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March 7, 2021

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Arts Arts Arts Top Story Local Life Portal Highlights Top Story

Tom Martin’s Book Plate and the Politics of Books and Main Street

June 25, 2013 by Dave Wheelan

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Four years ago, there were three first class bookstores in downtown Chestertown. Now only one remains.

The Book Plate, a mostly used books store in the middle of Cross Street, stands tall as the last remaining center for books in town. Under the ownership of Tom Martin, the book store has continued to survive, and in some cases thrive, by mastering the skills of running a “dying business,” as Tom points out in this interview, as well as using the Internet and selling popular non-traditional items like Spanish pottery, fine grade olive oil, and Chestertown’s own Idiots’ Books.

After two decades of working on progressive international politics, in Washington and abroad, Tom returned to his first love, books. But his liberal instincts still has not totally left him, with strong opinions about downtown Chestertown, the new Republican party store front on High Street, and Congressman Andy Harris.

The video is approximately eight minutes long.

Filed Under: Arts, Arts Top Story, Portal Highlights, Top Story

About Dave Wheelan

Guitarist Mac Walter Joins Whitaker and Schwartz for First WC Riverfront Concert Thursday, June 27 Clean Chesapeake Coalition Files to Intervene on Conowingo

Letters to Editor

  1. Fletcher R. Hall says

    June 25, 2013 at 4:12 PM

    Some good observations and comments. Some agreed with, others not. It is the ability to hear and see positive ideas thrown out that makes the Spy value to the community. Your political comments have to be taken with a grain of salt, as mine on the moderate right hacve to be taken. Your constructive thoughts and comments on the revitalization of down town and the importance of Washingtob College were spot on.
    Fletcher R. Hall
    Chestertown

    • Mike Hunt says

      June 27, 2013 at 8:37 PM

      Uh, how is an empty store front better than a non-empty storefront? That is what the building housing the Republican headquarters would be without them. That whole block is empty (and those are not the only empty storefronts by far), so how can you say the town is doing well? Also, we’re not stuck with Andy Harris until Democrats run a viable candidate; we’re stuck with Andy Harris because liberal icons like Martin O’Malley decided to disenfranchise all Democrats and Independents on the Eastern Shore so that only a Republican can win…competition, being after all, Un-American.

      • Keith Thompson says

        July 3, 2013 at 2:00 PM

        If one Republican visiting the ROK headquarters on High Street walks down the street and buys some olive oil at the Bookplate or a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts, the ROK HQ has done more to help the local economy than an empty storefront would.

  2. Sherwin and Peggy Markman says

    June 25, 2013 at 4:21 PM

    Go, Tom!

  3. mary Wood says

    June 25, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    Hooray being literate and liberal, and funny. Thanks Tom.

    • Carol Brown says

      June 25, 2013 at 8:36 PM

      I’m with you!!!

      • jenifer emley says

        June 26, 2013 at 8:52 AM

        Me too!
        Hurray for Tom!

  4. d lamotte says

    June 26, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Tom, you are such a gem! Your words truly hit the mark.

    Also, cannot wait to try your Olive Oil…always heard that Spanish oil is remarkable.

  5. Louis Howeth Sr, says

    June 27, 2013 at 8:22 PM

    Tom you are the greatest. Agree disagree or what ever you are easy to like and appreciate. You shoot from the hip.
    This town and county could use more HIP SHOOTERS.Regardless of your politics, you are more of an Eastern Shoreman
    than many Eastern Shoreman. I can explain some time in the future if you are interested. I very much appreciate your friendship.

    Louis

  6. Liz Smith says

    June 28, 2013 at 10:46 AM

    Spot on Tom !! Political “storefronts” on Main St USA …. yuck ! Haven’t we had enough of the whole rhetoric of partisan politics?
    We need commerce and vitality …. balance and diversity … an active waterfront and small independent businesses like yours !! I love your place … thanks so much and stay the course !

  7. Kevin Shertz says

    June 28, 2013 at 12:58 PM

    Nothing will change in downtown Chestertown until the real estate/rent prices are aligned with the economic ability for businesses to be sustainable moving forward.

    Tom is 100% correct — what we’re seeing now is actually playing out across a national landscape — it has nothing to do with LED signs, plastic bag bans, or any other hot-button issues that people see as the problem.

    A swell of people are now looking to “cash out” against a smaller population of people looking to make investments.

    That’s it in a nutshell. Real Estate… Stocks… Bonds. Doesn’t matter.

    Does this make me a pessimist about the future? Absolutely not. I think it only means some people’s expectations of “worth” are going to be crushed.

    The laws of supply and demand are fully in effect, as they always have been.

    The sooner we collapse, in my opinion, the sooner we can rebuild.

    • D. Moore says

      July 2, 2013 at 4:22 PM

      Some of us are not looking to “cash out”….. some are looking to move on to participate in other opportunities be they geographic, financial or whatever.

  8. Rick Evatz says

    July 3, 2013 at 5:53 PM

    Hey Tommy,
    So glad to see that an Austin alumni is finding a way to live out his dreams in his latter part of life. I love that you are running a book shop in a small town in the Chesapeake Bay area. I use to fantasize about just that and now you are doing it! You are more of a Don Quixote-esque spirit then I realized!
    Being a fan of Richard Russo’s books about characters and their lives in small towns in upper state New York, I can only imagine you taking the foreground amidst these lovable, eccentric folks. Isn’t Dan Cohan living around the Chesapeake as well?
    Just so you know Brian Hickey sent this link to me.
    Can’t wait to hear/see your next installment and how your life evolves as the Chestertown storefronts fill out.
    Send me an email and we can catch up.
    Your fellow alumni,
    Rick

    • Laura Wade says

      July 7, 2013 at 9:23 AM

      Tom, you are far from being a “dot” in Chestertown. The Book Plate is essential to our town and you should be thanked by all of us for bringing your store to Chestertown. We would be less of a community without The Book Plate.

  9. Alex Smolens says

    April 5, 2014 at 12:09 AM

    Editor,

    Despite what Microsoft, Apple, and Google say –
    There’s no substitute for paper.

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