Scene at a Barnes & Noble in downtown Minneapolis three days before Christmas...

Clerk: May I help you find something?
Me: I'm alright. Wait. Actually, yeah. I'm looking for a book: “The Letters of Saul Bellow.” Where would that be exactly?

Clerk returns to information desk and stands before computer.

Clerk: What was the name again?
Me: “The Letters of Saul Bellow.”

Clerk clatters on keyboard. Pause.

Clerk: How do you spell that?
Me: Saul? S-a-u-l.

Clattering on keyboard. Pause.

Clerk: Is that one word?
Me: Um. Saul: S-a-u-l. Then there's a space and it's Bellow, B-e-l-l-o-w. Saul Bellow.

Clattering.

Clerk: Here it is. Yes, we should have several copies.

Clerk comes out from behind information desk. He's wearing a button that says: “I'm NOOK Smart.”

All previous entries