https://vimeo.com/155797380 In an ever-shifting landscape, few landmarks remain steadfast in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Few things, however, are as timeless and resilient as Horizon Books owner Donald Glover. To the untrained eye of a new Seattle resident, Horizon Books might look like a shipping & receiving truck terminal but what’s hidden beneath the fast changing 10th Avenue street hides a man who loves this community, his books and his whisky.
Don Glover, Horizon Books owner
To say Don Glover has lived an exceptional life would be a dramatic understatement. Younger readers might laugh at the commonality shared between his name and the rapper Childish Gambino; Don readily shares with us a story about how he met Childish Gambino while at Neumos. On stage, our Don proudly displayed his ID to an uproarious crowd and declared that HE is the true Donald Glover. His experiences expand far beyond Seattle through his years in the Peace Corps, traveling across Europe, and having familial roots in the Midwest; the tiny glimpse we were gifted into Don’s life bares an exceptional man.
Don Glover sharing stories, books, and memories with Melody Hirsch
One of Don’s most notable and perhaps most understated character qualities is his natural and genuine interaction with his customers. As we interviewed him, several people—some of whom he knew and others he did not—came into Horizon Books. Don happily fielded their questions, struck up small conversations, and treated everyone as if they were a close personal friend. One interaction in particular fully exemplifies Don: A man brought in a neatly packaged piece of fresh salmon and Don accepted it as partial payment for books the man was buying. No frills, customer appreciative service is what Don effortlessly offers.
the kind of writing that takes you places, allows you to linger in a world so delicately created, then softly recedes as the words fade
The love Don has for the written word is resolute and unaffected. He’s been working in bookstores in some capacity since the 1960s. Don looks natural and at home among the innumerable stacks of boxes and shelves stretching so high you forget you’re underground. In his spare time he writes poems inspired by three unsystematic words proposed to him by anyone lucky enough to be nearby when inspiration hits. His poems are clever, perfectly timed, and typically delivered with a wink; the kind of writing that takes you places, allows you to linger in a world so delicately created, then softly recedes as the words fade. A talent perfectly assigned to Don.
Book of Nails: expressive art piece gifted from a poet
Horizon Books first opened in 1971, has seen several expansions, regressions, and location transformations, but Don remains steady at the helm. We should be so lucky to be counted among his neighbors; Don’s love for Seattle and Capitol Hill thrives regardless of its shifting status. When asked about his life before moving to the Pacific Northwest, Don says plainly “I can’t remember a time before I lived in Seattle”; a statement so bare yet heavy with pride. If you find yourself in search of a good book or story, take the shipping & receiving terminal down to Horizon Books and ask for Don.