June 1994 - Metropolitan Book Fair
Mary Stephens, now Mary Hayes, worked at riverrun. She and Chris Stephens made a good team. Mary's grandmother, Mary Scioscia, came down to riverrun on Tuesdays. She sat at the desk across the street, at the original riverrun, and entertained friends and fans. On Tuesdays the two Marys ate lunch together in that bookstore. They laughed and chatted and talked books.
After lunch Mary Stephens returned to 12 Washington. She filled orders, wrapped packages, and went book buying with Chris. Mary was interested in the business and she had good ideas. She became especially interested in bindings. riverrun had plenty of handsome old bindings. They whet Mary's fascination with the craft. She wentto the Memphis College of Art because it had a masters program in book binding. She left riverrun and went south. Mary's plan was to become the riverrun book binder. In the end, she followed other talents, but she did come back to New York and worked in the bookstore again. She liked working with the books and the customers. Books and customers liked her too.
Mary didn't stay at riverrun. She tried different jobs at different companies.
Now Mary is in England. She works for Phaidon Publishers. Still books.
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