Farewell to the original Breadman's

January 15, 2013. Photo courtesy of David Sutton.

The original Breadman's building was demolished to make way for Pink House next-door neighbor Larry "911 speed-dialer" Short's latest venture, Shortbread Apartments. The towering condos that replaced the Lost City are visible in the background of this photo.

Breadman's was located here until it moved across Rosemary Street in 1992, into the building where it remains today, formerly home to a Western Sizzlin' steakhouse. For a time around this period, Mark Chilton lived in a house tucked behind the new Breadman's parking lot.

After lunch with C-line at Breadman's, Sept. 6, 2009.

Rosemary Street will never be the same

During the first decade I spent in Chapel Hill, from 1989 through 1999, the landscape really didn't change all that much. Sure, residential and commercial ("mixed use") developments like Meadowmont and Southern Village got built on the outskirts of town, sapping energy from Franklin Street. And the intersection of Franklin and Columbia would never recover its former mojo after the hole-in-the-wall convenience store Top Of The Hill got replaced by the monstrous, character-less building that houses the restaurant/bar Top Of The Hill and formerly, First Union and Wachovia branches on the first floor. Where I memorably stood mesmerized in front of the bank's big screen TV on December 10, 2000, when the newsflash hit CNN that the Supreme Court had halted the Florida hand recount, two days before handing the stolen election to George W. Bush with their 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore.

But if you drove downtown circa 1999, things would have looked remarkably similar to how they had ten years before. And this was true of my favorite Chapel Hill avenue Rosemary Street even more so than Franklin. Rosemary's human-scale, low-key, underdeveloped charm was marred only by a multi-story student apartment complex called The Warehouse that sprung up in the late 90s courtesy of guess who, everyone's least favorite next-door neighbor, Larry Short.

As the next decade got underway, things started changing for the worse. Construction started in late 2003 on the towering condo complex that was built where the Lost City used to stand, across from Henry's / Fuse and the Skylight Exchange / Nightlight. Once it was done, the rush was on to build more. Plans were laid for Greenbridge and another Larry Short path to riches, Shortbread Apartments, half of it to be built on the land where the original Breadman's stood before moving across the street in the early 90s.

When Greenbridge finally broke ground in 2008, and construction picked up steam in 2009, it was clear the Rosemary Street landscape would never look the same. I had been out of town for a few weeks that summer and this was probably my first glimpse of the accelerating construction. The rising, hulking structure looked so out of place to me that I had to document the moment.

Rosemary Street on August 11, 2009.

Later, Greenbridge would be plagued by financial troubles, and actually went into foreclusure. Partially because of timing, since the project was completed right before the bottom dropped out of the real estate market thanks to the dawn of the Great Recession. But also because its developers never gave enough thought to the question of whether they might have difficulty attracting rich buyers to live in luxury condos built at the entranceway to Northside. The area that's one of Chapel Hill's only historically black neighborhoods, and still home to lots of working class families, fixed-income elderly residents, and plain ol' poor folks.

(Editor's note from 2013 - Even today, as the development remains half empty, plenty of Greenbridge apologists exist, but the fact is that it was out of character for its surroundings, and a blight on the Rosemary Street landscape. Chapel Hill is steadily being ruined by developers, and Greenbridge was a major signpost along the way.)

Rosemary Street runs through it

I was driving back to the store today and happened to turn onto East Rosemary Street at Boundary, so I passed by the house where I lived during the summer of 1990, and that got me to thinking about how central to my life Rosemary Street has been over most of the time I've lived in Chapel Hill. The Pink House was a block behind East Rosemary on North Street, the second national SEAC office was on East Rosemary, the MOVE office & the first Lost City location overlooked West Rosemary, and the second Lost City is at 402 West Rosemary Street.

Even the side streets running off Rosemary Street have been important. Ericka Kurz lived on the corner of Church and Short Street, a block from Rosemary. Jyoti & Swati's Plastic House was right behind La Rez on Pritchard Ave., one house off Rosemary. I started running my used furniture business working out of Chris Pedigo's apartment on Pritchard, also storing stuff at the Plastic House, inside the Pink House garage, and throwing yard sales at both Pritchard locations. And of course, Jay Murray has kept the Pink House vibe alive for five years on the corner of Pritchard and Carr.

