Neil Gaiman: Break-in at DreamHaven Books

We had a break-in on Saturday night. They got a bit of cash but wreaked terrible havoc on the store and my office. Damages will be costly but insurance should cover a lot of it. But after the lull in current business, this really will hurt. I don't like charity but if you could encourage people to maybe buy an extra book off us soon, it may help. Three bookstores have closed in the Twin Cities in the past two months and I don't want to make it four.

For those who value DreamHaven for its longtime devotion to kinky and/or radical books, zines, and comix, it's one of those Minneapolis cultural institutions that's easy to take for granted, and has probably suffered as a result--I patronized both its now-closed Dinkytown and Calhoun Square outlets for years. As Gaiman describes the store: "Good people, good bookshop (and comics shop, and toys, oddments and even, in the backroom, eye-watering reading matter for adults only shop). (I don't know of any other shop that has 'Vintage Sleaze' as a category for used books.) ...Go buy books from them. And tell other people. This is me being selfish. I want to buy books at DreamHaven for a long time to come. Good things die when people forget."

So make this "buy something at DreamHaven" week: Dreamhaven Books is open Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday noon to 6:00 p.m. at 912 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408-2857. 612.823.6161. dream at dreamhavenbooks dot com