"On Saturday, Sept. 20, Kepler's in Menlo Park celebrates its 70th anniversary with a block party from 2 to 5pm. Since I wrote a column on this page for the 50th anniversary and then another for the 60th anniversary, there is no possible way for me to separate the journey of this column from the story of Kepler's, especially since it all started long before I was even born, that is, if one even believes in absolute beginnings."
"So where did it all start? Well, Roy Kepler first opened the place in May of 1955. It seems odd now, but back in the '50s, most publishers, as well as the general public, didn't consider paperbacks to be "real" books. The entire concept of peddling texts in cheap paperbound volumes was a radical affront to the publishing trade. Roy Kepler, along with Fred and Pat Cody in Berkeley, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights in San Francisco, changed all of that."
Kepler's in Menlo Park marks its 70th anniversary with a block party on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 2 to 5pm. The store has hosted lively anniversary events featuring music, raffles, games, prizes and curated book bags. Joan Baez is among notable figures connected to the store, alongside the Grateful Dead, Neal Cassady, Ken Kesey, Stewart Brand and Steve Wozniak. Roy Kepler opened the bookstore in May 1955 and helped establish the Bay Area leadership of the paperback revolution. Kepler was a World War II conscientious objector and a long-time peace activist, arrested in 1960 protesting nuclear weapons.
Read at Metro Silicon Valley | Silicon Valley's Leading Weekly
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