Monday, March 01, 2004
Bookstore Traveling
This past January the bookstore I was working at announced it was closing. It was a shock because I'd only started in August and, as some people might observe, you'd think it'd take me at least seven months to lose a good job. (The owners were ready to get out of the business and got an offer they couldn't refuse, as it were.)
Which left everyone on the staff looking for new jobs. Luckily we had two months to search and almost everybody found employment of some sort. Mine came in the form of a sales rep position for a respected publisher. I'm ecstatic to get to stay in books, and this new gig has a few perks that I'm definitely enjoying. One of the best is getting to travel and meet great booksellers I've been reading about for years. So in the interest of providing interesting content for Anthem Book Blog readers (all five of ya!), here's my report of great bookstore visits in the first week:
Seminary Co-op (www.SemCoop.com): On the Univ of Illinois-Chicago campus in Hyde Park, this store is in the basement of a gothic style college building. You enter through big wooden castle door and walk through stone archways to find the staircase leading down to a labyrinth of bookshelves. Most of the stock is academic and scholarly titles for the local community (they take the "Seminary" part seriously here). It's fun to see a display table filled with monographs and obscure art books. The Co-op also runs locations at 57th St Books and the Newberry Library (see below).
57th St Books (www.semcoop.com/57thstreet/): A few blocks from the Co-op store is this general independent. They try to have most of the mainstream titles not carried at the other store. I was struck by all the rooms that make up this bookstore. I kept walking back and finding more rooms and more nooks filled with books. The store is on the lower level of an apartment building (lucky bastards above!). I was there during Wednesday storytime, so got the added bonus of cute kids running around picking out books to read to each other.
Newberry Library (www.semcoop.com/newberry/I first heard of the Newberry in Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel "The Time Traveler's Wife" from MacAdam/Cage. The bookstore in the library has great sections for Books on Books (a personal favorite), books on maps, and book arts. I hope to have more time to explore the library soon. They offer public tours on Thusrdays at 3 pm.
Transitions (www.transitionsbookplace.com): I'm skeptical of anything that could be considered "new age", but I love this new age-y store just west of Chicago's Lincoln Park area. It's built into a shopping center with a Whole Foods as the anchor (Brilliant! Bookstores + Whole Foods - Perfect book-buyer/pro-bookstore demographic). I love a bookstore that doesn't have a fiction section (it's called "Visionary Fiction") and no Business books (but you will find a "Prosperity" shelf). I liked the small signs scattered on the shelves, "Shoplifting will ruin your karma and land you in jail" and "Help us stop crime and stay in business. Your cooperation is both needed and appreciated." I'll be stopping by this store for a regular cup of green tea.
Quimby's (www.quimbys.com): This store is a shining example of what's right with America. Filled with obscure 'zines, comics (adult and otherwise), books, and other fringe printed material, Quimby's is not your average bookstore. The logo and signs are by Jimmy Corrigan-artist Chris Ware, the front of the store is filled with racks of small press 'zines sent from all over on consignment, and at the counter you can buy "F@#K Barnes and Noble" bumper stickers. God bless Quimby's. For the most unusual bestseller list go to: http://quimbys.com/top_10.php. Sign up for their mailing list, if nothing else you get a free picture of a cute kitty.
Next store list:
Minneapolis!
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Which left everyone on the staff looking for new jobs. Luckily we had two months to search and almost everybody found employment of some sort. Mine came in the form of a sales rep position for a respected publisher. I'm ecstatic to get to stay in books, and this new gig has a few perks that I'm definitely enjoying. One of the best is getting to travel and meet great booksellers I've been reading about for years. So in the interest of providing interesting content for Anthem Book Blog readers (all five of ya!), here's my report of great bookstore visits in the first week:
Seminary Co-op (www.SemCoop.com): On the Univ of Illinois-Chicago campus in Hyde Park, this store is in the basement of a gothic style college building. You enter through big wooden castle door and walk through stone archways to find the staircase leading down to a labyrinth of bookshelves. Most of the stock is academic and scholarly titles for the local community (they take the "Seminary" part seriously here). It's fun to see a display table filled with monographs and obscure art books. The Co-op also runs locations at 57th St Books and the Newberry Library (see below).
57th St Books (www.semcoop.com/57thstreet/): A few blocks from the Co-op store is this general independent. They try to have most of the mainstream titles not carried at the other store. I was struck by all the rooms that make up this bookstore. I kept walking back and finding more rooms and more nooks filled with books. The store is on the lower level of an apartment building (lucky bastards above!). I was there during Wednesday storytime, so got the added bonus of cute kids running around picking out books to read to each other.
Newberry Library (www.semcoop.com/newberry/I first heard of the Newberry in Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel "The Time Traveler's Wife" from MacAdam/Cage. The bookstore in the library has great sections for Books on Books (a personal favorite), books on maps, and book arts. I hope to have more time to explore the library soon. They offer public tours on Thusrdays at 3 pm.
Transitions (www.transitionsbookplace.com): I'm skeptical of anything that could be considered "new age", but I love this new age-y store just west of Chicago's Lincoln Park area. It's built into a shopping center with a Whole Foods as the anchor (Brilliant! Bookstores + Whole Foods - Perfect book-buyer/pro-bookstore demographic). I love a bookstore that doesn't have a fiction section (it's called "Visionary Fiction") and no Business books (but you will find a "Prosperity" shelf). I liked the small signs scattered on the shelves, "Shoplifting will ruin your karma and land you in jail" and "Help us stop crime and stay in business. Your cooperation is both needed and appreciated." I'll be stopping by this store for a regular cup of green tea.
Quimby's (www.quimbys.com): This store is a shining example of what's right with America. Filled with obscure 'zines, comics (adult and otherwise), books, and other fringe printed material, Quimby's is not your average bookstore. The logo and signs are by Jimmy Corrigan-artist Chris Ware, the front of the store is filled with racks of small press 'zines sent from all over on consignment, and at the counter you can buy "F@#K Barnes and Noble" bumper stickers. God bless Quimby's. For the most unusual bestseller list go to: http://quimbys.com/top_10.php. Sign up for their mailing list, if nothing else you get a free picture of a cute kitty.
Next store list:
Minneapolis!