The Lost City

From April of 1997 through October of 2003, I could often be found tending shop at the Lost City, Chapel Hill's most underground music and video outpost. Lem and I opened the store in 1997, in the basement of the Ogburn building at 412 W. Franklin Street (the building that houses the Mediterranean Deli). We quickly discovered that friendship and business don't always mix.

My other Lost City business partners over the years included Uzoma Nwosu (Uzi), Bill Berzinskas (Billie Blaze) and John Lomanto, and Bryan Boggs, aka DJ Sploo. In 1999, Lost City moved across the street to a spacious, one-story house with a lot of character at 402 W. Rosemary Street, where it remained until we closed our doors on October 31, 2003.

Many friends visited the store while our doors were open. Sometimes a camera was around, more often not, because I had a business to run! But here are a few shots of Pink House denizens at the Lost City.

(Jay swung through to shop for the latest fashions on 7/9/00, Matthew Dan Stewart came all the way from San Francisco on 4/22/01, and Jenny taught her niece Kelly how to play Tron on 2/24/02).

They evicted the raccoons!

N'Gai stopped through to see me yesterday. He bought a cargo van last month. Says he's putting together plans to launch a magazine this summer targeting black college students around the state.

Ohmigod, he cut his dreads off! They're totally gone. Completely. He looks just like he did when I first met him, back before he first moved into the Pink House.

I also had an encounter earlier this week with the maintenance guy who works with Jim Lilley, the property manager hired by Sylvia Chi to care for the Pink House. He walked into the store, checked it all out, got a membership, rented some movies, and was running his mouth to me the whole while. Very talkative character.

He told me all about how they renovated the place after Jay and the remains of our crew moved out. They put in a new heat pump, ran power lines from the garage to the back of the house and installed a washer/dryer unit in the kitchen closets, put in a dishwasher, replaced the refrigerator and range, cleaned out the entire basement, put in fluorescent lighting down there, redid both bathrooms, and redid all the heating ducts.

And explained what the problem was with the fucking heat. All the ducts that led up from the furnace had interior valves that were closed. I couldn't believe it. I lived for three years in a house with fucked up heat. Oh, and they evicted the raccoons who used to live in the chimney.

Then he rented She-Devils On Wheels, told me how it reminded him of growing up as one of the leaders of a biker gang in Miami in the early seventies, and started spinning tales about drunken biker parties from back in the day. Right on!

Anyone can be a raver!

Sender: Quynh Tran
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 16:51:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Rave story (fwd)

Hey Erik,

This is the story, sorry I couldn't have mailed it to you sooner but unbeknownst to me, it's DTH policy that we don't email our stories out before they're approved by our editors and that's when they're about to be printed. I hope this does some justice to the material and if you have any questions or comments...including complaints, feel free to get back to me. Feedback, no matter how good or bad is always useful. Again, thank you so much for all your help. I now feel a little less clueless as a result of our chat.

-Quynh
933-3294

Daily Tar Heel, 4/27/98

by Quynh Tran

Staff Writer

When most people think of a rave scene, Chapel Hill is not the first place to come to mind.

Though most think of big cities and underground music, Chapel Hill has played host to a happening rave scene for the past six years.

"There is a rave scene no matter where you go," said Erik Ose, co-owner of the Lost City Music and Video store on Franklin Street. "As long as you have people who enjoy the music, you've got a rave scene."

The scene in Chapel Hill began with small private parties thrown at houses and apartments, which accommodated 100 to 200 people.

As popularity grew, so did the parties which can now be found all around the state at dance clubs, music halls and occasionally warehouses where attendance can mushroom well beyond 3,000.

The type of music found at raves go beyond the better known techno sounds of Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers.

Most raves encompass a broad range of underground music such as jungle, drum'n'bass, hip-hop, house and happy hardcore.

Happy hardcore is a high energy blend of straight and happy beats with a break and back beat behind it, described Uzi, Ose's business partner at the Lost City Music and Video.

Accompanying the music are themes which heighten the body-groovin experience of every party, said a frequent raver.

