Joining us is mitch kaplan the owner of books and books bookstores in the miami area. We last spoke with mr. Kaplan mh when the pandemic started. That was the day books and book shut down. Thats right. At that point we became a virtual bookshop. The only business we were doing was online and doing our events virtually as well. Give us an update five months later. It has been a roller coaster to be honest. We have had ups and downs we were able through the ppp loans to bring our staff back but unfortunately the stores were so shut down because of the pandemic here in florida. But toward the end we could open around the beginning of june or so i think it was july now that i think about it we began to open. We opened all but one. One we have closed permanently on miami beach. But we are looking forward to finding another space there as well. Whats it like to have customers back in the store . For us and has been fairly smooth. The customers have all been very respectful of wearing masks. No hesitation on anybodys part about that. Our staff has been upbeat to make sure we keep everything clean and up to cdc guidelines we have a cafe in coral gables. That has been up and down we could serve inside for a while now we have the ability only to serve outside. We could serve in the courtyard but and then last weekend we had a hurricane. So it seems to never end, this challenge we are facing. Have you had any employees tested or any evidence of transmission . What has happened there is an incredible spike the last few weeks hospitalizations are up, people are getting sick, people i know are getting sick one of the grandmothers of an employee has died unfortunately its been in the trenches here. Our employees have been fine. Nobody has gotten the virus here but it is scary. We had well over 80 employees we have half of that now the older employees to feel safe about coming in. The comorbidity a bookstore has we want to gather people and people to come in and co mingle. And then to morph online. The tv has covered some of your events and what is the process of a Virtual Event . I never heard of zoom prior to march 17. And now the online team runs all of these events. And then we had judy bloom do the introduction i was in miami. Dana and jim were west. And our event corner was doing it from home. Now we do it all over the world. And covering the Miami Book Fair this year will be virtual as well. This coming year. I just cant wait. s is the first time in 35 years the Miami Book Fair will not be held downtown miami . It is. The first time 38. We had one there was a hurricane in november but we could just cancel the street fair but we had the authors come. But you are right. How many years have you been in business have you ever experience like this before . I been in business 40 years i have been through it all and nothing like this. The closest would be nine oh that then but we didnt have any direct effect it was the ancillary effects of people not traveling. In our lifetime theres been nothing quite like this. A lot of trends that were happening and were accelerated by this. I dont know what it will look like the bookstore business many of us to see the online change and to become virtual online booksellers so it has grown to 20 or 30 or 40 percent of the business. That is something that was trending in that direction but the pandemic accelerated it ive never seen anything like this. It has made me appreciate what you do more and more to be honest to get the information out and nontraditional ways like the airwaves to take great solace and the tv and has brought me closer to the authors that could pay more attention to it this is a very different way of living and we could get used to it for a while im hoping thes economic bills going to Congress Come out the right way. For lots of people are hurting. I dont want to get into politics but laying off 40 employees looking at why unemployment is the most you can get is 275 a week in florida. That is not a lot for a lot of people. I have done what i have done to keep my people and healthcare as much as i can. It makes you understand from the economic point of view just what Small Business means and what it is about and that familial nature. What nonfiction books are selling this summer . That is also been a roller coaster. The black lives matter antiracist discussion going on thank you for running those panels on the tv. They have been selling like mad. And having to see also bookstores owned by black and Indigenous People of color , im happy to see them get their dues as well and many have even been adopted by our customers and im happy to see that happening. Book recommendations . What are you reading right now . Im all over the place. So i can tell you what will be interesting in the fall. But right now i am reading james baldwin. He came to our very first Miami Book Fair so to get a sense of who he was during that period and earlier we are doing a Virtual Event with the secretary of the smithsonian. We are doing an event with a couple of them in a few weeks. Im also reading a wonderful book and his book on the lincoln conspiracy is quite remarkable. But the book that defined the. For me is a bit of miami history its all about miami in 1980. Miami in 1880 is interesting the very same year, the barrio boatlift, mcduffie riots, probably the most violent riot and then the cocaine epidemic happening here in miami. The Federal Reserve has a field on dash several billion dollars surplus nobody can figure out where it comes from which is the under the table but is very compelling. And there was a little bit of wire and a marvelous book. The best way to contact us personally mitchell at books and books. Com or go to the website and join the mailing list and you will never feel alone. You will get a lot of emails from us for sure. Mitch kaplan is the owner of books and books bookstore in the miami area. Coral gables is headquarters. We appreciate the update and will check in with you and if human. Its always great to see you. Im glad to know all is well. And you really want to practice before use and astronauts out so even in the early days mercury and gemini and apollo looking for ways to train astronauts just prepare them. That they are on the International Space station but then going to mars after going to the moon is not just figuring out on the exterior of the space station largely psychological if you are on a mission to mars you are two and a half years away from earth and that isolation is something that has never occurred in human history. So it looks at the way that groups of people come together and work as a team and the challenges they encounter as they are isolated from earth. Welcome to the Manhattan Institute podcast on race and riots in the police. Thank you for joining us for this important and timely conversation. I am senior fellow and throughout the program ask your question on any platform you are watching and we will wrap them into instant discussion or save them for q and a at the end of the event