Bob Hugo
When his older brother opened a bookstore on Martha’s Vineyard in the early 60’s, Bob was inspired to try his own hand at owning a bookstore, and opened the Spirit of ’76 in 1965. Fast-forwarding to 2007, Bob now owns three bookstores in Massachusetts (the Spirit of ’76, the Andover Bookstore in Andover, and the Book Rack in Newburyport) and co-owns two in New Hampshire (Water Street Bookstore in Exeter and River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth). Bob enjoys reading social histories, contemporary fiction, and mysteries.
Hilary Emerson Lay
Hilary, the perky, garrulous, over-caffeinated redhead who managed Spirit from 2002–2006, is back! After having left the North Shore to take a job managing an art supply store in Northampton, MA, Hilary has returned to Spirit’s helm, having sorely missed the books, the ocean, the books, the people, and the books. Hilary, who was raised in a family of hardcore bibliophiles, received her BFA in Children’s Writing and Illustration from Emerson College; while at Emerson, she minored in art through Mass Art and the Museum School. When she’s not busy slinging books, Hilary enjoys pursuing her visual art, making sock creatures, getting tattooed, and hitting up yard sales for weird things she doesn’t need.
Doreen Mastandrea
Doreen is a working artist, who co-owns a small ceramics studio and school called the North Shore Clay Studio. She has exhibited her artwork in galleries across the country and her mosaic installations can be seen in downtown Boston or Bermuda. She also has authored a “how to” book on mosaics through Rockport Publishers. Her love of narrative is what brought her to the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore.
Cayla Thompson
Cayla is studying Art Education at Salem State College, and tries to make time to do her own art in her spare time. (What is spare time again?) Cayla hopes to teach High School art someday, but in the meantime has fallen in love with working in a bookstore! She can now be surrounded by literature and poetry at home AND at work! What could be better? Cayla is a major fan of Scott Fitzgerald, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, epic classics, pretty much all poetry, and a smattering of decorating books. She also makes unique earrings out of recycled tissue paper and magazines . . . come by the store to check them out! Cayla also has a fondness for young adult and kid’s books, so ask her for a recommendation!
