Along with close to 30,000 books, and a large assortment of prints, Artists + Authors boasts a feline presence in the form of a cat named Dust Jacket. Known more commonly as DJ, she previously lived in a bookstore in Newburyport. When that shop closed, DJ moved to Marblehead and has been here ever since.

DJ is black and white in color. It’s hard to decide whether she is black with white blotches, or the reverse . It is clear, however that DJ is an interesting cat. She has an unruly coat, scattered blotches, an aloof attitude, and a loyal following that only superficially resembles a cult.

The name Dust Jacket suits her. She seems to spend a certain portion of each day in the basement, exploring corners that have not seen a broom in years. Her appearance is not enhanced by the resulting layer of grime, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

We like the idea of having a cat in the shop. In our imaginations, a shop cat would be a corporate spokesperson of sorts. It would adore the staff and our customers, frolic around the shop and even spend time on our laps. On top of all that, it would also entertain people with playful antics. Customers would be so charmed by the cat that our books would seem irresistible and fly off the shelves.

DJ, however, rarely consults with us, and her behavior differs sharply from that of the aforementioned critter. She usually prefers to hide from us, unless she's asleep. We deduce her presence from certain signs. Cat toys often shift position overnight. When we descend into the basement, a bit of feather dangling from a string might be swinging wildly. Her food bowl empties itself; the litter tray fills. There are times when Dust Jacket slumbers openly in the window, occasionally ignoring her comfy basket in favor of some lumpy position obscuring a special book we've chosen to display. If we approach her, she might accept some petting as a necessary evil, especially if she's still groggy from the sun. Usually she prefers to disappear, fearing we might have some horrendous torture in mind, like picking her up.

Our associate Elaine, reported once that DJ actually spent some time on her lap. We’re not doubting Elaine, but there were no witnesses.

DJ is a vocal cat and she often walks around the shop meowing. She's never bothered to learn English, so we're not sure what she's saying, but she does capture the attention of customers. The cat chooses some unsuspecting browser to talk with, apparently at random. She sounds convincingly as if all she wants is to have a chat, and people often talk back. Recently, one woman actually had a 30 minute conversation with her. Sometimes she even allows customers to pet her. The staff isn’t jealous, but we often wonder why she likes customers more than the people who actually feed her. Her conversation and advice doesn’t always result in sales; some people only visit Artists and Authors to bask in the presence of the cat. After a bit of fawning, they leave. Books seem to play no part in their lives. We can't figure out how they met her in the first place, since she does live in a book shop.

Regardless, we will continue to make her life as pleasant as possible by providing water, food, catnip, toys, cat treats and a sunny spot in our window to people watch. So if you're ever in Marblehead, drop by to say hello to Dust Jacket and peruse our stock. Even if you do not find a book to your liking, we are sure that DJ will leave you entranced and happy that you visited.