Aesop’s Fable bookstore at 400 Washington St in Holliston, MA.
Happy Indie Bookstore Day. I tried to help by illustrating some different independent bookstores to raise awareness on their social media (yes, there may be some typos in this newsletter—I am working as fast as possible, creating as many illustrations of bookstores as I can).
Aside from the new ones, I’ve included two involved in today’s Book Crawl, mixed in with a few favorite bookstores from my book, Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores. I’m sorry for not including all my favorite bookstores—I picked a random few out of the 350 bookstores or so I have illustrated.
I’ll say a few words about origins of that book in the paid subscription portion of this newsletter along with a piece author Garrison Keillor wrote for me about indie bookstores.
Book Culture has multiple locations. This is the one on 536 West 112th St, Manhattan. They also are on 2915 Broadway at 114th St, in Long Island City (26-09 Jackson Ave), and in Pittsford, NY (28 South Main St.
The Fountain Bookshop (803 West 187th, between Fort Washington and Pinehurst Avenue), along with the two Manhattan Book Culture locations, Recirculatio (876 Riverside Dr & 160th St.), Word Up (2113 Amsterdam Ave), and Sisters Uptown Bookstore and Cultural Center, Inc. (1942 Amsterdam Ave.) are doing a Book Crawl today.
Bookstore Crawl! You get a stamp card for each purchase. If you purchase one book from all of the stores, you get entered for a chance to win bookstore prize pack. Not an easy task, but I would imagine it makes your chances of winning the big prize all that greater.
My local bookstore, Fountain Bookshop, sells a fun mug out of my illustration.
Broad Street Books is at 1 Mill St, Branchville, New Jersey. Great bookstore.
The Book Cellar at 4736 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL have been champions of my books from the beginning.
They have even made delicious cookies out of my books, I guess for those who would rather eat my books instead of read them.
Old Town Books at 130 S Royal St, Alexandria, VA.
Oblong Books - Rhinebeck in 6422 Montgomery St., Rhinebeck, NY, where I have done at two or three book events and always love visiting.
I was introduced to the Alabama Booksmith by author Tracy Chevalier (Girl With the Pearl Earring) They are located at 2626 19th Pl S, Homewood, AL.
They display ALL their books cover out––and I love covers. Here is my secret site, I Love Covers, where I share some of the over 50 covers I have done. EVERY book at the Alabama Booksmith is signed by the author!
The relatively new, Dockside Books, in 204 Bridge St. Charlevoix Michigan.
I actually plan to visit Tree Lives & Company bookstore next week and will be definitely buying books. Special thanks to author Natalie Jenner (The Jane Austin Society) for helping me support this landmark bookshop. They are at 154 W 10th St, New York, NY.
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So, just a word about Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores, before I share Garrison’s piece. It began as an assignment for The New Yorker, walking around the city drawing the exteriors of some iconic bookstores and thinking of interesting things to say about them. It exploded into its own animal, with my agent being contacted from Penguin Random about turning it into a book and then me, diving into the world of bookstores and learning all about the business.
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