Tayari's Blog: Report From The Road: Oakland, CA

Marcus Books is a fantastic bookstore on MLK in Oakland. I got there a little late... apparently there is something happening in SF tonight called Ka-Boom. Traffic was snared accordingly.

When I got there, the place was filled with folks waiting for me to read from The Untelling. The only black book store that really compares with Marcus Books is Karibu, but there is a difference. With Karibu, the author feels like she is performing at Amateur Night at the Apollo-- people are browsing, mingling, etc while the author is trying to read. If you are good, they will shut up and pay attention. If you're not, well, too bad. At Marcus, the crowd is quiet and attentive. The vibe is intense, and I mean this in a good way.

There were a lot of frinds there from back in the day. Peggy and Johnetta, two dynamic women sporting long gorgeous locks were sitting in the front row. I mention their hair because I started both their locks about five years ago! The most exciting encounter was between me and my long-lost cousin Ruth Ann! Turns out that she is a local and NATIONAL celebrity. She is the hattier to the rich and famous! And she's MY COUSIN! Who knew I had such relatives! We're having brunch tomorrow!