The magic of brick-and-mortar

Also: What Florida won't teach its kids [View in browser](    [❤️]( May 1, 2022 Dear Cog reader, Convenience and efficiency have become the defining hallmarks of the retail experience in this e-commerce era — so much so that we often take for granted how special it can be to physically inhabit a brick-and-mortar store. Earlier this week, Cloe took her 8-year-old twin daughters to a sports store to get gloves for their spring softball league. They were transfixed. So many items to browse and touch and covet! It occurred to her that she almost never takes them shopping; things just appear in boxes on their front porch. The girls made her promise she’d take them to buy their next pair of sneakers — in person. This was a recurring theme at Cog this week. The inimitable Sharon Brody wrote about [the shuttering of her favorite establishment]( The Children’s Book Shop in Brookline, after some 45 years. Owner Terry Schmitz and her staff didn’t just sell books, Sharon writes. They “guided us towards our own discoveries in ways that strike deep and resonant chords. For what is love if not pulling a person aside and saying, ‘As soon as I saw this book, I thought of you!’ ” (A quick aside: Sharon was feeling a little sheepish about her localized heartache given the chaotic state of the larger world. She copped to that discomfort in her essay, and this morning she received this lovely message from a reader: “Yes, larger issues need attention BUT how will the world ever learn to address and perhaps even solve them if the children don’t read and think!!!” So well said.) Also this week, Glenn Rifkin wrote [a deeply moving tribute]( to the late, great Debra Stark, proprietor of Debra’s Natural Gourmet in West Concord. Glenn met his wife in the herbal supplements aisle of Debra’s shop, so her recent passing is especially personal to him. Debra “created a family-like atmosphere that morphed into a community, a gathering place, that drew shoppers like pilgrims to Mecca," Glenn writes. "They came because she hired and trained knowledgeable staff, paid them well, treated them better and fostered a culture of warmth and learning. It was the Cheers bar for organic cheese and aromatherapy. Everybody knew your name, greeted you with a sincere smile, and helped you find what you were looking for, even if you had no idea what that was.” We hope you’re all having a fine spring Sunday. And in honor of Terry and Debra, if you need any provisions this weekend, we hope you’ll consider buying local. Frannie Carr Toth Editor, Cognoscenti [Follow]( Support the news   Must Reads [Another local bookstore bites the dust. This time it's my favorite one on earth]( The Children’s Book Shop didn’t just sell books, writes Sharon Brody. They guided us towards our own discoveries in ways that strike deep and resonant chords. For what is love if not pulling a person aside and saying, “As soon as I saw this book, I thought of you!” [Read more.]( [Another local bookstore bites the dust. This time it's my favorite one on earth]( The Children’s Book Shop didn’t just sell books, writes Sharon Brody. They guided us towards our own discoveries in ways that strike deep and resonant chords. For what is love if not pulling a person aside and saying, “As soon as I saw this book, I thought of you!” [Read more.]( [Eating less meat is better for the planet. Could my family go vegan for a month? Could I?]( A vegan diet seemed difficult and potentially expensive, but writer Barbara Moran wanted to try it out for herself as part of a quest to eat more sustainably. [Read more.]( [Eating less meat is better for the planet. Could my family go vegan for a month? Could I?]( A vegan diet seemed difficult and potentially expensive, but writer Barbara Moran wanted to try it out for herself as part of a quest to eat more sustainably. [Read more.]( [What Florida won't teach its kids]( In Florida, education officials rejected 53 math textbooks, claiming they included "prohibited" topics such as Critical Race Theory, common core standards and social emotional learning. What they're really trying to combat is a complete knowledge of history, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. [Read more.]( [What Florida won't teach its kids]( In Florida, education officials rejected 53 math textbooks, claiming they included "prohibited" topics such as Critical Race Theory, common core standards and social emotional learning. What they're really trying to combat is a complete knowledge of history, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. [Read more.]( [Eat well, be happy: What Debra Stark taught us]( In a troubled world, Debra Stark left behind an oasis of whole grain compassion and humanity, writes Glenn Rifkin, about the proprietor of Debra's Natural Gourmet, who died last week at 75. [Read more.]( [Eat well, be happy: What Debra Stark taught us]( In a troubled world, Debra Stark left behind an oasis of whole grain compassion and humanity, writes Glenn Rifkin, about the proprietor of Debra's Natural Gourmet, who died last week at 75. [Read more.]( [Simultaneous attacks on abortion and LGBTQ rights are not coincidental]( The same people fighting to limit abortion care are also working to deny transgender and LGBTQ+ people of their health care and identity, write Sen. Julian Cyr and Rebecca Hart Holder. [Read more.]( [Simultaneous attacks on abortion and LGBTQ rights are not coincidental]( The same people fighting to limit abortion care are also working to deny transgender and LGBTQ+ people of their health care and identity, write Sen. Julian Cyr and Rebecca Hart Holder. [Read more.]( Outlook readers: We're having some technical difficulties, so if you're having a hard time seeing photos in today's newsletter, please click the "view in browser" link above. Thanks for your patience! What We're Reading "Reminding us of who human beings can be, what it looks like to stand on principle, why it’s worth fighting whether or not you believe you can win, is a gift Ukrainians have given us." "[Ukraine has taught us all a lesson in moral courage]( The Guardian "All the experts I spoke with agreed that the U.S. desperately needs active surveillance, the kind that involves deliberately testing representative samples of the population to produce unbiased results." "[Are We in the Middle of an Invisible COVID Wave?]( The Atlantic "I want them to navigate this huge, messy planet on their own, when they’re old enough to — and be ready for things not to go their way." "[Your Kids Can Handle Dangerous Ideas]( The New York Times "A sense of place and the importance of relationships were cornerstones of my upbringing. But they often feel out of step with Boston life." — ["Growing up Indian in Appalachia: 5 questions with Neema Avashia"]( ICYMI [What voter suppression in places like Texas means for the climate]( Voters who care about climate change are also most likely to be hurt by voter suppression laws, writes Nathaniel Stinnett. [Read more.]( [What voter suppression in places like Texas means for the climate]( Voters who care about climate change are also most likely to be hurt by voter suppression laws, writes Nathaniel Stinnett. [Read more.]( If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news     Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.