Soldato Books & Records, after opening its doors at the Franklin Street location in 2021, has relocated to the historic Williams Center building in the heart of Downtown Rutherford at 15 Sylvan Street. Both the Arts Center and the shop share a kindred design language and intertwined passions for the arts. One is a place to hear and discover live events and the other is a zone of exploration for customers to procure tangible pieces to enhance the experience at home. 

Now, with the shop housed in the Williams Center, a sense of cross-discovery is possible. A band playing ProgStock 2024 may have a first edition LP for sale in the upstairs shop or a viewer of a rare Studio Ghibli film in the theater can browse the shelves to buy a retrospective coffee table book covering the work of those same Japanese animators. The inverse is also true. Customers flipping through the custom-made wooden bins at Soldato can drift downstairs and see that a band who sampled the record they’re holding is playing on the main stage in the spring.

Soldato is inspired by travels to cities where the backbone of the culture is found on the shelves of its independent bookstores. The pulse of a city, whether Prague or Portland, is throbbing in these centers of knowledge. With a slew of new and used records, CDs, tapes and books, Soldato has curated an identity that its customers have grown to trust. The same ethos will be present in the new space, where crates and shelves hold music and books that offer new horizons of thinking. Special pieces from famous collectors like Bobbito Garcia are sprinkled throughout the shop, where the latest Murakami novel sits alongside independent zines and essay collections.

Live experiences have become a growing part of Soldato’s legacy in the community, and that will only expand with this larger venue. Painters, poets, musicians, and comic artists have nestled into the Franklin space, and now with an Arts Center right outside, expect a growing list of live experiences that feel right at home with Soldato’s offerings. -Jesse Carr

