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Reverse-Gentrification of the Literary World

Akashic Books

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News & Features

Copycat in Good Company: Spotlight on the Waterloo Alleycat Project and the Cats of Blue Arrow Records (Cleveland, OH)

To celebrate the release of Copycat: And a Litter of Other Cats, Akashic is featuring some of our favorite library and record store cats. Today, we’re spotlighting Blue Arrow Records and their nonprofit organization, Waterloo Alley Cat Project (WACP), a group of dedicated residents and business owners volunteering to care for and protect the homeless cats on Waterloo Road in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Living the Dream” by Sarah M. Chen

The wind won’t stop banging the bougainvillea against our fence, and the tap tap tap is beating into my skull. My eyes dart around the bedroom, but all I see are hulking shapes. I know they’re our dresser and bookshelf, but at night they look meaningless.

“Sugartime” by Erik Arneson

I was running a dust cloth across the top of the glass display case housing my most prized first editions—Hammett’s The Dain Curse and Christie’s Perilat End House among them—when the bell above the door jingled and a middle-aged man stepped into my used bookshop in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden neighborhood. His cashmere trench coat made me hopeful for a big sale, but the ratty Yankees cap and knockoff sunglasses he didn’t remove gave me pause . . .

“The Playdate” by Kathleen McElligott

Desperate for adult conversation, I volunteer as a room mom. I’m teamed up with Victoria, whose twins are Drew and Cameron. Victoria’s high maintenance, but she’s fine with the fact that Deshy has two mommies.

Victoria asks if the twins can come over for a playdate while she shops for the day. Deshy has been to their house—now it’s our turn. He’s not thrilled when I tell him . . .