From names like Tunnel Vision, Neutronik, Sunshine Beats and Afrika Bambaataa, party goers get an idea of what to expect before buying tickets at prices ranging from $5 to $35.

"At the bigger parties, you can find something like six rooms with six separate themes all playing different kinds of music," said Thomas Khanz, a 19 year-old raver from Carrboro.

The featured DJs are also a big, if not the main attraction to most parties.

"People go for the DJ's, that's how you know if it's going to be good or not," said Brian Williamson, a 17 year-old from Raleigh.

Artists such as Steven Mccreery, DJ Sandy, Terry Mullen and Brownie are a few of the popular DJ's who draw big crowds due to their unique mixes and solid reputations in the scene.

Along with the slammin' beats the DJ's provide, it is common for party goers to find eye-catching advertisements for upcoming events, free mix tapes, t-shirts, candy and smiling faces which often accompany friendly hugs.

"I recently went to (a rave) at the Cat's Cradle called the Vegan Vibe where they were handing out fruit to promote veganism," said UNC sophomore Stephanie Crane, a psychology major from Charlotte.

Contrary to popular belief, the rave scene is not about rampant drug use and out of control teens jumping to loud chaotic music.

"You can find drugs anywhere and I'm sure there are people who go to raves looking for a fix," Khanz said. "The scene is really more for feeding off of everyone's positive vibes and forgetting about the past week's problems."

Many parties have age specifications requiring 18 and older, but others are all-age parties where drinking laws are enforced.

"It's just like a typical club where you have to be carded and wear bands if you're under-age," Crane said. "(Drinking) is generally less than what you would find at the other clubs."

Unlike regular dance clubs which begin at 8 p.m. and close by 2 a.m., most raves open their doors at 9 p.m. and don't wind down until 6 a.m. or after depending on the party's energy level.

"Anyone can be a raver as long as you're into the music and develop an understanding of PLUR" (an acronym for peace, love, understanding and respect), Ose said.

When asked for his thoughts regarding the rave scene in Chapel Hill, Uzi said, "It's exciting to see the scene growing."

Khanz added, "You don't normally find the really big parties in Chapel Hill. You need to go to places like Greensboro, Winston-Salem or big cities like Atlanta to find the really big crowds."

Raves have gotten so popular in recent years that it is no longer uncommon to find people traveling across the country to attend them.

One such party which attracts people from the east coast is Beyond, a rave held 2 to 3 times a year at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem.

The Beyond parties are the biggest in the state with around 4,000 people, Ose said.

Sometimes raves mean more than just crowded dance parties. As a member of Rebate, a non-profit organization which emphasizes education in technology, Uzi is doing his part to stimulate more growth by exposing others to the scene for a good cause.

"We're throwing a party May 1 on the parking deck on Rosemary Street," he said. "It's a free event but donations can be made to raise money to provide underprivileged children with computers."

But most ravers agree the parties are just a great way to have fun.

"If you want to experience a great time without pressure for sex or even drugs, rave parties are really great for that," said Khanz. "You can be whoever you want to be and have an awesome time doing it."

Sad to see the Pink House go, but everything has its cycle

What's the deal with the (718) area code? Are you living in Brooklyn now? And which other Pink House alums are up in New York?

I really only saw Jess for about 10 minutes, but the paintings she showed me some photos of looked really good, like she's definitely matured as an artist. She said she had stuff up in several galleries.

...

Business at the store is definitely picking up, but I won't be satisfied until it's booming. We just hit 500 video memberships this week. More of our tapes are renting on a regular basis. We finally got our adult section out on the shelf. We're trying to get a Lost City catalog produced so we can drum up some mail order business.

And the underground lounge we're running (the 333 Lounge) is going strong. This past Saturday we had 75 heads roll through from 11 pm - 4 am (actually this particular event was still kicking at 5 am) who paid to get in ($3 each). That was the highest amount we've done at the door yet. It would be really cool if you end up coming down this fall on a weekend when we're running one, so you can check out the rebirth of Club Zen before we get shut down by the Chapel Hill fuzz on some wack pretense.

Ok, enough about the nuts and bolts of my shady plans to become a wealthy high-roller and destroy the entire foundations of capitalism from within.

