A Visual Tour of The Midtown Scholar

Have you ever been to Harrisburg?  A little more than an hour away from Philadelphia, and right next to Amish land of Lancaster/chocolate mecca of Hershey, the capital of Pennsylvania is a strange place.

Image from Sperling's Best Places

It's surrounded by farmland.  It's the seat of powerful, government action.  There is tremendous wealth here, but also extreme poverty.  There is a strong vein of conservatism among many of the residents, but Harrisburg also hosts a burgeoning arts and cultural scene that promotes and celebrates diversity, inclusiveness, and empathy.  One actor in this progressive trend is Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

While they have an active, but slightly clunky, website with tons and tons of books that ship anywhere, the true experience requires setting foot into their physical bookstore.  1302 North 3rd Street used to be a department store and a theater, but I can't imagine it being anything other than this book lover's utopia.  There are so many nooks and crannies, hidden spaces and curated areas that you could easily spend all day here.  Since they serve food and drinks, you literally could!  Here's a pictorial tour of the Midtown Scholar, showing off some of my favorite areas.

When you first walk through the door, you'll find tables of small press books, new releases, and books for visiting authors.  In the past year, Midtown Scholar has definitely upped their book tour game, with local and national authors stopping by a few times every month.

On one side, you'll find the cash register and the cafe.  I don't know about you, but if there is coffee to be had while book shopping, I will have it.  Thinking about coffee and books must engage similar synapses in my brain.

The other side of the room is shelving of curated collections, graphic novels, and social awareness books.  So far, these books have all been new, but the rest of Midtown Scholar is made up of high quality used books.  Just beyond that area is the amazing Famous Authors section.  There are SO MANY shelves full of books by/about well-known authors including Margaret Atwood, Geoffrey Chaucer, Zora Neale Hurston, and Evelyn Waugh, among hundreds of others.  If you're looking for Classics of the Western Cannon, this is the place to check out.

In between two of the Famous Author shelves is a doorway into the Children's book section and the cookbook/food writing books.

At the back of the main floor is a set of stairs up to the Art Books section, which has massively tall shelves replete with a library ladder.  I've wanted so badly to jump on the ladder and coast around the stacks, but haven't gotten up the courage yet.  Afraid of making a fool of myself?  Definitely.

Leaving the art section, there's a walkway around the upstairs side, with shelves that sometimes hold fiction or other in-transition sections of books during re-shelving.  Continuing along the walkway, you run into the Quiet Area section, where screens are not allowed.  Ex-library pews await, arranged for your peaceful, reverent, reading pleasure.

On the other side of the sitting area live the music/dance/film/drama/poetry areas.  From the edge, you can peer down and spy on what the other shoppers are browsing.  A perfect people-watching spot!

At the end of this area (which is the beginning of the poetry section), walk down the steps to find yourself at the back of the cafe area.  Keep going toward the Art section but instead take the steps down.  Here's where the main non-fiction section of Midtown Scholar lives.  Right in front of you is the Local Interest shelf, with books about the Harrisburg area, small-press books from local authors, and other interesting things.  Beyond, there are so many sections, broken down into even smaller subsections, that it behooves you to just wander up and down the rows.

Continue down the next set of steps, to even more non-fiction goodness.  On the floor, you'll notice stickers directing you toward Robertson's Rare Books room.  Follow those stickers, to find a beautiful room stocked with Ex Libris bookplates, antique books, prints, and other fascinating objects.

Around the corner of the Robertson's area live the antiquarian books, with older titles in great condition mixed with very, very old books in the most interesting bindings.

Just when you're sure that you have entered another time zone, you'll find the very last section of Midtown Scholar.  There are small rooms for exercise, humor, social studies, and travel.  Before my first trip to The Netherlands, I unexpectedly found a book here called My 'Dam Life by Sean Condon.  Serendipity certainly abounds at the Midtown Scholar.

