A post about bookstores.
I've been browsing bookstores in multiple cities over the past few months looking for a copy of Waiting For Daisy by Peggy Orenstein. I haven't been able to find it. Do you know why? Because I never thought to look on the infertility shelf. I guess I assumed it would be with the memoirs. Sometimes memoirs have their own section, are shelved with fiction, or simply, literature. I looked in these places.
It occurred to me today while visiting Portland's Powell's books (my second favorite bookstore after the original Dallas Half Price Books, where I spent many Friday nights as a teenager) that it might be on the dreaded infertility shelf. Dreaded because the infertility shelf is often cruelly placed next to, above or below the pregnancy and childbirth shelf. And tonight, I found Waiting for Daisy right next to pregnancy books for small children who will soon be big brothers or sisters, picture books explaining what's in mommy's tummy and welcoming new baby--in the Parenting section. Even worse, some careless and completely unaware person stuck one of these picture books onto the infertility shelf, sloppy bookshelf style.
Why do bookstores shelve infertility books in the pregnancy and childbirth section? Like I said, it just seems cruel. I've been to many bookstores, and their infertility shelves. I have only been to one bookstore that separated books on infertility from books on pregnancy and childbirth. In this bookstore, the infertility shelf was located in the health section. I can't tell you where the pregnancy and childbirth books were located because, thankfully, I did not see them.
Let's examine Powell's city of books, in case you are ever there looking for Waiting For Daisy. Books on health can be found in the Red Room, which is where I went when it occurred to me that Waiting For Daisy might be with Infertility, not Memoir. What I found in Health was Women's Health and what I found in Women's Health were books on subjects such as endometriosis, pcos, fibroids, menopause and hormone disorders. Nothing on infertility specifically. I walked around the corner and found a book on male fertility, but still no general infertility. Finally, I went to the computer and performed a book search.
If you are ever in Portland's downtown Powell's books, books on Infertility are located in the Rose Room in the Parenting and Child Care Section. Thanks.
It's okay, like I said, I found my book and didn't have to say long, but I did stay long enough to open a few of the other books on the infertility shelf. In used bookstores I always wonder how the former owners of these books resolved their infertility. Are they pregnant now? Did they get to move one shelf over to those books? Some corners of pages have been folded over, marking their relationship with that page. I wonder what passage they wanted to remember.
Someday, this shelf of used books will contain my books, corners folded marking pages I no longer need.
3 comments:
I have to agree, the book placement is cruel! I think Borders does that too (keeps IF books near pregnancy ones).
I think all of us IF's should ban together and agree that if we sell off our IF books that we put our story ending on the back page or in a note, so the next person knows hpw their story ended. It could be a secret bond between infertiles.
I wrote a post about this recently, too. I hate when the IF books are smack up against the preggo books. I've much preferred bookstores where they are in the women's health section. There are a few here and there.
I just finished Waiting for Daisy and really liked it. It made me think a lot. (I bought it as an e-book so I didn't have to find it in the bookstore at all... :) )
I hate bookstores - I always think people are judging my purchases. That's why I love my Kindle app on my iphone, and if it's not available there, I just buy it on amazon... I just bought this book too - I'm interested to hear about what you think.
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