I was lucky enough to visit Scotland over the summer, where I stumbled upon the following sign in Edinburgh:

I walked inside and listened to a professional storyteller (the talented Senga Munro) weave a tale about kidnapped bairns and sophomores (“wise-fools”) like George Buchanan. I thought I was in heaven. If you have a chance to visit Edinburgh, I highly recommend visiting The Scottish Storytelling Centre” – it’s a place that explores that odd and wonderful phenomenon of listening to another person whisk you to another world.

http://www.tracscotland.org/scottish-storytelling-centre

Also, in a land far far away from Scotland, if you ever find yourself in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, I highly recommend checking out “T-Bones Records and Cafe.” Beyond having a wonderful food and music selection, they are also incredibly supportive of local authors and have an awesome regional book section:

Obviously, being squeezed in between Faulkner and Barry Hannah is crazy, but I’m not complaining! Anyways, give them a visit if you’re ever in town.

http://www.tbonescafe.com/

Paid a visit yesterday to one of my favorite indie bookstores – “Capitol Hill Books” – and was inspired to celebrate the venue in a post. The bookstore (as I describe it in my “Will to Books!” section of the website) is not unlike a mad librarian’s laboratory. Pretty fantastic. If you’re in D.C.’s Eastern Market, do yourself a favor and give this venue a visit.

http://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/