Now, all you have to to is retrace your steps to head back upstairs and to the cash register, to purchase that mountain of books you've gathered during your excavation adventure!


If you ever find yourself in southern Pennsylvania, do plan to stop by and have a browse!  You'll thank me.

Librorum annis,

My Indie Bookstore Day

It just so happened that the weekend my partner and I were in New York City was the same weekend of Independent Bookstore Day.  I only get to the city once or twice a year, so with the whole of Manhattan at my fingertips, I knew that I had to visit a few bookshops.  I almost always pop into The Strand, because it's so huge and full of nooks and crannies that are just perfect for browsing, but this time I decided to seek out other indie bookstores.  Of course, there were so many that I wanted to visit, but just didn't have the time.  Here is a rundown of my bookish adventures:

Posman Books, Chelsea Market

In the hustle and bustle of Chelsea Market - chocked full of restaurants, tourist shops, craft stalls, Food Network - there exists the bright and modern Posman Books outpost.  It's actually a bit cavernous, with low ceilings and a long space, giving shoppers the impression that it goes on and on and on...and I wish that it did.  Especially inviting was the whistle seat in the children's section, which is at the very back of the store.  If there hadn't been a pre-teen curled up there reading, I might've tried to squeeze my adult self into it.  Maybe next time.

The store is clearly and conveniently laid out, with tables of books in the front, organized into neat stacks, and more books on shelves against the wall.  In fact, my clumsy self was very conscious of those tables, with books stacked many volumes tall, for fear of knocking them to the floor.  I had visions of myself bumping into a stack, and sending an entire table of books to the floor, like displays of navel oranges in a grocery store.  Thankfully the store wasn't too packed, and I (and the books) survived unscathed. 

Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe, SoHo

Part of the Housing Works charity organization, this bookshop sells new and used books, movies, and music; hosts a diverse array of literary and community events; and provides employment and volunteering opportunities.  The space is large and very inviting, with dark wood shelves, spiral staircases and plentiful lighting.  In fact, it looks just like my dream home library.  This is a place I could easily spend all day browsing, and I hope to someday be in town to attend one of their events.  

There is a cafe in the back that sells coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches, beer and wine, and other tasty treats.  It was a very hot day when we stopped in, and we were grateful for the free water dispenser.  All of the proceeds from the bookstore and cafe go back to the philanthropy, so giving them your money is good for you and the community.  An added perk was that all items were 30% off for Indie Bookstore Day, so I definitely didn't walk out of there empty handed.

The aims of Housing Works are to end the plights of HIV/AIDS and homelessness through advocacy, entrepreneurial businesses, and community services.  Read more about Housing Works here.

McNally Jackson Books, SoHo

Literally just around the corner from Housing Works is McNally Jackson Books, a modern and crisply organized bookshop, with an unbelievable range of books.  There are extensive Staff Picks, a whole shelf devoted to chapbooks, and even a hilariously tongue-in-cheek section of recommendations by contentious political figures.  My favorite was Steve Bannon recommending Sinclair Lewis' satirical, anti-fascist novel It Can't Happen Here with "challenge accepted".

I was gobsmacked by the depth and breadth of international and translated works that are stocked at McNally Jackson, organized by country/area of origin, making it incredibly simple to choose books from just about anywhere around the world.  The bookshop also has a full-service cafe and hosts a wide variety of events.  There are also quite a few autographed copies of books available, so if that's your fancy you would be many options from which to choose. 

Three Lives Books & Company, Greenwich Village

Walking into Three Lives & Co. is like passing through a portal into another world - civilized world, where calm and sensibility prevail.  The city melts away and you're in a piece of heaven, with dark wood shelves, exposed brick, and a masterfully curated library.  My ideal of what a bookstore can be, and a true gem in this neighborhood.  Despite its small size, I could easily spend hours perusing the shelves and finding books I've never seen before and can't possibly live without.  There are works from small presses, interesting editions of classic books, and thoughtful collections of poetry, among many other books.  There's no coffee, no food (although someone had brought in a plate of brownies for Indie Bookstore Day), just books books books! 

