Joe Drabyak, president of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and long-time bookseller for Chester County Book & Music Company in West Chester, Pa., died last Friday, August 27, from complications of renal cell cancer.
Known as a “bookseller extraordinaire,” Drabyak has mentored many booksellers and personally handsold so many books that authors have repaid his bookselling zeal by naming eight characters for him. Recently, Neil McMahon turned in a manuscript to HarperCollins with a cop named Joe Drabyak, and Hilary Jordan’s next novel from Algonquin has Congressman Joe Drabyak.
“He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten,” Chester County posted on its Web site. “We all pray he’s in a better place now, reading a ‘Joe Pick,’ and making recommendations to all that are with him.”
A memorial service will be held this fall.
