The Corner Bookstore

Chris

A member of Phi Beta Kappa and the valedictorian of his class at Hunter College, Chris went on to work in the restaurant business before joining us in 1988. In short time, his interest in and knowledge of history and literature made him a natural to assume the responsibilities of store buyer and manager, positions he holds to this day. Chris abides by the following, “People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.”

Nick

A magna cum laude graduate from Boston College with a major in English, Nick continued his education at Columbia University where he received an MA in English and Comparative Literature. Before coming to The Corner Bookstore, Nick worked as a math teacher, a graduate research assistant, and an editorial intern. Nick joined our sales staff in 2004, and is now our office manager and events coordinator for our frequent authors’ readings. “Of all my responsibilities in the bookstore, my favorite is organizing our readings for first-time authors. They bring such excitement and enthusiasm with them!”

Robert

When Robert joined us in 2004, he brought 12 years of experience with him having worked in such well–known independent bookstores at Kroch’s & Brentano’s, in Chicago, and Madison Avenue Bookshop, in New York, where he brought quality service to customers, including personal shopping, corporate gift selections, and out-of-print searches. “George Orwell once said, ‘Bookselling is a humane trade which is not capable of being vulgarized beyond a certain point,’ and I’m trying everyday to make the above stay true.”

Libby

With a B.A. in Journalism, Culture, and Society, Libby has worked as an editorial intern and a freelance journalist for various New York magazines and newspapers. She is also a graphic designer, our social media manager, and is responsible for the images in our monthly newsletter—but especially, Libby has always loved reading. When she was growing up, she says her closest friends were characters in books. “Books read as a child impact you as you grow, they affect you for the rest of your life.” For Libby, the crucial years for a child are the ages of eight to 13, which is why having Libby in charge of our children’s books, especially our young-adult books, is a perfect fit.

Matt

With a mother who’s a writer, a father who’s an English teacher, and a sister who’s in publishing, you could say that working with books is in Matt’s DNA. A writer himself (two of his plays having been published and performed), Matt also cares about community service having “lived and worked all over the United States in public service and political activism,” but he feels working in a bookstore is closer to his interests and expertise. Says Matt, “I really can think of no way I would rather spend my time than helping people find the right book!”

Natalia

A native of Colombia, Natalia credits her father for her love of literature. “My dad introduced me to the movies and the theater, and most importantly, to books.” Natalia moved to the US from Colombia to pursue a BFA in performing arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she majored in Dramatic Writing and wrote a play that was chosen to be produced as a spring play festival competition in Savannah. “My first love actually are books and the written word. If it wasn’t for literature, I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for writing theater and film. I wanted to work in a place that would give me the chance to be surrounded by my biggest source of inspiration.” We’re delighted to have Natalia with us in what she calls her “safe place,” where she’s surrounded by her biggest source of inspiration!