The new Book Passage newsletter brings a recap of the bookstore’s Katrina fundraiser, which raised in more than $40,000. In a single evening.

Whenever you wonder why you are in the book business, you have to think back on the events that make it a very special kind of activity. The Writers4Relief Benefit on September 9 was the kind of event that makes it all worthwhile.

We thank everyone for their efforts—the famous authors who gave of their time (and their money!), the customers who contributed generously to the hurricane victims of New Orleans, and our wonderful staff members who put it all together on very short notice.

The evening was magical, touching all of the emotional buttons. Some authors read letters or e-mails from the victims; others recounted their own memories of New Orleans. Still others read from the writings of New Orleans’ authors, like Armistead Maupin’s reading from Tennessee Williams. S.F. Poet Laureate Devorah Major read a stirring poem that she had written for the occasion; famed crime novelist Martin Cruz Smith, talking about New Orleans, said, “I know a crime scene when I see one…”

One event near the end seemed to typify the spirit of the evening. B.P. President Elaine Petrocelli announced that Chronicle Books publisher Nion McEvoy had contributed two beautiful photo books of New Orleans for sale. Isabel Allende, one of the author participants, immediately suggested that all of the authors on the stage should sign the books so that they will be more valuable. Meredith Maran quickly added that we should auction the books to get the best price. Within seconds, Ayelet Waldman volunteered to conduct the auction, doing so with a gusto that would put Sotheby’s to shame. Before they were through, they netted over $2,000 for those two books alone.

The total for the evening was $40,610.25, but we expect that there will be more when a few late-arriving checks and tallies are included. We thank everyone involved for a wonderful evening and for their willingness to give to a good cause.

California’s literary community shines yet again!