Art, Lit & Fun Arts, literature, music and leisure
alphabetized bins of comic books and corners packed with dice and card packs, but some, like BattleZone Comics & Gaming, seem to sense that too much merchandise can be downright overwhelming. Instead of opting for in-andout customer sales, this northwest Las Vegas shop has created an open and inviting atmosphere that encourages community over consumerism. No comic store would be complete without a wall of the newest comic books, a variety of strategy games and a large supply of gaming supplies, but BattleZone’s in-store gaming tables and scheduled events make it an experience, not just a shop. There are about 40 regular players (mainly guys) who frequent BattleZone to roll dice
and strategize through imagined scenarios, but anyone is welcome to participate in organized play days for games ranging from Magic: The Gathering to Game of Thrones. If your adventure of choice isn’t on the schedule, stop in on an open gaming day and grab a table for your self-conducted play of Dungeons & Dragons, War Machine or whatever else grabs at your inner geek. JH
now with more than 50 employees to boot. On Pololu’s website, you’ll find a host of sensors, controllers, gear boxes, motors, breadboards and regulators to piece together your own robotic hedgehog. They sell online only, but
local enthusiasts opt to drink in the culture and pick up parts at their south valley HQ. Pololu is also home to the LVBots robotic club (lvbots.org) and the host of SYN Shop’s beginner maker classes. Solder on! MM
Rise of the robots
Pololu Robotics and Electronics 920 Pilot Road, 262-6648, pololu.com “Engage your brain” is owner Jan Malášek’s mantra (and the name of his blog). Fact is, you have to be one smart cookie to be a Pololu customer, as the intellectually faint of heart will drown in their sea of electronic components and boards just jonesing to become ro-
The droid you're looking for: A robot kit from Pololu
60 | Desert
bots (or robot armies). To pursue their dreams of engaging the highend robotics community, Jan and his cohorts moved from Boston (and MIT specifically) to bask and thrive in Nevada’s low-tax, libertarian mecca —
Companion | OCTOBER 2012
Reader leader: Linda Piediscalzi of Dead Poet Books
T h e w r i t i n g o n t h e wa l l
Dead Poet Books 937 S. Rainbow Blvd., 227-4070
You know how an old book can stop you in your tracks? And, having blown away the dust, you open the cover and the words seize you until the world falls away? The same sort of thing happens when you step into Dead Poet Books. Linda Piediscalzi, the sweet lady who’s owned this used bookstore with her husband, Rich, since 1994, wants it to be “a place to step away from the outside for a while.” So, with the traffic whizzing by on Rainbow, children nestle in pint-sized chairs to get lost in fairytales while their parents peruse the classics in the literary section of the calm and peaceful shop. There are also plenty of books on metaphysics and religion, and a whole table of books for a dollar. Dead Poet takes mass market paperbacks on trade, but it’s been a while since Piediscalzis have been able to buy books from the public. “It’s a struggle,” she says of trying to keep the shop in the face of everadvancing technology, where downloading literature is cheap and convenient. To compete, the store hosts community events, writers' groups, science fiction fantasy groups and art workshops, to attract browsers and sales. “It’s hard to watch this whole thing unfold,” says the soft-spoken Piediscalzi, before she warns: “If people want books to continue, they’re going to have to support their local bookstores — used or new.” CC