While bookstores in some major cities stayed open past midnight Tuesday to give customers an early chance to buy President Clinton's new memoir, area booksellers and customers didn't share in the enthusiasm.
Book buyers in the Fargo-Moorhead area were offered large displays and discounts for "My Life" at area stores, but had to purchase the 957-page memoir during regular business hours.
Greg Danz, owner of Zandbroz Variety in downtown Fargo, said while a couple of customers ordered the book before it went on sale Tuesday, he decided not to extend his store hours because he didn't feel it would attract extra customers.
"I could have stayed open past midnight, but I didn't think anybody cared that much," Danz said.
The book, displayed in several locations throughout the store, attracted several customers to look at it, but few to purchase it, Danz said.
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Dorothy Loeks, manager of Barnes & Noble Bookstore in southwest Fargo, said she was prepared to open early but decided not to despite an ongoing interest in the book.
Barnes & Noble in Fargo began taking special orders and reserving copies six weeks ago. The store has a large entrance display featuring the book in the original hardcover version, a large-print version and a 6½-hour audio version, both on CD and cassette.
Barnes & Noble customers are also offered a 30 percent discount off the $35 jacket price.
Loeks said she believes the audio version will be popular because Clinton narrates the book himself.
Loeks said the store had a "steady stream" of people all day, and she expected that to continue.
"Even if they're not buying, everyone is stopping and looking," she said Tuesday afternoon. "I think we will have people coming in all day long."
Barnes & Noble could not disclose the number of copies the store had in stock.
Beth Calabrese, manager of Media Play a few blocks away, said the store has not had an unusual amount of interest in the book and did not expect a large rush of people. The store did not open early for the book's release.
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Steve Atkins of West Fargo, a self-described big Clinton fan, said he pre-ordered the book on Friday because he was afraid it would sell out. Atkins made a special effort to stop by Barnes & Noble Tuesday to pick up the memoir of one of his favorite presidents.
"I think he's the best president in recent history," Atkins said of Clinton.
Denise Baker of Fergus Falls, Minn., said she stopped by Barnes & Noble to pick up the book for her father, a history-lover and "diehard Democrat."
Baker said she was surprised there were still so many copies remaining.
"I thought that there might be slim pickings," she said.
Clinton received a reported $10 million advance for "My Life," which depicts his life before and during his presidency and includes accounts of his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Alfred A. Knopf, Clinton's publisher, printed 1.5 million initial copies of the book.
The book went on sale in Great Britain and Ireland Tuesday and will go on sale today in France.
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Clinton signed books Tuesday at Barnes & Noble in New York City's Rockefeller Center and Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore. He plans to tour the rest of the country promoting his book.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Readers can reach Forum reporter Brittany Lawonn at (701) 241-5529