I had a really fantastic time, visiting some new-to-me bookshops around Manhattan.  There are so many more that I want to visit, the next time I have a weekend in the city, but I can't help but think I'll be back to visit some of these as well.  I just love how each shop is curated and arranged so that it has a personality and character all its own.  Everyone, go out (or go online) and support independent bookshops!  As for the books I truly couldn't live without, here they are:

• Six Decades at Yaddo by John Cheever, Malcolm Cowley, Eleanor Clark, Alfred Kazin, Hortense Calisher, Gail Godwin - Six authors provide brief, personal essays of their time spent at the artist's retreat Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY.  I spent a few years in Saratoga Sprints, and visited the beautiful Yaddo gardens often.  While I doubt I'll ever be accepted for a residency there, the colony is a place that will always be fascinating to me (Yaddo)
• The Little Buddhist Monk & The Proof by Cesar Aira, translated by Nick Caistor - Two short stories in one book, comparing East and West.  The cover photo is of a pile of french fries, so how can it be bad!  This will be my first Aira, and I'm so excited to dive in. (New Directions)
• Notes on My Dunce Cap by Jesse Ball - A revolutionary pedagogical text, encouraging the reader to re-think traditional, hierarchical power structures in the classroom.  I'm planning on reading this in tandem with a re-read of bell hook's Teaching to Transgress, for my own classroom use. (Pioneer Works)
• Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski - If I see a Persephone Books edition out in the wild, and I don't already own it, there's a good chance I'll pick it up.  That's the case with this one - a used Persephone Classics edition that is in fantastic shape. (Persephone Books)
• Such Small Hands by Andres Barba, translated by Edmund White - Not a book about Donald Trump, in case you were wondering!  Mariana arrives at the orphanage, very different from the other girls, and has difficulty finding acceptance.  The story is told, alternately, from Mariana's perspective and from a collective chorus of the other orphanage girls. (Transit Books)
• Olio by Tyehimba Jess - Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection that incorporates song, story, fact, and narrative to talk about African American entertainers who worked during the Civil War era through World War 1. (Wave Books)

Did you visit any bookshops during Independent Bookstore Day?  Which did you visit, and what books did you find?




Librorum annis,

Visiting Dupont - Kramerbooks & Afterwords

I'm no stranger to bookstore tourism, which you can read about here and here.  I had plans to spend a weekend in Washington D.C. recently, so of course I had to check out the map to see if there were any bookstores nearby.  It turns out - there were!

As I had already visited the other iconic bookstore of the area, Politics and Prose, I was so excited to pay a visit to Kramerbooks & Afterwords!  When my Uber dropped me off outside, I was struck by just how small the space seemed, and how many books there were.  Once inside, however, I saw that there was much more than meets the eye.

The space itself feels cavernous, with high ceilings stacked high with a huge selection of books.  On the walk from the entryway, there are books piled on tables and displays.  It feels like you've entered a literary wonderland.

I spent most of my time scouring the fiction section, which took up a whole wall.  There were the paperback copies of books you'd expect to see in any bookstore, like "the classics" and other perennial favorites.  What I was delighted to find was that, hidden amongst the populace were a surprising selection of books from very small presses.  It's funsies just to be around books, but encountering new-to-you things is the real reason I love visiting bookshops.  I walked away with three books from indie presses -

One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses by Lucy Corin (McSweeney's)
Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli (Coffeehouse Press)
The Revolutionaries Try Again by Mauro Javier Cardenas (Coffeehouse Press)

In the very back of the bookshop is a dedicated cafe, serving coffee, cocktails, and meals.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to try it out, but I will make a point to do so on my next visit. The shop is open from 7:30am-1:00am every day, except Friday and Saturday when they're open until 3:00am - so I have no excuse not to stop in next time I'm in town. Thanks for a great first experience, Kramerbooks!

