Burning Koontz

A 2004 study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that fewer than half of American adults read even one book a year. According to Tom Wayne of Prospero’s Bookstore (1800 West 39th Street, 816-531-9673), storage costs drive retailers and libraries to throw away “dumpster loads” of books every month. Thus, Prospero’s has been inspired to stage book-burning protests. “We are holding up a mirror that reflects art and life to a culture that suffers a disconnect between what it says and what it does,” Wayne says. The first time Prospero’s engaged in incineration, reporters from The New York Times and the Associated Press asked questions. Tonight, the smoke rises again from 4 to 6 right outside the store. Prospero's Bookstore