Letter – Two additional special Toadstool employees

Thank you for the article by Rowan Wilson about the ownership transition of our stores in Peterborough and Keene. We also wanted to draw attention to a staff member not mentioned, the remarkable Eric Gagne. For over 21 years, he has shepherded the music department at the back of our store in Peterborough, curating a wide-ranging selection from classical and jazz to pop, folk, blues and indie that is respected and appreciated by music-lovers throughout the area.

In keeping with the resurging interest in vinyl, he and Lowell Morris have added an extensive collection as well. Gagne and former staff member Ryan Wilson founded “The Thing In The Spring” in 2008, an annual event that has brought an amazing line up of musicians to Peterborough every year since. He has also put together a number of in-store concerts that transformed the interior of our store and introduced local audiences to extraordinary bands. You will find his touch, artwork and enthusiasm on any visit to the store.

We also wanted to draw attention specifically to Don Luckham, who manages the store in Keene. He has been with us for years and oversaw the move from the Colony Mill to the current location on Emerald Street. He and many of the staff there have a long and much-appreciated experience in book-selling.

As for the Nashua branch of The Toadstool, we will continue to own the store but have renamed it Balin Books. We will continue to own the building in Peterborough. We will be forever grateful to all the readers in the Monadnock region who have supported us for now over 50 years.

Holly and Willard Williams and family

Former owners The Toadstool Bookshops

]]>