The importance of being open. (Books).

New Yorkers thought they had read the final chapter on the Oscar Wilde Bookshop, the oldest gay bookstore in the nation, tucked away like a treasured old novel in a shady nook in Greenwich Village. The struggling store was set to close for good at the end of January. Then Deacon Maccubbin, owner of Lambda Rising's four bookstores, financed a sequel, purchasing the 36-year-old bookstore for an undisclosed sum. "The store never closed its doors," Maccubbin, 60, said. "It was open right on through. Historically, that's important to me."

A visit to the bookshop 31 years ago inspired Maccubbin to open his first--and flagship--store in Washington, D.C., in 1974. So, he said, he just couldn't let Oscar Wilde close. "It isn't just a business, it's a mission," Maccubbin said. "It's a place that feels like home." He believes the New York shop can be a financial success despite a shift in the gay population in the city and the proliferation of chain bookstores. "We're going to operate that store in a manner that will make New York proud," Maccubbin said.