the book. 150 00:06:24,283 --> 00:06:27,854 >>They came with the book and we haven't put up all of them 151 00:06:27,854 --> 00:06:30,056 but ones that intrigued us. 152 00:06:31,491 --> 00:06:34,360 And there's one, it looks very much like President Wilson, 153 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,262 so that's been fun. 154 00:06:36,262 --> 00:06:38,498 >>So many different people have come through this store 155 00:06:38,498 --> 00:06:39,632 over 41 years. 156 00:06:39,632 --> 00:06:41,834 >>That's the best part, 157 00:06:41,834 --> 00:06:45,304 that's why being online would just be silly. 158 00:06:45,304 --> 00:06:48,441 I do it 'cause I love the books but, 159 00:06:48,441 --> 00:06:52,745 just some enormous number of people who come there 160 00:06:52,745 --> 00:06:54,213 would never have a chance to meet him. 161 00:06:54,213 --> 00:06:55,148 >>Yeah. 162 00:06:55,148 --> 00:06:56,682 >>And that happens every day. 163 00:06:56,682 --> 00:06:59,018 >>We'll talk about the other gentleman who came through. 164 00:06:59,018 --> 00:07:00,953 >>There's a- >>Oh, the publisher? 165 00:07:00,953 --> 00:07:01,888 >>Mm-hmm. 166 00:07:01,888 --> 00:07:03,423 >>Yeah, that was a fine moment. 167 00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:06,793 One day I looked up and there was a Lawrence Ferlinghetti 168 00:07:06,793 --> 00:07:09,662 who wrote the book of poems. 169 00:07:11,097 --> 00:07:13,633 And I was able to get dates in high school, 170 00:07:13,633 --> 00:07:15,201 because I knew that book 171 00:07:15,201 --> 00:07:16,602 and the girls were really impressed. 172 00:07:16,602 --> 00:07:18,104 (Terri laughing) 173 00:07:18,104 --> 00:07:20,907 But I admire him enormous so he came and I saw his face 174 00:07:20,907 --> 00:07:23,242 and I thought, I know that guy. 175 00:07:23,242 --> 00:07:24,710 And so as he started to come in, I said 176 00:07:24,710 --> 00:07:27,613 "Mr. Ferlinghetti, it's such an honor to have you." 177 00:07:27,613 --> 00:07:30,249 Here and wonderfully enough high point, 178 00:07:30,249 --> 00:07:31,284 he said, 179 00:07:31,284 --> 00:07:34,020 "No, it's such an honor for me 180 00:07:34,020 --> 00:07:36,189 to be in such a famous bookshop. 181 00:07:36,189 --> 00:07:37,857 >>Yeees. >>So it was very nice. 182 00:07:37,857 --> 00:07:40,693 >>Yes, okay, so let's talk about the importance 183 00:07:40,693 --> 00:07:43,863 of having a physical book shop and physical books. 184 00:07:45,798 --> 00:07:48,267 I'm assuming I'm correct 185 00:07:48,267 --> 00:07:50,937 in that you don't really like electronic books. 186 00:07:50,937 --> 00:07:55,107 >>No, I'm not sure I even have the vaguest idea 187 00:07:55,107 --> 00:07:57,643 what they are and I have no wish to explore it. 188 00:07:57,643 --> 00:08:01,481 >>Talk about the importance of a real book, 189 00:08:01,481 --> 00:08:03,749 a physical book 190 00:08:03,749 --> 00:08:05,284 >>Well, you can hold them. 191 00:08:05,284 --> 00:08:09,555 It's different than you can feel like this book. 192 00:08:09,555 --> 00:08:13,226 For instance, if you can get "The Poetical Works of 193 00:08:13,226 --> 00:08:14,760 Thomas Gray", 194 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:19,599 but you wouldn't have this beautiful decorated cover, 195 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:22,668 which nobody's going to do again. 