b'certainlylightened his load. BreakfastLunchDinnerMichaudis keepingbusypro- (formerly the Maple Leaf Diner)motingthebook,DINE IN buthecanthelpDELIVERY butcontemplateTAKE OUThisnextproject. OnethingisforWeve Renovated! Visit our Modern, Welcoming Space.sure: it will be an- New Expanded Menu, Plus All Your Favorites!othernonfictionFollow us @TheSpotDinerNJbook,andthatis973-763-8833a change for some-one who long con- 165 Maplewood Avenue|Maplewood| thespotdiner.comUnfortunately, the pandemic forced Coogans to close when sideredhimselfathe owners were unable to adapt the bars business model to fictionwriter(hisan online system.first novel is When Tito Loved Clara). After the 2016 elec- tionhasappealedtoMichaud.He tion, he says, I looked at my work,says, Ive actually really enjoyed theCOUNT ON OUR EXPERIENCEandIfoundthatitwasincommen- processofwritingnonfiction,doingLet Us Be Yoursurate with what was going on in theinterviews,doingresearch.Ienjoyed country. He continues, And so whenthe social element of it too. WhereasTrusted Accounting Servicethis Coogans thing came along, I feltif youre a fiction writer, youre just sit-like it was a story that matched theting at your desk all day with people momentbecauseitrancountertothat youre dreaming up in your head,With more than 35 years of 35+what was going on in the news at thatwhich I did for 30 years.expertise, HNQT provides a fullyearstime.Intheaftermathofthecom- AlthoughCoogansisnowgone,array of accounting services with serving your munity rising up and saving the barMichaudhasprovidedaportraitofa personal touch. We specialize in: accounting[in 2018], they spoke directly to that.how a neighborhood bar can enliven,needsThey said, we have an administrationnurture and even improve a commu- accounting payroll taxesthatisanti-immigrant,andwewerenity.Hedrawsaparallelbetweenabookkeeping and writeIRS and state taxjust saved by a bunch of immigrants.neighborhoodbarandthepublicli- up services audits So that finally, I think, is what drewbrary,saying,Duringthefiveyearsincome tax planningestate, gift and trust me to the story. that I was working on the book, I wasand preparation returnsItturnsoutthatwritingnonfic- struck frequently by how similar those(authorized IRS e-filepersonal financialtwoinstitutionsare:howimportantprovider) planningtheyareforencouragingcommuni- compilations, reviewsnon-profit accountingcation and connection among peopleand audits of financialeldercarewho normally wouldnt interact withstatements full complement of eachother,becausetheyareplacesbudgetingother individualized that are open to all, egalitarian in their treatment of people, and spaces thatservicespeople can take and adapt. Coogans became a theater and art gallery, fund-raising space, all of these things, a net-working venue, and the library where I work can be all of those things, too. We show movies, we have poetry read-ings, people run small businesses from ourquietstudyrooms,sotheyare both fundamental to civil society. Last Call at Coogans was released on June 6 by St. Martins Press and can be purchased at Words bookstore and anywhere books are sold.140 Mountain AvenueSuite 201Ellen Donker wishes she had stopped atSpringfield, NJ07081Coogans after attending many a winterPhone:732-499-0707track event at the Armory rather than be- hnqtcpas.comThe Michaud family: Jon with his wifeing in such a hurry to get over the George Zoraida, and sons Thomas (L) and Marcus (R). Washington Bridge.feature story /21'