The chopper
(Aug. 2, 2007) Here it is, Thursday afternoon, and here is Rabbi Les Scharnberg, pawing through the orphaned books on the free-table at the Arcata Community Recycling Center and gabbing with fellow book scroungers.
“I’m a compulsive reader,” Scharnberg says.
“So am I,” says Rochelle Trochtenberg.
They lift books, put them gently down. They seem immune to the raucous clatter-clink of crashing bottles and cans, the pervasive alley-stench of stale orange juice and sour wine.
“I read books like some people watch television,” says Scharnberg. “I have 6,000 books on my shelves. I have a hard time throwing them away. I have books that were the worst read ever, and I keep them on the shelf to remind myself not to get that author again — and to not recommend it to others.”
“I have some horrible books,” says Trochtenberg. “Somebody gave me a book about Cher, because I like Cher, and it’s not well written. But it’s on my shelf.”
Hmm, perhaps these aren’t the right people to tell about the chopper. But they only look fleetingly concerned at the news, then resume culling: for Scharnberg, Tony Hillerman’s “Sacred Clowns,” John McPhee’s “Assembling California,” and Sam Keen’s “Fire in the Belly”; for Trochtenberg, several books on house plants and “Shopgirl” by Steve Martin.
They barely make a dent. Yard supervisor Ben Winker, wandering over, says many of the books have been here for weeks. Some will go inside to the ACRC thrift store, either to the 25-cent shelf or the shelf of individually priced books deemed higher quality. Some will go to the chopper. They can’t keep everything.
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