The BPL reading room

Mike Mennonno describes the sociology of the Bates Hall reading room at the BPL main branch:

... I've been coming here periodically to read, write, and study for years, of course. For nearly fifteen years, in fact—ever since I first came to Boston in the early nineties. And I'm telling you, it's the same borderline personalities in here now that were in here when I started. Myself included. It's like home. I call it "My Ancestral Home," in fact. These are my peeps.

All week there's been a brother in an army jacket buttoned up to his chin at the next table, who's barricaded himself in behind a wall of big, fat reference books. He's working hard on something. Blowing his nose, mainly. When he's not doing that he's squinting and staring into the middle distance. Sometimes he strokes his chin and shakes his head slowly. Occasionally he snaps his fingers, beatniklike. He's extremely well-kempt—so extremely well-kempt you know there's something amiss. ...