Love Garden Changes Ownership...Sorta

I ran into my old Joyce professor Katie Conrad yesterday, and her multi-pinned Love Garden bag prompted me to ask how the business was going. (Her husband Cory Willis co-owns the much beloved Lawrence record store.)

Or should I say co-owned. Conrad told me, a little sadly, that her husband had sold his half of the business to fellow co-owner Kelly Corcoran.

"Don't worry, it's still going to be locally owned," she said.

And Willis is no sell out, either -- he just wanted to be a full-time stay-at-home dad with the couple's newborn. Conrad said she still hoped everyone would give LOVE to the Love Garden. When I told her a few of my friends alone could probably keep the place in business, she said, "Please thank them for me." There you have it, guys. Your love for the Love Garden hath been reciprocated.

Random Love Garden memory: Check out this picture I took whilst relieving myself in the LG bathroom during a 24-hour reading of Joyce's Ulysses. All of a sudden, what I thought was a closed door opened, and in walked this cat (Jack, I believe), which promptly started helping itself to the leaky faucet. Those damn felines think they own the place... (Suddenly I'm reminded how, when another of the store's charmingly obese cats passed on -- Cayenne -- my professor sent an obituary to the English Dept's listserv. And Lawrence.com wrote a story about it. And Lawrence residents were genuinely distressed! I love this town.)

For the "Record" (Haha): Much of that Ulysses reading took place in the LG's backroom, and I just want to say that I was, at one time, left alone amongst piles of rare EPs and imports (many bearing the tantalizing name of a certain R-band.) If only I had zero conscience -- but then I love Love Garden too much.