Glenn Goldman, RIP

Glenn Goldman, owner of Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard, passed away on Saturday from complications with pancreatic cancer. He was 58 years old.

I worked at Book Soup for five years. It's where I met my wife, where I met so many friends and discovered so many authors. Glenn's death leaves a big hole in the bookselling community, not just in Los Angeles, but across the country. It's been amazing to watch the remembrances of Glenn come pouring in - from Max and Edan at The Millions, from Mark at The Elegant Variation, from Andy Ross of Cody's Books fame, from David Ulin, from Patt Morrison. It's clear that he touched a lot of people's lives, and that he will be missed.

Glenn was a character. I mean that in the best way possible. He had a terrific, if odd, sense of humor (I remember standing outside the store with him before some huge author signing about six months after 9/11. Watching the line snake around the corner he said, "Do you think we're at risk of becoming an Al Qaeda target?") and he was curious about the world. As a businessman, he was ambitious and daring, constantly reevaluating the role of a bookseller.

I wouldn't be working in books if not for the time I spent in his amazing, unique store. Even now, years later, I occasionally answer the phone "Book Soup..." The store lives on as a perfect testament to his dedication and his talents. It has a great staff, it's still teeming with books, and it still hosts hundreds of events. And it all started with Glenn 30 years ago on the Sunset Strip.

Everyone at Vroman's extends their condolences to Glenn's family and to everyone at Book Soup.