My Favorite Things: Head House Books Owner Richard De Wyngaert
My days are not terribly typical. I’m an early riser, driven by my puppy, Arnold, a French bulldog. I live in Society Hill with my family — I have a wife and three children. // We have this mushroom growth of great cafes everywhere. I start my morning at Bodhi Coffee or Milk & Honey. [1] P.S. & Co. — I wish I had designed this place! It’s so beautiful and yet rough around the edges. // I always wanted a bookstore; it was one of my dreams. I wanted to be a pitcher, too, but that was never going to happen. I love playing [2] baseball, and I love watching baseball. I’m a southpaw. // One of the [3] books that I love to sell to people is called Shantaram. It’s very philosophical, but it turns like a John Grisham novel. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes is the longest 100-page book you’ll ever read. Straight Man is the funniest book I’ve read. // [4] The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is one of the multiple Philadelphia gems about which too few people know. Walking in there is like going back in time: the structure, the literature, the paintings, the furniture. // A favorite living Philadelphia artist is Tremain Smith. I usually try to fit time into my day to sketch. I’m always doing self-portraits in watercolor. // It’s a great Philadelphia story, [5] Di Bruno Bros. They have the best cheese. When I have a guest for dinner, I always go there. We rely on Bacchus Market & Catering when throwing a party. // [6] Sugarcube has great vintage-looking clothes and exquisite taste. And I love Art in the Age and Benjamin Lovell Shoes. // There’s a sort of visceral recognition of the importance of independent business to a city. I actually think it’s a great time to be in the book business.
All photography by Courtney Apple. Originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of Philadelphia magazine.