Welcome to Beyond the Bookstore, a place where we share the stories behind The Ink Crypt, our love of literature, and the journey that brought us here.
My love of reading began long before The Ink Crypt ever existed. It was nurtured by two remarkable women in my life. My grandmother was an elementary school teacher who understood the power of books to inspire curiosity and imagination. My mother, a university professor, instilled in me a deep respect for learning, ideas, and the written word. Between the two of them, books were never simply objects on a shelf. They were gateways to new worlds, new perspectives, and lifelong learning.
That foundation followed me into my first job at The University of North Carolina Press. For a high school student with a growing appreciation for literature, it was an incredible opportunity. Surrounded by books, manuscripts, editors, and people who genuinely cared about the written word, I found myself in an environment that nurtured and expanded my love of reading.
I loved every minute of it.
Looking back, I realize that I was still an immature teenager trying to figure out where I fit in the world. Yet the staff at UNC Press welcomed me into their sphere. They treated me with kindness, patience, and respect. More importantly, they showed me that books are more than products on a shelf. They are ideas, conversations, histories, and dreams passed from one person to another.
To those staff members, many of whom have likely retired by now, thank you.
Thank you for giving a young student an opportunity. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion. Thank you for helping deepen a love of literature that has stayed with me throughout my life. Without realizing it, you helped plant the seeds for what would eventually become The Ink Crypt.
Today, as we build this bookstore and community of readers, I carry those lessons with me. Every book we recommend, every conversation we have with a customer, and every story we share is part of that same tradition of connecting people through literature.
The Ink Crypt may be our bookstore, but books have always been about more than a store.
They are about discovery, connection, and the people who inspire us to turn the next page.
Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Until next time,
Victor Harris
Founder, The Ink Crypt
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