The other publisher that used to grace the west hand side of Union Square—Farrar, Straus, and Giroux—has announced that it's leaving Union Square. The reason? The same as ours: the rents were getting too high. Lantern moved into the Square in 1999, when the joint was already begin to jump. Farrar's been there a lot longer, when the Square was jumping with joints and you had to be paid to move there.

Lantern worked out of the old Lincoln building at 1 Union Square West, while Farrar was at 19. We had to walk up the hall to the restrooms, which were pretty dingy and took a long time to renovate, when they finally were. But we had light and space. According to a piece in the New Yorker, the staff have never even had hot water and, mirabile dictu, no internal coffee machine, along with living in cramped quarters for decades. Now there's dedication to literature for you!

Actually, there is still a publisher on Union Square. Select Books still does its business at 1 USW, Suite 909. We wish our friends well.