Today I am writing out of the Barnes and Noble Cafe. It is but a shell of what it once was. Barnes and Noble, as the last major bookseller left, seems like in terms of fostering an environment of reading, writing, or studying, they just don’t care anymore.

When I was younger, the Barnes and Noble Cafe was the hub of techy cool. It was where you took your laptop, a brick that had to be plugged after about 15 minutes of use. You came to use the internet, read books, study, write a term paper, drink some coffee, and maybe buy a book or two. And, if you didn’t like your particular Barnes and Noble, there was always Borders.

Now, Barnes and Noble has changed. Most stores have gotten rid of the couch areas, saving for maybe a chair or two. And, the small cafes don’t have plugs anymore…the message–stay for about an hour, but once your computer starts dimming, move along.

The muted orange tables feel dated. To write here, I feel like I am writing in a store. Not a sacred place of reading and words. I missed the Barnes and Noble Cafe, and I am right here.