The Neapolitan Soldier by Italo Calvino

Three soldiers had deserted their regiment and taken to the open road. One was a Roman, one a Florentine, while the smallest was a Neapolitan. After traveling far and wide, they were overtaken by darkness in a forest. The Roman, who was the oldest of the three, said, "Boys, this is no time for us all three to go to sleep. We must take turns keeping watch an hour at a time."
He volunteered for the first watch. and the other two threw down their knapsacks, unrolled their blankets, and went fast asleep. The watch was almost up, when out of the forest rushed a giant.
“What are you doing here?" he asked the soldier.
"None of your business, replied the soldier, without even bothering to turn around.
The giant lunged at him, but the soldier proved the swifter of the two by drawing his sword and cutting off the giant's head. Then he picked up the head with one hand and the body with the other and threw them into a nearby well. He carefully cleaned his sword, resheathed it, and called his companion who was supposed to keep the next watch. Before awakening him, though, he thought, I'd better say nothing about the giant, or this Florentine will take fright and fee. So when the Florentine was awake and asking, "Did you see anything?" the Roman replied, "Nothing at all. evervthing was as calm as could be." Then he went to sleep.
The Florentine began his watch, and when it was just about up, here came another giant exactlv like the first. who asked. "What are you doing here?"
"That's no business of yours or anybody else's," answered the Florentine.
The giant sprang at him, but in a flash the soldier drew his sword and lopped off his head, which he picked up along with the body and threw into the well. His watch was up, and he thought, I'd better say nothing of this to the lily-livered Neapolitan. If he knew that things like this went on around here, he'd take to his heels and we'd never see him again.
So, when the Neapolitan asked, "Did you see any action?" the Florentine replied, "None at all, you've nothing to worry about." Then he went to sleep.
The Neapolitan watched for almost an hour, and the forest was perfectly still Suddenly the leaves rustled and out ran a gigot "What are you doing here?"
"What business is it of yours?" replied the Neapolitan.
The giant held up a hand that would have squashed the Neapolitan flatter than a pancake, had he not dodged it, brandished his sword, and swept off the giant's head, after which he threw the remains into well.
It was the Roman's turn once more to keep watch, but the Neapolitan thought, I first want to see where the giant came from. He therefore plunged into the forest, spied a light, hastened toward it, and came to a cottage. Peeping through the keyhole, he saw three old women in conversation before the fireplace.
"It's already past midnight, and our husbands are not yet back." said one.
"Do you suppose something has happened to them?" asked another.
"It might not be a bad idea," said the third, "to go after them. What do you say?"
"Let's go right now." said the first. "I'lI carry the lantern that enables you to see a hundred miles ahead."
"And I'll bring the sword," said the second, "which in every sweep wipes out an army "
"And I'll bring the shotgun that can kill the she-wolf at the king's palace." said the third.
"Let's be on our way." At that, they threw open the door.
Hiding behind the doorpost with sword in hand, the Neapolitan was all ready for them. Out came the first woman holding the lantern, and her head Aew off before she could say a single "Amen." Out came the second. and swish! her son sped to kinsdom come. Out came the third and went the wav of her sisters.
The soldier now had the witches' lantern, sword, and shotgun and decided to try them out immediately. "We'll just see if those three dotards were telling the truth." He raised the lantern and saw an army a hundred miles away besieging a castle. and chained on the balcony she-wolf with flaming eyes. "Let's just see how the sword works." He picked it up and swung it around. then raised the lantern once more and peered into space: every last warrior lay lifeless on the ground beside his splintered lance and dead horse. Then the Neapolitan picked up the gun and shot the she-wolf.
"Now I'll go and see everything from close up," he said.
He walked and walked and finally reached the castle. His knocks and calls all went unanswered. He went inside and walked through all the rooms. but saw no one until he came to the most beautiful chamber of a where a lovely maiden sat sleeding in a plush armchair.
The soldier went up to her but she continued to sleep. One of her Roman who then smugly told of the time he was keeping watch when suddenly confronted by a giant whose head he cut off.
"Zounds!" exclaimed the Florentine. "I too had something similar happen to me," and he told about his giant.
And you, sir?" said the princess to the Neapolitan. "Has nothing ever happened to you?"
His companions burst out laughing. "You don't think he would have anything to tell, do you? Our friend here is such a coward he'd run and hide for a whole week if he heard a leaf rustle in the dark."
"Don't belittle the poor boy like that," said the maiden, who insisted that he too tell something.
So the Neapolitan said, "If you really want the truth, I too was confronted by a giant while you two were sleeping and I killed him."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed his companions. "You'd die of fright if you so much as saw a giant! That's enough! We don't want to hear any more, we're going to bed." And they went off and left him with the princess.
She served him wine and coaxed him to go on with his story. Thus, ittle ow little. he came out with everything- -the three old women, the lantern, the shotgun, the sword, and the lovely maiden he had kissed as she slept, and her slipper he had carried off.
"Do you still have the slipper?"
"Here it is," replied the soldier drawing it from his pocket.
Overjoyed the princess kept filling his glass until he tell asleep, then said to her valet. Take him to the bedchamber I prepared especially for remove his clothes, and put out kingly garb for him on the chair." hen the Neapolitan awakened next morning he was in a room decorated entirely in gold and brocade. He went to but on his clothes and round in their blace robes for a king. He pinched himselt to make sure he wasn't dreaming and. unable to make heads or tails of a thing, he rang the bell.
Four liveried servants entered and bowed down to him. “ At Your Highness's service. Did Your Highness sleep well?"
The Neapolitan blinked. "Have vou lost vour mind? What highness are vou talking about? Give me my things so I can get dressed, and be done with this comedy."
“Calm down, Highness. We are here to shave you and dress your hair."
"Where are my companions? Where did you put my things?"
"They are coming right away. you will have everything immediately, but allow us frst to dress vou. Highness."
Once he realized there was no getting around them, the soldier let the servants proceed. they shaved him. dressed his hair. and clothed him in a kingly outfit. Then they brought in his chocolate, cake, and sweets. After breakfast he said, "Am I going to see my companions or not?"
"Right away, Highness."
In came the Roman and the Florentine, whose mouths flew open when they saw him dressed in such finery. “What are you doing in that costume?”
"You tell me. Your guess is as good as mine."
"Goodness knows what you've cooked uo!" replied his companions. "You must have told the lady some pretty call tales last night!"
"For your information. I told no tall tales to anyone."
"So how do you account for what's happening now?"
"I'll explain," said the king, coming in just then with the princess in her finest robe. My daughter was under a spell. and this young man set her free."
By questions and answers. they got the entire story.
"I am therefore making him my daughter's husband." said the king, "and my heir. As for yourselves. have no fears. You will become dukes. since had you not slain the other two giants, my daughter would not be free today."
The wedding was celebrated to the great joy of all. and followed by a grand feast.

On the menu was chicken à la king:
Long live the queen!
Long live the king!

(Rome)