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December 31, 1887

Frances Steloff was born on December 31, 1887. Ms. Steloff founded and ran the Gotham Book Mart, a historic bookstore in New York City. It was a haven for writers and readers. Anais Nin, for instance, mailed her library to Frances for safekeeping, when she had to flee Paris. In the 1960s Frances found a buyer for her bookstore. The contract let Steloff keep an apartment upstairs, where she and her cats continued to live. In her will she provided not just for her cats, but left money for strays as well. Frances Steloff is a nice figure to end the year on, since this blog is not just about cats, but books too.

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