rip: dutton's bookstore

Another historic independent bookstore - Dutton's of Brentwood - has given up the ghost. From the LA Times:

Mired in debt and uncertain about the future of his current location, Doug Dutton said Monday that he will close his iconic Brentwood bookstore, where thousands of authors have celebrated their works in the central courtyard and readers such as Dustin Hoffman and Meg Ryan have sought counsel on stocking their bookshelves.

Dutton's, which plans to close April 30, is one of many independent bookstores that have disappeared in the last couple of decades. Rising rents, the growth of big-box chains and the triumph of Amazon.com as a major force have challenged the indies.

But Dutton's has a national reputation, a following among authors who appeared at its many readings and, for its two decades of history, a special place in literary Los Angeles. Many considered it the most literary and high-minded of L.A.'s bookstores, as well as one that felt increasingly, if charmingly, anachronistic.