What I need to do is send you a copy of this article that Ian Williams wrote as his "farewell column" for the Independent, where he was writing a bi-monthly column that was pretty good. It was all about his finally leaving Chapel Hill, and about the Pink House simultaneously reverting to a renovated rental property suitable for lease to sorority chicks. Seems the Pink House was the very first place Ian went to an off-campus party when he arrived in town as a freshman back in 1985, so it held a special place in his heart that made it all the more fitting for it to end up as the last place he'd live before finally leaving town. You'll like this article, I'm sure.

...

I told you that N'Gai moved in with me, right? Oh my god, I just remembered him telling me that he now works with Shyam Patel, who just got a job doing graphic design alongside him at the Chapel Hill Newspaper. Crazy. I haven't talked with Shyam in like eight months, but I guess he's still in town. Incidentally, Jay had the Pink House's final number switched over to his new house, on the corner of Pritchard and Carr streets (his friend Gerald's place).

...

Yeah, it was sad to see the Pink House go, but everything has its cycle. Denizens like the ones we knew will move in again sometime in the future. Anyway, it was time I stopped feeling like I could flow through the Pink House every time I was downtown or bored and wanting to get into some trouble. Not that I've really been doing that sort of thing lately, mind you.

The only really fucked up things about the house's demise is that (a) they ripped out every shred of vegetation in the entire back yard, all the way back to the chain link fence, and put down gravel so the new dumbasses wouldn't have to park their freaking cars on the street, god forbid, and (b) some miscreant painters that Jim Lilley (Sylvia's current property manager) hired to do touch-up work and paint the ceilings goddamn painted over the Mona Lisa.

We initially figured it was the crew of spaced out UNC students and their girlfriends who Jim Lilley brought in to paint the majority of the house, inside and out, and who were in there painting for two weeks, taking breaks every day to smoke bowls on the roof outside your old room. Then one of them came through the Lost City the other week and when I asked him why they'd done it and under whose orders it was done, he acted totally freaked out, and swore up and down that they hadn't done it, that Jim specifically told them not to paint over it, since it was one of only two murals by the artist left inside houses in Chapel Hill, and it must have been the other painters who came in after them.

This tragic occurrence serves as the focal point for Ian's article, where he concludes it was such a typical thing to have happened - in Chapel Hill, anything (or anyone) that stays around too long gets painted over.

When are you coming down in the fall? If you want to crash, you're welcome to sleep on our futon. Let us know...

- e-mail to Lydia

Speaking of people you did see...

I remember we only got to see each other for like 5 seconds when you were down here in May, so that's probably the last time we spoke. The store looks much more together now that it did when you saw it, but at least you got the general impression.

...

Speaking of people you did see while you were down here, I saw Jasme outside this bar called Brothers Pizza (well, they actually just changed its name to Silent Sam's) about two months ago, telling me she was going to go play her guitar on the street and try to make enough money to come back and buy a slice. She's performed a couple of times at the new Franklin Street Starbucks, and from what I've heard, she's gotten really good.

...

So Mark Chilton passed the bar. Or I think he passed the bar. I know for a fact that the last time I saw him we were both in a bar. It was this spot called Hell, in the former Troll's location, now operated by the owners of the Lizard and Snake, and sort of like Henry's, only with pool tables and more downscale. I believe he said he found a job in Raleigh doing labor-related law.

Business at our store is going good, but wait until we get the inflatable furniture in there. Or the scratch-and-sniff clothing. I'm not kidding.

N'Gai says hello. Did I tell you he was my new roommate? Jenny moved out at the beginning of August, and started her new job in Greensboro last week.

- e-mail to Rashmi

So sad that we lost the house

Thanks for the nice long letter. I called you at the "Lost City" but they said you were away, goofing off somewhere.

It's so sad that we lost the house. When Jay was up here a few weeks ago we went to a concert in central park and there were about 10 ex-pink house denizens gathered together, all now living in New York. Anyway, it's definitely better for the place this way. It really does need to be renovated, or bulldozed. What does Sylvia expect the house to look like after five years? Did she think it would renovate itself while she was away?

