Ed Devereux, who founded Unabridged Bookstore, Chicago, Ill., on November 1, 1980--46 years ago yesterday--is retiring and selling the store to longtime employee and store manager Shane Khosropour. Devereux will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations, but will continue to recommend great books that will be marked around the store with the usual yellow shelf talkers.
 |
|
| Shane Khosropour (l.) and Ed Devereaux | |
Devereux got his first job in bookselling in 1972, at the Illini Union Bookstore at the University of Illinois. After working in bookstores during and after college, and then as a sales rep for Ballantine Books, he opened Unabridged. Over the years, Unabridged grew into three storefronts, becoming a beloved Chicago institution and one of the premier LGBTQ owned and operated bookstores in the country.
"I have bookselling in my blood," Devereux said in an e-mail. "From the beginning I wanted something that had never been done--a general, neighborhood bookstore that in addition specialized in LGBTQ literature. It's been a dream come true for me, an amazing journey, a joy and a privilege to be such a part of a large, diverse, inclusive, literary community. Thank you. I'm so proud of what we've accomplished at Unabridged, and I am forever grateful for the outpouring of support shown to the store over the years by the staff, our sales reps, our amazing customers, and the wider indie bookselling community here in Chicago. It's been the thrill of a lifetime, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this grand experiment for 46 years! I remain passionate about books and bookselling, and that's why I'm thrilled that Shane, with his keen sense of what it takes to operate a bookstore, is now at the helm, guiding the store into the future."
Shane Khosropour began working at independent bookstores in 1997, at both the University Book Store and Paul's Book Store in Madison, Wis. He joined Unabridged more than 20 years ago, and has been "an integral part" of the store as manager and book buyer and was instrumental in leading the store through the pandemic.
"I look forward to what the future holds for Unabridged, and I'm so excited and grateful to be a part of the store's journey," Khosropour said.