196 00:08:22,668 --> 00:08:23,903 >>Yeah. 197 00:08:23,903 --> 00:08:25,671 >>So you'll never get to feel these things 198 00:08:25,671 --> 00:08:27,139 and see these things. 199 00:08:27,139 --> 00:08:28,541 >>Or smell these books. 200 00:08:28,541 --> 00:08:30,443 >>I love the smell of books. 201 00:08:30,443 --> 00:08:34,413 I was looking through the paperbacks and 202 00:08:34,413 --> 00:08:36,182 the hardback fiction, 203 00:08:36,182 --> 00:08:37,316 Where did you use to? 204 00:08:38,618 --> 00:08:40,186 It depended on whatever it was, 205 00:08:40,186 --> 00:08:41,988 I was interested in at the time. 206 00:08:41,988 --> 00:08:45,224 So I would become infatuated with one particular writer, 207 00:08:45,224 --> 00:08:47,059 and then I would want to buy all those books. 208 00:08:47,059 --> 00:08:48,728 And so I couldn't afford them, 209 00:08:48,728 --> 00:08:50,496 but I often could afford them here. 210 00:08:50,496 --> 00:08:53,299 You know, sometimes I would sit in the corner upstairs 211 00:08:53,299 --> 00:08:56,102 and read books (laughing) that I did not buy. 212 00:08:56,102 --> 00:08:57,670 (Thomas laughing) 213 00:08:57,670 --> 00:08:59,939 >>Okay. So you're also famous 214 00:08:59,939 --> 00:09:01,908 because you actually started a newspaper, 215 00:09:01,908 --> 00:09:03,442 several years ago, talk about that. 216 00:09:03,442 --> 00:09:06,212 >>That's when I... 217 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:09,582 Very early days when I had the enormous energy. 218 00:09:09,582 --> 00:09:11,117 with some friends, 219 00:09:11,117 --> 00:09:13,886 we started a thing called the Times Charlottesville 220 00:09:13,886 --> 00:09:17,557 and we type all this up on an IBM Selectric. 221 00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:20,326 It was wonderful to see these people write 222 00:09:20,326 --> 00:09:22,094 these wonderful stories, 223 00:09:22,094 --> 00:09:24,630 and it lasted two years. 224 00:09:24,630 --> 00:09:26,098 >>Let's talk about the other thing you're famous 225 00:09:26,098 --> 00:09:28,601 for in Charlottesville is starting 226 00:09:28,601 --> 00:09:30,770 and renovating the C & O restaurant. 227 00:09:30,770 --> 00:09:33,306 What was that project like in the beginning? 228 00:09:33,306 --> 00:09:35,641 >>I'd been there two yearsĂș 229 00:09:35,641 --> 00:09:39,345 but I'd been working so much building the shelves, 230 00:09:39,345 --> 00:09:40,813 and putting the books up. 231 00:09:40,813 --> 00:09:45,217 I didn't have a chance, much of going around 232 00:09:45,217 --> 00:09:47,486 meeting many people, some. 233 00:09:47,486 --> 00:09:50,790 But one of the guys I met was Phil Stafford 234 00:09:50,790 --> 00:09:53,926 who was still my best friend 235 00:09:53,926 --> 00:09:55,728 but he came by the bookstore one day 236 00:09:55,728 --> 00:09:57,897 and for some unknown reason said, 237 00:09:57,897 --> 00:09:59,231 "You wanna have a business together, 238 00:09:59,231 --> 00:10:01,167 "I just inherited some money." 239 00:10:01,167 --> 00:10:03,135 So we decided to do that, 240 00:10:03,135 --> 00:10:04,470 we bought the C & O building- 241 00:10:04,470 --> 00:10:05,538 >>Uh-huh. 242 00:10:05,538 --> 00:10:07,473 >>Took us a year to renovate it, 243 00:10:07,473 --> 00:10:10,042 and it was wonderful fun. 244 00:10:10,042 --> 00:10:12,511 >>Yeah, and you were saying too, I mean 245 00:10:12,511 --> 00:10:15,881 that people didn't quite know what to make of the food. 246 00:10:15,881 --> 00:10:17,783 Like they didn't quite know what to make 247 00:10:17,783 --> 00:10:20,653 of a restaurant like that, because it was fine dining. 