Librorum annis

Bookish Tourism - New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is known as The Big Easy, and for good reason.  There is so much to see, do, and eat, but there's never a rush.  Explore.  Stroll around.  Take it easy.  New Orleans has a burgeoning literary culture, partly rooted in its history, but firmly planted in modern day.  This is shown through the many amazing bookstores, the authors writing in and about the area, and the committed people publishing the books.  On my most recent trip, I spent a lovely few days soaking up as much of the literary as I could, while still taking it easy.  Here are a few of the highlights -

Faulkner House Books

Located in the building where William Faulkner lived and wrote his first novel, Soldier's Pay, Faulkner House Books is a treasure trove of amazing literature of all types.  Upon entering this compact, elegant, charming space you immediately feel transported to another world.  There are plenty of Faulkner tomes here, as well as some rare and antiquarian finds; everything is thoughtfully curated.  I ended up leaving with a copy of Soldier's Pay (it seemed wrong not to, considering) and a collection of essays called Southern Bound: A Gulf Coast Journalist on Books, Writers, and Literary Pilgrimages of the Heart by John S. Sledge.  I have since read the Faulkner and, while I didn't love the story, I will always have the memories of buying the book in the space where it was written.  You can find more about them here.

Arcadian Books & Prints

About a block north of Faulkner House Books stands Arcadian Books & Prints, a bookshop that also invokes feelings of being transported to another world.  This world, however, is much more haphazard and...magical.  Books are stacked floor to ceiling, in mismatched cabinets, on rickety tables.  It was a literary labyrinth to navigate, finding antique and new books alike.  I was almost afraid to pick up some for fear that a whole shelf might collapse around me, in a dramatic avalanche.  What a way to go!  This didn't happen, but I did get the sense that the shop itself was being held up by books and magic, rather than walls.  The shopkeeper's desk also seemed to be made of books, and he would happily (if not a bit crankily) discuss anything New Orleans and literature with the patrons.  And the bookshop has the most amazing, Rory Gilmore-smelling-a-book scent!  I ended up choosing the essay collection Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas by Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca Snedeker.

Librairie Bookshop

A more quaint and austere New Orleans bookshop, yet not without character, is Librairie Bookshop. Well-lit and spacious, yet very much a treasured hole-in-the-wall institution, this bookstore has a wide array of titles, but focuses on New Orleans-area literature and maps.  The aisles are filled with literary quotes handwritten on note cards, giving shoppers inspiration.  I left with a copy of New Orleans Jazz by Edward J. Branley.

Crescent City Books

At the time I visited, Crescent City Books had just completed a move into its new home on Baronne Street.  While very bright and open, especially compared to Arcadian Books, this shop is deceivingly full of great books, maps, and prints.  It's also the southern outpost of Black Widow Press, a micropress focusing on translated and contemporary poetry.  The bookshop also has a delightful resident cat, named Isabelle.  After receiving belly skritches, she was happy to recommend me her favorite books by rubbing her head on them.  Read more about the bookshop, and see extensive photos of the building (including the airplane body doorway here.  I ended up with Errata by Michael Allen Zell and City Without People: The Katrina Poems by Niyi Osundare.

Garden District Bookshop

Nestled in the gloriously air-conditioned and homey Rink Shopping Center, Garden District Bookshop is a spacious and beautifully cozy space.  Anne Rice is a local author, and there is a large space devoted to her work, so any fan would do well to make a stop here.  There are frequent author events, and information about them, as well as the shop itself, can be found on their website.  None were happening when I was in town, but I hope to be able to coordinate a trip so that I can attend one!  Most of the stock in this delightful shop were new releases, and significant space is made for signed copies.  My partner, a John Grisham fan, was delighted to find a signed, first edition of his book Rogue Lawyer.  I came away with a signed copy of Joseph Boyden's The Orenda. 






