Obama visits my local bookstore

That would be PRAIRIE LIGHTS, IN IOWA CITY, perhaps the one business where I have spent the most money in my life.

It is also the site of a small but weird incident. I was in there one day a decade or so ago, browsing the philosophy shelves. I came across two books that I wanted: one by Fichte, another by Baudrillard (strange combination already). But I had absolutely no money on me and had to walk home to get it.

When I returned, the philosophy shelves were blocked by two joking friends who sounded like out-of-towners at the university for a conference. The row was too small for me to join them comfortably, so I killed time nearby waiting for them to leave, enjoying their witty conversation as I did so.

Suddenly, I was shocked and mildly dismayed to see that one of them had the Fichte book in his hand. Then the other started reading aloud a passage from a different book, mockingly, and of course I immediately recognized the style of Baudrillard. They made fun of it for several minutes as one friend read selections to the other– and then he decided to buy it anyway!

They headed to the cash register, each with just one book in hand: the very same Fichte and Baudrillard volumes I had returned to purchase. It gave me a sense of maddening futility. I never considered telling them. They wouldn’t have believed me anyway, and I didn’t want to sound like I was making a demand. It was more fun to roll with the friendly punches of fate that time.

If memory serves, I went and had a nice Indian lunch next door instead.