Owner of Maze Books in Rockford gets holiday bonus from author James Patterson
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The owner of an independent bookstore in downtown was among 600 booksellers gifted a $500 holiday bonus from best-selling author James Patterson.
Dave Pedersen of Maze Books, 406 E. State St., is one of 34 independent booksellers from Illinois on this year’s list of recipients. Patterson, a prolific author who has sold hundreds of millions of novels, has made a tradition of sending checks to booksellers who have been nominated by customers or their peers.
“Being on a list with these other bookstores, it certainly made me feel like I was in good company,” Pedersen told the Rock River Current. “Rockford, everyone once in a while, out of nowhere will get something. It’s nice for me, but I always think about Rockford and what it means to get some sort of attention, anything, on the city.”
The gift comes as local retailers have been stressing how critical this shopping season is for their bottom line, especially after snow wiped out a typically busy shopping day on Small Business Saturday. Mayor Tom McNamara on Monday issued a Shop Local in December proclamation as a means to highlight the importance of supporting Rockford businesses.
“We’re overjoyed,” Pedersen said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time with the weather and the shop local campaign that the mayor is doing.”
The American Booksellers Association called for nominations for the holiday bonus this fall after Patterson pledged $300,000 for 600 recipients. The association released the list of recipients today.
“I’ve said this before, but I can’t say it enough — booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in a statement to national news outlets. “What they do is crucial, especially right now. I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and their hard work this holiday season.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
