Dare to Dream

This is not a bad idea, though risky.

This is where I see myself someday: running a lending library/store of my own. So here's the idea: after a lifetime of book collecting (currently my collection is upwards of 4,000 books, so by 60 I ought to be sitting on a pretty impressive pile), I will open my library to the locals of my beloved neighborhood, wherever that ends up being. It would probably be somewhere north or south of the Loop (assuming I stay in Chicago)-- somewhere without a good neighborhood library. I shall charge a small annual fee to be a member and then students, scholars, and anyone else of the mind may take a book and read and study at their leisure. No library late fees, no 2 week restrictions, no snotty librarians, no train ride needed. Admittedly, my library would be catered to my interests, which, you may guess, fall toward poetry and literature in translation, especially Latin American and Russian, as well as the Northern Irish lit. Perhaps my library would also offer comfy chairs and free tea for the dedicated members who wish to saddle up for a long afternoon of research. I might even include a smoking section. Of course, monthly events (readings, workshops, tutoring sessions) might draw more asses to the seats, so there's another possibility. It's all in embryo at the moment, but I think teaching and running all over town busting ass at the various gigs will one day grow old. If I can save the dough, and continue collecting books at my normal rate, I might try and launch this crazy idea. How else will I ever retire?