Over the years George was treated, and is still thought of at 97, as something of a Shakespearean king to what became a Mad Hatter Universe of his own. He later housed struggling writers on foamy mattresses shoved between stacks of books and in exchange for shop assistance, his hospitality quickly became fodder for beatnik gatherings, attracting authors like Anais Nin, Lawrence Durrell and Allen Ginsberg, to name a few. Even then, they revealed in the deliciously romantic story of the Yank born in 1913, who ‘lived like a tramp’ (as he likes to say) and cared less about selling books than being in the company of book lovers, whom he invited in for tea. The shop had emerged as a landmark since reporters began writing about it some 60 years ago. The previous manager and larger-than-life founder is 67 years her senior – and also happens to be her father, George Whitman, so replacing him was never going to be easy. When Sylvia Whitman started running Shakespeare & Company five years ago, the legendary English bookshop across from the Notre Dame, she was only 25. Sylvia Whitman treads a fine line between preserving her father’s original idea and making sure Shakespeare & Co.
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