Steal My Crawl: Bob Varettoni
Need ideas for your crawl? We asked some folks to share how they participated last year, or what they’d like to do this year. Take inspiration or copy them outright–we won’t tell!
Bob Varettoni, lifelong New Jersey resident
Bob Varettoni is a writer, amateur photographer, and a retired corporate and non-profit communications executive.
Bob’s 2025 Crawl
I didn't participate because I needed to drive my daughter back to New Jersey from DC. We listened to The Great Gatsby along the way. As we skirted past the Pine Barrens on the Turnpike, Gatsby was headed for his end-of-summer swim, when the sound in the car abruptly shut down. My daughter and I enjoyed this ending very much. To us, Gatsby always enjoyed a refreshing dip in his pool, exposed Tom for the brute he was, re-connected with Daisy, and lived happily ever after.
Bob’s 2026 Crawl
I plan to stay local to Bergen County... although I'll always have a soft spot for Watchung Booksellers in Montclair. This spring, on International Poetry Day, they co-sponsored a haiku contest with Outpost in the Burbs, judged by favorite NJ poet Alicia Cook, and I won one of her books!
Bob’s shopping list
A Farewell to Arms, but I don't want to read that one to the end again either. Also, This Is Happiness and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which both have great titles.
Favorite bookstore merch: Van Gogh/Starry Night notebooks purchased at NYC's Museum of Modern Art bookstore.
A bookstore I’d like to visit: Any bookstore in Paris (someday).
Photo of Bob courtesy of Outpost in the Burbs, Montclair NJ