Happy Independent Bookstore Day
Supporting indie bookstores feels good and does good.
After returning home last night following a weeklong vacation, I was made to re-enter the world today, via fulfilling my mom duty and driving my son to meet friends to go thrift store shopping in a small town 25 minutes from our neighborhood, itself rife with vintage clothing stores. But I was happy to take him. With computer and notebooks in tow, my plan was to camp out in a local coffee shop in Monrovia (the setting of Miranda July’s All Fours) until he was done and get back to the work I’d had to put on hold the previous week. Sure beat doing laundry.
I didn’t find the imagined coffee shop. Instead I stumbled into Black Cat Fables, an independent bookstore tucked into an alleyway off Myrtle Ave. I settled onto a purple velour couch. A yellow throw pillow designed to look like a spring chicken supported my back. While a steady stream of patrons filtered into the small space, I worked and wrote. It was all so dang pleasant. I was content and inspired by the books surrounding me. When my son texted that he was soon ready to go, I browsed the shelves, running my hands along hardback books with gorgeous covers. I decided to buy Amy Griffin’s The Tell. One of my writing clients told me about it when it came out last month, and it’s certainly been a hot pick since. What a perfect accidental way to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day!
Independent bookstores promote reading, community, and diverse voices. All good stuff currently under threat by the current administration. Here is Black Cat Fables’ DEI statement (yes, they still exist!): Black Cat Fables is proudly woman-owned and operated. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all are valued and respected. We celebrate diversity and believe that everyone deserves a place to explore, create, and connect. Hate speech will not be tolerated.
If you didn’t make it to an indie bookstore today, there’s always tomorrow! (LA Times Festival of Books is also this weekend, but I am draaaaging my feet as I reintegrate into normal life.) Three of my fav independent bookstores are Vroman’s in Pasadena, [words] Bookstore in Maplewood, NJ, and Whistlestop Bookshop in Carlisle, PA. Where do you love shopping for books?