Last spring, Stephanie Appell, manager of the young-readers department at Parnassus Books, was at work when she got a call from her doctor: the 29-year-old had just been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Though she was facing a grueling schedule of chemo, radiation, and surgery, Appell’s first thought was for the bookstore: “How are we going to get done all that needs doing if I’m out sick?” She needn’t have worried: as a post at the Parnassus literary magazine notes, book people are the best people.
Not only have Appell’s colleagues covered for her whenever she must miss work, they’ve also planned a unique fundraiser to help with her medical bills: more than a hundred authors around the country have each decorated–and signed–a ceramic piggy bank to auction at the Bank on Booksellers fundraiser.
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For more updates on Tennessee authors and literary events, please visit Chapter 16’s News & Notes page, here.
