I was among the many to be shocked today by news of the death of Warren Farha, the founder of Eighth Day Books in Wichita, KS. Who can explain Warren? He was a soft-spoken, quietly-amused man of deep insights. He was profoundly intelligent yet always humble. He was a joy to know. The story begins with the tragedy of his first wife’s death, caused by a drunk driver; but the insurance settlement enabled him to start the kind of deep-and-broad bookstore many of us never hoped to find. (Here’s a New York Times appreciation from 2015.)

Many of his friends are working on tributes to Warren today. I’ll supply instead something I was able to contribute when Warren was given a “toast and roast” in 2017. He was the kind of friend who attracted the affection, and gentle ribbing, of all who knew him.