from Harold Fields

Dear Second Tuesday Friends,

It was with great sadness that I learned of Joyce Meskis’ death on December 22nd. She was well known and celebrated as the founder of the Tattered Cover Book Store and a champion of the First Amendment. She was a national leader and innovator with independent book sellers.

Not so many knew her as a champion in race relations by collaborating with Clara Villarosa of the Hue-Man Experience Book Store to host a community dialogue on race. That meeting grew into a monthly discussion that lasted for more than two decades. When I started facilitating the discussions in 1997 it was known as “the Race Group” that was sponsored by the Tattered Cover. Joyce gave us meeting space in a large conference room on the third floor of the LoDo book store until she had to downsize and lease that floor out. She was involved in every meeting – sending out announcement letters before email became popular, bringing snacks and beverages to each meeting.

We started having meals with those who could come early at the restaurant on 16th Street across the alley from the book store, and Joyce would come to eat when she could work into her busy schedule. Whenever possible she arranged for us to meet with national authors who were in town at the time of our discussions. The thing that Joyce treasured most about our meetings was when we shared our personal stories. She knew that this was the glue that would help us build community and trust with each other.

When space was no longer available at the LoDo store, she tried to figure out how to give us a private space at the new Colfax location where we would not be interrupted by shoppers. But the old Lowenstein Theater was not configured to handle this. As we moved our discussion to Park Hill Congregational Church and eventually Park Hill United Methodist Church because of the growth in our size, Joyce continued to be with us until 2010.

My relationship with Joyce grew beyond these monthly meetings. She became a mentor who took me to meetings with city leaders, politicians, architects, and developers. She felt they should be dealing with the layers of race that got ignored in their decision making.

And Joyce supported numerous events I sponsored by having members of her staff bring books to sell at a number of events. She even let me introduce some featured authors and bring a choir to perform at an event. I am sure that at least a half of the 3,600 books in my home library came from the Tattered Cover. When she closed the beloved Cherry Creek store, Joyce let me take some of the old bookshelves and magazine racks. Every time I look at them now, I will remember Joyce. She now joins the list of Race Group and Second Tuesday members who are with the Ancestors – Carmen, Eleanor, Helen, Gwen, Lonnie, and Eric. None will be forgotten.

Harold