November 25, 2009
Dark Horse Books gets a new jockey.
LEFT: You may fi nd that Jeanne Anderson and Phyllis “Flip” Lamken have slightly different methods, but the two women share a passion for turning the page. Beginning Tuesday, Lamken will take over the storefront that has become an important part of the pretty face that is downtown Driggs. CITIZEN PHOTO / JEANNETTE BONERIt was revealed this week that Dark Horse is being taken over not by the bank, but by the attorney.
After Jeanne and Peter Anderson decided they wanted to pass the torch of Teton Valley’s cultural hub, they went to their attorney to draft a contract that would provide a seamless transition of ownership of the bookstore that is in its teenage years. They had no idea that the new owner would be the woman who actually drafted the language that would put their literary mainstay into the hands of another.
“I realized that if we didn’t do this right, we would be in trouble,” Jeanne Anderson said. “We wanted the community to benefi t from a clean transition.”
Other offers may or may not have been made, but it will ultimately be Phyllis Lamken who will take the reins of Dark Horse in Driggs.
“My husband said it’s like buying a drunk a bar,” Lamken said Tuesday, a week before she will be the hand that turns the key to unlock the door of the store.
A voracious reader with a passion for turning pages, Lamken wants to maintain many of the aspects of the store while putting her own personal signature on the place. As an attorney who has been commuting to and from Jackson for years, Lamken knows how diffi cult it can sometimes be to deal with regular store hours. As a result, she plans to extend the bookstore’s hours until 9 p.m. for a few nights a week.
“I think the store more than anything really needed new energy,” Anderson said. “And she’s got it.”
Lamken plans to make Dark Horse into a family affair. She has already been helped by her 10-year-old daughter, Judith, to reshelve the fi ction section, and she is excited to have the help of her 16-year-old, as well as her two collegeaged kids, who have recently returned to Teton Valley to go to school closer to home.
“No matter what people’s tastes are, I want the bookstore to be a source of information,” Lamken said. “While Peter and Jeanne were more literary, I’m more into mystery, romance, and science fiction. I’m looking to go more mainstream.”
Lamken plans to keep the Kids’ Storytime and even expand it, while also keeping the Women’s Book Group. In between those two age groups, Lamken is looking forward to establishing a Teen Book Club, addressing a big part of the market for bookstores, while also providing an opportunity for teens to get together.
While Lamken’s legal practice will take second fi ddle to her new endeavor, she can’t imagine a better way to spend the nine months of winter here than by being curled up with a book. Lamken and her husband, Richard Evans, came to Teton Valley one month after Dark Horse Books opened in December of 1995.
“After spending 10 years in the Chicago suburbs, we decided to move here. It was the smartest thing we ever did,” Lamken said. “The valley has changed a lot since then, but my spirit is continually replenished by the natural beauty here.”
While Anderson will hand over the keys to Dark Horse on Dec. 1, she will be around to help with the transition of ownership during the entire month. And just as Lamken was a loyal customer of theirs, Jeanne and Peter will always be a part of Dark Horse…only on the other side of the counter now.
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Citizen staff will choose an individual or group each month highlighting exceptional work or character based on your nominations. Teton Springs Lodge and Spa will recognize the Citizen of the Month with a similar gift from the resort. Please send your November nominations to news@valleycitizen.com or call 208-354-NEWS.
