Acres of Books patron Robert Easton says goodbye to heaven, nirvana, Valhalla, whatever

PHOTO by JEFF GOULD

Robert Easton is the sort of person you’d never meet anywhere but Acres of Books: actor, writer, dialect expert and voice coach to the stars (known as “the Henry Higgins of Hollywood”) and a 50-years Acres patron who knew Bertrand Smith personally and who attributes “everything good that has ever happened to me” to information found in books. He was born with the same bibliophiliac tendencies as Ray Bradbury and has collected by now a specialized private library that is more complete than even institutions like L.A. Public, and much of that collection—the books that helped win an Oscar for Forest Whitaker and an Emmy for Cicely Tyson—came from the shelves at Acres, where even Bertrand himself would reserve special items for a customer he knew would appreciate them. As Acres weathers the first packed day of its final sale, Easton is wedged in the stacks on a tiny chair beneath the mural of the tank fighting its way across no-man’s-land. Pull up a crate, he says.

When was the first time you ever came to Acres?
Robert Easton: I first found out about the store more than 50 years ago. I’ve always gone to bookstores because of my compulsive bibliophilia, but it’s also very practical for me. Everything good that ever happened to me has happened as a result of information I’ve gotten from books—including my stint on the original Quiz Kids radio show. This place is like coming to whatever you want to say: heaven, nirvana, Valhalla, whatever. Without a doubt, Acres was—sadly I have to say ‘was’—the finest secondhand bookstore in the world. Foyles was touted in London, but Foyles didn’t compare. I can be away working in Europe on a film for six months and I’ll come back and the people at Acres will say to me, ‘Oh, Mr. Easton, we saved a whole lot of books for you!’ And they’ll go into the holy of holies and bring me treasures.

Why do you think Acres is closing for good this time?
Stupidity and greed. You give a bunch of bureaucrats a chance to make tax money and they’ll grab it. But this place is and has been a blessing to so many. For years, I’ve recommended it to writers and actors and teachers: ‘If you can’t find it somewhere else, go to Acres.’ It’s been so kind to me through the years. I really am sad about its going! In Japan they have a sense of recognizing their national treasures. It’s despicable that the bureaucrats are doing this to Acres of Books. It should be recognized as a great national treasure—a place where scholars can find what they need and hold it in their hands.

Why do you think no one from the city came when Ray Bradbury visited?
They were probably feeling unconsciously guilty—well they should! The bureaucratic mentality is the same all over the world. Make a fast buck and get a little tax money. It’s very short-sighted. A lot of people come here to get books and eat at the restaurants around and all that. The city fathers and mothers—accent on ‘mothers’—I think are being very shortsighted.

Is this the last time you’ll be visiting Acres and Long Beach?
I’m going to try and come back. Because it’s so huge—I had somebody leave me off this morning and they’ll come back for me at six when they close. As many times as I’ve been here and as many times as I go through the sections, I always find new stuff. And that’s the joy of it.

Where will you go when Acres is gone?
I’ll just have to be happy with the treasures I’ve already acquired. I’ll always be grateful to the original Mr. Smith and his wife and all the people who are so helpful. As you know, they were great philanthropists. They donated a lot of money to the library and gave so much to the community. They wouldn’t be very happy with this. To me a good bookstore really is a sacred place—a place for the sanctity of ideas. If you destroy those or desecrate them, it really is a crime against the human soul.  Is there any bright side to Acres closing? Let me do it very subjectively. For me, the only bright side to this is that there was—and this will sound a little poetic—but there was an enchanted place like this that I could come to for over 50 years, and I still have the treasures and the memories of where I got them, and that will survive.

Tags: acres of books, Long Beach, ray bradbury, redevelopment, robert easton