Last month our co-op celebrated a new owner! Esmé joined our team in late 2019 to coordinate offsite sales and school book fairs, and then didn't bail on us even after the pandemic made both nearly impossible. Through it all, they've been a fantastic collective member known for their thoughtful communication, seemingly bulletproof self-organization, care for coworkers, and willingness to be a voice of dissent (something you need even when you're a bookstore run by dissidents).

We celebrated Esmé with chocolate peanut butter cake, the same cake we were eating when we met them. As Esmé recalls it, she walked into a party on her first visit to Firestorm. It was our co-op's 11th birthday, but she declined the offer of cake, on account of being vegan... then was delighted to learn that the cake was also vegan. That's how we get 'em! 😎🎂 She moved to Asheville a few months later, came across our hiring call, and the rest is history (or maybe serendipity).

We hope this is still your dream job, because you're our dream co-owner, Esmé! 🖤😘