Your store sounds really cool, Erik. Tell Lem I said hello. How's his little girl doing? Give my congrats to Jenny for surviving law school. I can't believe that you ran into Jess. What did her paintings look like? I'm dying to know.

- e-mail from Lydia

Our underground lounge has totally taken off!

Y'know, I called Lynell's house and left you two messages the day that you were in town last weekend. Or was that two weekends ago. Anyway, I was hoping you'd get to come by and see our store! Lost City Music & Video. The myth. The spot. The speakeasy. No, I'm just kidding. It has not become a speakeasy! When was the last time I updated you on the ascent of the Lost City into the ranks of Chapel Hill's most revered institutions? Well, the Visitors Center isn't giving guided tours of our place yet, but we're getting there.

Here's a short discourse. Don't you love technology? I love technology. No, in reality, I don't, I really am a Luddite who would blow up all the computers if I could, smash all the machines. Except maybe for the ones that keep the air conditioning running. And the refrigerators. And the record players. Hmm. I guess I should really spend some time getting my exact brand of post-Ludditism a little more on point.

Do I sound a little out there in this message so far? It may be that I'm in a contemplative mood about life in general, seeing as how Jenny just finished taking the bar tonight and movers will be arriving in two days to pack her off to her new life as a budding corporate lawyer. Wow. At this stage, although you and I both know it would be great if Jenny and I get back together at some point, right now I'm not even going to think about that future, just try to take things as they come.

Business at the store is slamming right along. I can't wait for the school year to start, when we'll be the only video store within walking distance of campus. And our underground lounge has totally taken off! Lately, we're more than meeting our goal of netting $150 every time we run it (which is every week, on alternating Thursdays and Saturdays), with a consistent crowd of 75+ turning out. The place is small, so it would be jammed tight if any more than 100 heads showed up at once. We're only charging $3 now, so $5 once the students get back in three weeks will be completely justified.

We've had lots of local hip-hop MC's with mad skills perform already. We've also been having a steady stream of very regionally prominent house and techno DJ's agree to spin for free, just because they like the space, the community feel of the vibe, and the positive attitudes of the crowds that are coming out. Like two of the DJ's who have spun for us already are going to be playing with Goldie (the world famous DJ from the UK) on the Atlanta stop of the Metalheadz (a British jungle label) tour in October, which will be the most prestigious drum & bass event in the US this year.

So. Hope all is well with you. I'm waiting for an update. Where are you this summer, anyway, and what are you doing? Are you in DC? The Bay Area? Charlotte? I'm betting DC, and I'm pretty sure you're still alive, but how would I know for sure beyond one cryptic message on my answering machine at nine am on a recent Saturday morning? Send me e-mail. Enquiring minds want to know the real deal.

(e-mail to C-line)

Consequences of the Pink House implosion

So hope everything in your life is on a positive track. I was thinking about you this week for several reasons. One, as of August 1st, "our" chapter in the history of the Pink House will have closed. Those knuckleheads couldn't keep the place in good enough shape to get the lease renewed for next year, so it's c-ya. Sylvia Chi is going to have the house renovated (good luck) and then try to rent it out to a single family. You know Larry Short is about to cum all over his pants with joy.

Anyway, this development has several consequences. First off, N'Gai, who moved back into the Pink House last summer, and was living in your old room (you knew that, I think), is moving in with me at my swanky suburban pad.

Jenny, of course, is moving to Greensboro where she'll be working at a job with a corporate law firm. I think Jenny and I are both kind of like, well, let's see what happens with the relationship after we put some space between us.

Until then, I'm ready to be a bachelor again. N'Gai, already being a bachelor, is more than psyched to start things swinging. Nightlife is picking up in town lately, too, especially because I'm throwing lounge nights once a week at the record & video store that Lem and I opened in April. It's like the second coming of Club Zen, and we're in charge! Word.

Did I tell you about having opened a store, Lost City Music & Video? Lem and I are partners, and Uzi is sort of our third partner because he's selling records there. You knew Uzi, right? The phone number there is (919) 933-LOST. We rent weird videos, sell underground hip-hop, house & techno vinyl & CD's, carry funky clothes, accessories and underground comic books, and display art.

