Not literally, of course. It is still only mid-September here in Denver, but winter is certainly descending upon the soul of that store, which was once one of the top bookstores in the country. Just a few months ago, after entering Chapter 11 and entertaining offers from a number of bidders, the 4-store chain was sold to Barnes and Noble with great fanfare. Their CEO announced that the Tattered Cover would retain its name and operate independently, as it always had. But unfortunately, it turns out that it wouldn't be that independent after all. Most, if not all of the employees working behind the scenes have been laid off, to their surprise, with Barnes and Noble only keeping the sales floor staff. People who have worked at the TC for decades are now looking for new jobs, which was not what they expected after hearing Barnes and Noble's CEO's speech to the TC employees a few months back. It is eerily similar to what happened when Follett Higher Education Group took over the University of Denver Bookstore, where I worked as the Finance Manager. The contract required Follett to retain the staff for at least one year, but when that year was up, almost everyone who was making a living wage was laid off, without prior notice. This is a common occurrence when a large corporation takes over another, smaller company. A very sad reality. And yes - that is me at the entrance to the Tattered Cover Bookstore on Colfax Avenue back in December of 2015, when I was working as the bookkeeper there. It was a pretty big snowstorm, but a much better time.
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