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A sad milestone approaches, as the old Cameron's bookstore is about to close its doors for good. Partly because it's hit hard times financially, but partly because it's in downtown Portland, where you can't seriously run a small business any more.

Things haven't been looking too peppy at that place in many moons. In fact, in 2018 I posted this photo I took of the store on Facebook – and lamented that the business had folded. Someone had to correct me, letting me know they were still in there plugging away.

You'd find me in Cameron's 42 years ago, looking for a cheap read. As just one example, that's where I stumbled across a used copy of Jim Carroll's Basketball Diaries, which totally blew my mind. You could climb around in the display windows, because some of the inventory was piled up there. On sunny days, it was hot in those windows. Stuff was turning yellow. There was a bin of books out on the street. Old magazines. I think maybe postcards, too.

Some days, I miss those times. Anyway, it will be a bummer to see Cameron's light finally go out.