248 00:10:20,653 --> 00:10:21,621 >>Yes, when we opened? 249 00:10:21,621 --> 00:10:22,788 >>Yeah. 250 00:10:22,788 --> 00:10:24,156 >>Not a clue- >>Yeah. 251 00:10:24,156 --> 00:10:28,260 >>But the upstairs was very serious stunning, 252 00:10:29,362 --> 00:10:32,164 and it was all white, the white floor, 253 00:10:32,164 --> 00:10:34,300 no pictures, no music, 254 00:10:34,300 --> 00:10:37,803 and our service I've never seen anything close to it. 255 00:10:37,803 --> 00:10:41,207 >>Now, 15 years ago you were diagnosed with MS. 256 00:10:41,207 --> 00:10:42,675 >>Right. 257 00:10:42,675 --> 00:10:44,543 >>So how has that affected your ability to work 258 00:10:44,543 --> 00:10:46,979 and run the store, if at all? 259 00:10:46,979 --> 00:10:51,951 >>I think up till maybe now, it was just another implement 260 00:10:53,119 --> 00:10:55,855 that I had needed to have to be able to work. 261 00:10:55,855 --> 00:11:00,259 But it's been getting harder now in a sense as 262 00:11:00,259 --> 00:11:03,929 just a hindrance that I have to worry about falling out of. 263 00:11:03,929 --> 00:11:05,798 But I still work and it's still good 264 00:11:07,333 --> 00:11:10,302 and when you come in and am on the desk being very quiet, 265 00:11:10,302 --> 00:11:11,604 it means up close. 266 00:11:11,604 --> 00:11:15,041 (Terri laughing) 267 00:11:15,041 --> 00:11:16,776 >>Okay, so you've done this for 41 years. 268 00:11:16,776 --> 00:11:18,244 >>Mm-hmm. 269 00:11:18,244 --> 00:11:20,880 >>Are you just going to do this for another 10 or 20 years? 270 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,782 Or are you gonna you know, I don't know 271 00:11:22,782 --> 00:11:24,150 open another restaurant or something (Terri laughing) 272 00:11:24,150 --> 00:11:25,951 >>No, no, this is it. 273 00:11:27,119 --> 00:11:31,657 My wonderful wife of 34 years, Donna McAdams, 274 00:11:31,657 --> 00:11:33,492 she's really allowed me to do this 275 00:11:33,492 --> 00:11:35,728 because she's been a nurse, 276 00:11:35,728 --> 00:11:38,064 and I never had any insurance till we were married. 277 00:11:38,064 --> 00:11:39,598 >>Huh. 278 00:11:39,598 --> 00:11:43,903 >>So she's provided not only a paycheck which is twice mine, 279 00:11:45,104 --> 00:11:48,140 but she's provided insurance and love. 280 00:11:48,140 --> 00:11:51,043 >>They call him the Sage of 4th Street 281 00:11:51,043 --> 00:11:54,113 but what you got to remember is 4th Street's 282 00:11:54,113 --> 00:11:55,448 very short street. 283 00:11:56,515 --> 00:11:58,617 >>Sandy is a character, 284 00:11:58,617 --> 00:12:00,186 he's definitely, he's a gem. 285 00:12:00,186 --> 00:12:02,822 >>When you see him with the customers, 286 00:12:02,822 --> 00:12:07,827 you realize he cares about both books 287 00:12:09,495 --> 00:12:12,865 and the other people who care about books, 288 00:12:12,865 --> 00:12:15,601 and he makes connections with people. 289 00:12:15,601 --> 00:12:18,204 >>This bookshop is one of the treasures of town. 290 00:12:18,204 --> 00:12:19,739 I'm sure Sandy's heard that before. 291 00:12:19,739 --> 00:12:23,075 But it's a true resource and it's just a wonderful thing, 292 00:12:23,075 --> 00:12:24,543 just not nothing like it. 293 00:12:25,611 --> 00:12:28,047 (Jazz music)