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Brad Johnson

@ahablives.bsky.social

1K followers 170 following 3.5K posts

A part of the Twitter Diaspora. Also run East Bay Booksellers in Oakland, CA - @ebbooksellers.bsky.social

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Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 7h

I feel most elitist when I’m at a McDonalds and have to ask questions about the menu

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 1d

Stranger at the bar after I tell them my line of work: “I love the smell of books.”

“It’s mostly just dust.”

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 2d

Tomorrow is apparently a holiday. My parents spent ten minutes my and their finite lives wondering aloud if there would be trash pickup.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 2d

No … far out of town.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 2d

Just out of a bookstore-bar, rather drunk at 9pm on a Sunday, the books a pure afterthought. All of that a compliment.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 2d

My mom after dinner: “I don’t understand you most of the time, but you do seem to care about things.” I’ll take it.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 2d

Toast at dinner with my mom: “I may not be the best son, but surely not the worst either.”

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 3d

Bookstore friend in Cincinnati suggests my customer service philosophies may not fly in Cincinnati. Just looked at his store’s 4.9-star Google rating, and he’s probably right.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 3d

I do love (comparatively) progressive city in the middle of deep MAGA red.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 3d

Committed to truth in advertising.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

We’ve sold hundreds of copies of his books, but yeah, you remain blissfully unaware.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

ABAB?

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Billionaires are, by definition, bad.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Like I said. Not gonna tell you what to do. But we have the power to make this a bestseller again.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

The nesting of mysteries within mysteries was classic Pynchon, but with a deeper tenderness for the lugs like us sorting through them — which I also see as emerging most starkly from Against the Day onward. In short: I enjoyed it a great deal.”

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Preferred it certainly to Bleeding Edge. I loved the different locations. A bit of a carry over from Against the Day in that respect.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

A longer assessment: “I devoured it on a long plane trip. Took a little bit to get into it, and then it was clear sailing. I thought it was pointedly silly — in the sense of saying “something” while having a good time doing so.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Not naming the store, because I don’t want people to get the probably wrong impression. Definitely an old fashioned estate fair heavy old-style used selection. Great SF and mystery pulp selection.

But yeah … that was definitely and an “Oh, my …” moment.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Ehhh. That’s a lot of Hitler.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Cincinnati downtown library, I barely recognize you … but damn, the facelift looks nice.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

This latest isn’t the worst place to start, honestly.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

One of my favorite things that he does so incredibly well still is blend, abruptly and without apology, present tense and narration of past.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 4d

Read most of the new Pynchon on the plane to Ohio today. My very technical review: it is a hoot!

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 5d

Somebody, for the love of all that’s good and holy, bring Liz a coffee! I mean … she could just run next door, but it’d sure be friendly.

Also… figures Laszlo K would win the Nobel on the day I’m not in the store to geek out properly.

Brad Johnson @ahablives.bsky.social · 5d

Seiobo marks a pretty definitive turning point for me when my professional academic aspirations receded & whatever replaced it took stage. For me, it remains a special book in a stellar oeuvre.