Celebrating Viewpoint’s 50th

It was quite a party!

I was one of several local and regional authors (including Matthew Graham, the state’s poet laureate) who on Oct. 21 took part in the 50th birthday celebration for Viewpoint Books, located in downtown Columbus, Indiana.

After Miss Polly’s story time with kids, singing “Happy Birthday” and eating birthday cake, we met with folks, signed and sold books on Sixth Street until the wind rose up like gangbusters and forced our celebration inside. But we’re good at adapting to change. So we did.

Each author who wished to either gave a short reading from one of their books or chatted about their books. I talked about how my two books came about: Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher and Wicked Columbus, Indiana. Both can be purchased through Viewpoint, either from grabbing a copy off the shelf (and paying for it before you leave, of course), asking for them at the register, or ordering through their website. The books are available everywhere else, too, in hardback, paperback, and ebook.

We are so fortunate to have such a great independent bookstore in Columbus. Please support it, so we continue to have it here and flourish.

Founded in October 1973 by Charles and Rae Edwards, Viewpoint is Indiana’s second oldest continuously operating independent bookstore. In 1979, the Edwards’ daughter, Susan, and her husband, Terry Whittaker, left their careers in social work in Elkhart to assume ownership of the store. They lovingly shared their passion for reading and literacy with our community – through good times and great challenges – for nearly 40 years until they sold the store to current owners, Beth and John Stroh, in 2016.