It's great, because it's not only the funkiest, coolest looking place in town during the daytime (I'm serious, we're totally rocking it!), but the space is flexible enough to completely convert into a laid back, chill little dimly lit lounge where we have live hip-hop MC's and underground electronic and house DJ's come to perform until 3 or 4 in the morning, on alternating Thursdays and Saturdays. We charge a $3 cover, and lately turnout has been a solid 60-75 heads, which is about all the place can frigging hold!

O.k., more consequences of the Pink House implosion. Jay Murray is being forced to move out. He's hating it. He is moving in with a friend of his named Gerald, who lives in some undisclosed location "off Airport Road."

Ian Williams is finally leaving Chapel Hill! Talk about the end of an era. I guess he finally got tired of trying to live the undergraduate social life while working at being a serious writer. He is a good writer, and I genuinely like him as a person. He's just very cynical and needs to find a more positive vibe. He's moving to San Fran, where I'm sure he'll find a thirty-something bohemian social scene that he'll feel right at home in and be much happier. As long as he can also find some guys to play basketball with him.

I went over there the other day looking for N'Gai, and lo and behold, not only was nobody home who lived there, but who was standing in the hallway gabbing on the phone? Jess Deltac. She was just passing through town and stopped in to see who was around. She showed me her portfolio, and it was clear that she's been hard at work on some amazing art. I was like, whoa! Talk about a six year time warp. That's how long it's been, can you believe it? It was exactly six years ago this week that you guys must have gotten back to Chapel Hill and moved into the place. Wow.

- e-mail to Lydia

It's been a time warp

You know about my latest project, right? I think it was under development the last time we spoke. Lem, Uzi and myself opened up a music and video store. It's called Lost City Music & Video - I'm usually on duty from 12-5 most Mondays through Fridays. We've been open for business since April 14, and things are going good! Which hopefully means we'll blow up when school gets back into session, 'cuz right now this town is el-dead-o.

Other news: Our mutual friend Mr. N'Gai Wright is moving into the Tree House with me come August 1. Until now, N'Gai's been living in your old room, which is currently painted in weird shades of yellow and red.

The Pink House kids have lost their lease for next year! Everyone's getting evicted! Talk about the end of an era. Oh well, you wouldn't believe what a shithole the place has deteriorated into. But it's been so strange - Kyle Spencer moved to Raleigh when she got a job with the News and Observer, and she's been at every party they've had there this past spring. With her, Jay, N'Gai, and myself in the same room at a party, surrounded by characters like Ian Williams, Scott Bullock, Lindsay Bowen, and Greg Humphreys, it's been a fucking time warp.

- e-mail to Lydia

It's our good man N'Gai

Just as I come into the office today specifically to sit down and write you a little letter to go along with this most belated birthday present I'm sending you, along comes the phone a-ringing. And guess who's on the other end of the line? It's our good man N'Gai, saying, "Heeey, I was hoping I could stop by and use the computer to type up a letter!" Go figure. So I guess I'll type away until he shows up.

How are you doing today? Thanks for the call the other week. I've been ultra-busy and have completely dropped the ball concerning communication with quite a few of my closest friends, yourself a primary example. But my cash flow is edging steadily towards sustainability, and in the hierarchy of life needs, eating and paying rent are right up there.

Oh, check this out. July 5th and 6th, I think, a mutual pal of ours is swinging through the States and stopping off in Chapel Hill. Daisuke Ikeda, I think the kid's name is. This is according to N'Gai, so I'm sketchy on exact details. But hey, if you can take some time off, that would be a great time to come down.

Wait, a knock on the door. I have to go, 'cuz N'Gai is already tripping. "Tell Dana I love him, and would love to write him a few lines in this note, but I'm really stressed for time. I have to write this letter on my one hour lunch break. C'mon man. Hurry up."

Call me about the possibility or impossibility of coming down for Dai's visit. My new work # most Mondays through Fridays 12-5 pm is (919) 933-LOST.

- letter to Dana

Too Many Schemes

I guess you really did have only two minutes to talk earlier this morning. Sounds like me about this time last year conducting all my long distance phone business using several dozen 5-minute phone cards I swiped from inside cereal boxes.

...

