H.B.B.C. Originals

Dennis (Bemis)

To quote the late great Paul Auster in The Music Of Chance, “Once a man begins to recognize himself in another, he can no longer look on that person as a stranger.” It was difficult, at first, for either of the two knuckleheads pictured above to see a Bemis in the other, but eventually, a shared love of reading made itself known. The nascent book club that emerged found “immediate” success, when after a month of lobbying their many coworkers, they finally persuaded one other person to join. Tipping point achieved, the tenacious trio tore through tome after tantalizing tome. Interrupted by trail and travel, the club briefly floundered (in the first half of 2023) before reestablishing itself as something of a juggernaut. Yes, now seven members strong, the H.B.B.C. utilizes all of the tools that its wholly nonexistent budget can provide to wield an outsized literary influence across several small Vermont communities as well as one prominent Florentine household in South Carolina. As impressive in scope as this seems, it is only the beginning. We invite you to follow our lead wherever fine books are sold, because deep down in places you probably don’t talk about at Wunderkammer, there’s a little bit of Bemis lurking in all of us.