Los Angeles seems to have a really thriving community of artists, and both Family and Hope seem to be at the center of this. What impact does this have on what you do?
I think L.A. by its nature and tradition is a very wacky city and nurtures weirdos. Projects you'd think impossible seem to casually function here. Like The Smell, the downtown all-ages music venue run basically by teenagers and showcasing the most interesting, forward thinking music anywhere in the world. Sometimes I'll be there and be shocked that the event isn't taking place at a fancy institution, but in a forsaken, dank back alley spot run by teenage volunteers.

There also happens to be a ridiculous number of creative and nice people here. Everybody is really welcoming and friendly and supportive of each other and likes each other without being hippy dippy. I guess all that just means it's a solid community. It's diverse too, not segregated into very specific scenes like in other big cities. We've been very busy but you don't realize it when you are just very excited about the next project. It's been this heightened energy which overcomes your exhaustion.

As a bookstore owner, how do you feel about people who say, "Nobody reads anymore"?
Everyone I know reads. So I guess there's some far flung freaks out there somewhere far away who don't read. And who cares about them anyway? Once in a while you'll encounter someone who doesn't read and they say, "Oh, I don't have time to read." They are implying that you, as a reader, are living some kind of indolent life of luxury. They say this to make themselves feel better about their mindless droniness.

In fact, literature sells better than anything else in the store. I do think it's fair to say very few people read graphic novels, or purchase limited run zines by conceptual artists, but everyone, regardless of their creative proclivities, does read books.