There were so many other bookish places I wanted to visit, but just didn't have the time - Maple Street Book Shop, the New Orleans Literary Festival, the Backspace Bar & Kitchen, touring Anne Rice's home, exploring Hotel Monteleone, and more.  There are so many reasons for me to trek back for another holiday!  If you haven't been there yet, I hope that I've inspired you to make a bookish trip to the Big Easy.  If there are other literary events or locations that I should check out on a future vacation, please let me know!



Librorum annis

Bookstore Tourism - Politics & Prose

I had the pleasure of paying my first visit to the main location of Politics & Prose bookshop in Washington, DC. last Friday evening. Opened in 1984, P&P is one of the most iconic bookstores in the Washington DC area, and indeed in the entire country.  One of my favorite food/cooking television personalities, Alton Brown, was on tour promoting his new cookbook Alton Brown Everyday, and made a stop in DC to have a chat and sign copies of the book.  As it was my first time at P&P, I knew I wanted some time to have a browse and get something to eat in the downstairs cafe.  The event started at 7:00pm and I arrived around 3:30pm.

View of the main entrance from Connecticut Ave.
The white rectangle is a sign promoting the author events that night. 

The bookstore is in a strip-mall, on busy Connecticut Ave NW, and all of the businesses share a small car lot in the back.  I was able to find a parking spot right away, but parking was tight and I can imagine that, at certain times of the day, it could be very frustrating to get in and out.  Many of my fellow bookshoppers said that they use Uber to get to P&P, and I can completely understand why.  The closest subway station is a 20 minute walk away, while there are plentiful bus stops within a few blocks.

From the parking lot, you enter directly into the cafe, called The Den, where I immediately ordered a coffee drink.  The weather was, for me, ideal book shopping conditions - chilly and rainy with overcast skies.  On days like this, I love nothing more than a hot beverage and endless stacks of books!  In addition to the cafe, the bottom floor is also home to the Children's Books area, a large selection of occasion cards, and remaindered books.  There were plenty of seats available, and a long table where a children's literacy group was holding a meeting.

Remaindered Cookbook Corner

Upstairs is the main book shopping area, with lots of new releases, reprints, and even an Opus print-on-demand device where readers can request printed copies of in-print and out-of-print books, via archival scans. The layout of the bookshop is very open and organized. It was easy, and very enjoyable, to browse about for hours.  And I did just that.

The week of September 25 - October 1, 2016 was Banned Books Week, and P&P was certainly participating in it.  You can read more about Banned Books Week here.  There was a large, beautiful window display about censorship and celebrating the freedom to read diversely.  Inside the store, there was a thoughtful display of books that have traditionally/historically/continually been challenged or banned.

                             

In conjunction with Banned Books Week, the DC Public Library System held a week-long series of events called #Uncensored.  As part of this, the library system put special covers over hundreds of copies of the six the most-often challenged books across the USA.  Copies of those books were hidden all around DC in spots like libraries and partner businesses, as an urban scavenger hunt.  When you "find" one of these books in the wild, it's yours to keep for free!

I found a copy of Alice Walker's The Color Purple with "SMUT" printed on the extra cover.
Here is another book, just waiting for someone to come across it!

The Alton Brown event was a big draw, and the bookshop was PACKED with people!  I had gone downstairs to get some dinner in the cafe (root vegetable salad and mushroom soup - yum!), and by the time I came back upstairs around 6:00 there were already a lot of people seated and waiting.  Alton Brown was great - very enthusiastic and personable, full of stories and anecdotes from his past work on the food TV shows Good Eats, Iron Chef America, Feasting on Asphalt, and Cutthroat Kitchen.

After his presentation was over, Alton was willing to sign books or other ephemera the people brought.  I saw one woman, a few rows in front of me, with a ceramic turkey pepper shaker.  He was also taking pictures with everyone, so it was a very long evening, It was worth it, though!  I had a wonderful time and can't wait to visit Politics & Prose again!



Librorum annis