For those living to Talbot County over the past few decades, particularly those who love books, one very good memory for many was getting lost in the stacks of the Unicorn Bookshop on Dover Street, and later Washington Street in downtown Easton. And while the store eventually moved to Trappe on Route 50 in 1993, it has remained the Mid-Shore’s flagship used bookstore for thousands of the region’s book collectors and bibliophiles, even as the physical book itself has become an endangered species.
Started by friends Jim Dawson and Ken Callahan in 1975, Unicorn grew out of a passion for antiquarian books and the region’s abundance of local writers. While Jim, who now owns the bookstore on his own, humorously suggests that the creation of the bookstore was part of his longtime objective not to have a “real” job, Unicorn today plays a critical role in protecting Eastern Shore’s culture and history in addition to being world-class collection of first editions and other rare books on all subjects.
In his Spy interview, Jim talks about the role of a used bookstore, his great interest and opinions of Eastern Shore writers, and the business of books in the 21st century.
This video is approximately seven minutes in length
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