It's been a transitional past six weeks or so for a number of reasons. I found out mid-January that we needed to re-locate the PAC's office space by March 1st, so I've had to scramble around looking for other potential spaces. I finally found one that will be cheaper than the one we're in now, since we'll be sharing it with a friend of mine who needs a temporary home for his business.

Simultaneously, I and some of the other DJ's that I've been working on this for-profit mail order business venture with (including Lem) have decided to also rent another space, where we're planning to open a combination record/culture store by day that will function as an underground, members-only nightclub by night. This particular space is actually right underneath the old MOVE office, and it was the site of the original Cat's Cradle back in the early 70s.

So I've kind of been running around trying to get these details together.

I've also been promoting various parties with Lem and the fellas at other rented spaces around town, and still selling a ton of used furniture to kids on campus. It was so bizarre, there was this unexplained rush of kids calling up the "furniture cooperative" looking for loveseats and shit, right in the middle of the year when people generally don't want to buy jack. But seriously, I'm getting out of the furniture business! Before it's...too late! Ha ha. Anyway, so I've also been busy with that.

- e-mail to C-line

Vigil at Internationalist Books in memory of Bob Sheldon

"Bob Sheldon's Legacy," Indy, 2/21/01

by JON ELLISTON

"There was no time the world needed Bob Sheldon more than the day he was killed. It was Feb. 21, 1991, a Thursday. The United States was pounding away at Iraq, 34 days into the Persian Gulf air war. Sheldon was spearheading Triangle-area peace protests from Chapel Hill's Internationalist Books, a hotbed of radical thought and action he had founded back in 1981. During the previous month, he had been shown on the evening news explaining why he had fought the draft during the Vietnam War and why he was contesting the Gulf War. As the ground war loomed, he was gearing up for more teach-ins, vigils and marches.

Sheldon spent the afternoon tending to tasks around the store, and made plans to go out with his friend Ken Kaye after closing at 9 p.m. When Kaye arrived at Internationalist, however, he discovered Sheldon's almost lifeless body on the bloodied floor beside the sales counter. Someone had fired a bullet into his head. About 24 hours after the shooting, Sheldon was pronounced dead at UNC Hospital.

"We lost an intellectual force," says Kathy Giuffre, a friend of Sheldon's who worked a block away at The Cave. "We lost someone who stood up for unpopular positions." Dennis Gavin, owner of the Skylight Exchange, then located across the street from the Internationalist, remembers Sheldon as "a voice of radical calmness" that rose above the din of heated political debates. "He had some radical ideas that he was always able to present in a fairly calm way, and he ran his business in a calm way.""

(Note from 2014 - On the second anniversary of Bob's death, Matt Stewart invited me to come join the vigil held from 7-8 pm in front of Internationalist Books' new Franklin Street store. I think Matt was the Internationalist co-manager at the time, or he might have recently stepped down from that position. It was a moving, somber occasion, and I felt a lot of love for Bob in the hearts of the folks who gathered on Franklin Street that evening.

It was the fall of '89 when I began swinging through Internationalist Books at its 408 West Rosemary location. My excellent freshman history professor Don Reid had instructed students in his HIST 140 - World History Since 1945 class (where Alvis Dunn was my TA and doing a great job helping Professor Reid awaken our young, naive minds to the hidden history of U.S. imperialism) to buy their textbooks from the store. So Internationalist Books was the whole reason I first set foot on Rosemary Street, two doors down from where in later years I would spend many a night tending shop myself at the Lost City.

I can't remember anything specific about my interactions with Bob during the year and a half before he was killed, except that he struck me as a super cool guy. The few times I saw him in the store, he was usually engrossed in lively conversation, either with another customer or talking on the phone. But he was always friendly and welcoming towards everyone, and I know we chatted from time to time.

According to a story I heard a few years ago, when Amiri Baraka came to UNC to speak sometime during this era, and a student was put in charge of chaperoning him around town, Internationalist was the only place Baraka wanted to visit. And FBI types in dark suits and sunglasses followed the two of them into the store and kept a close watch on every word Baraka exchanged with Bob Sheldon. If Internationalist Books hadn't been on the power structure's radar before then, it sure was thereafter.)