Fri 9/10 @ 7PM
Few names are as synonymous with bookselling in Cleveland as that of the late Richard Gildenmeister, who passed away in December at the age of 88.
He began his career at Higbee’s back in 1955, when department stores reigned and they had comprehensive book departments. There he started hosting live author events with writers such as Truman Capote, Barbara Walters and Jacqueline Susann. He opened his own legendary bookstore, Richard Gildenmeister Books, on Shaker Square, in 1976, with Cleveland’s one-of-a-kind newswoman Dorothy Fuldheim cutting the ribbon. The store was only open for five years, but he continued to burnish his reputation in the local literary community with stints at Burrows, Booksellers, Joseph-Beth and Appletree Books.
Like many services, his memorial last December was private with a public streaming component. But now his friends will have the opportunity to gather near Shaker Square, where he lived, to celebrate his life and share their stories and memories at an informal gathering at the Academy Tavern on Larchmere. The Blue Drivers will provide a musical backdrop.