Books prove binding venture
On the job with mom
James A. RossThere's no question about who's the boss at Loganberry Books on Larchmere Blvd. in Cleveland.
"It's her business," says Brenda Logan, pointing across the room to her daughter, Harriett, who is leaning back in a big, wooden chair.
"And I like it that way," Brenda adds.
"Mother gets to play," Harriett says, laughing big.
'Tis true. In this cocoon of used books (and Turkish rugs sold by a co-tenant), the duties are well-defined. Brenda scours the countryside for product. Mother and daughter clean them up and price them, and Harriett deals with customers and pays the bills.
They like the way their tastes merge. The store emphasizes history, children's books, books by and about women, and the arts. The cast of a Cleveland Play House production showed up recently and took a chunk out the theater section.
The two first-time businesswomen argue about pricing, especially when it comes to their personal passions. Harriett studied graduate level theater and has a fondness for women's studies. Brenda collected children's books for years.
"And I never wanted to get rid of any of them," she says.
Not a productive attitude for a store owner, perhaps.
"We're working on this," says Harriett.
Brenda Logan and her daughter Harriett merged their intersets for Loganberry Books.
