BTW Articles

Coleen Harty of Madison, Wisconsin, has spent years perusing the vast category of personal growth books and tapes. Beginning March 1, she will be putting her knowledge into practice and helping others navigate the self-help arena in her own bookstore, Invest in Yourself. Harty, a long-time employee of the Middletown, Wisconsin-based Pleasant Company, founder of the American Girl dynasty, is opening the 1,500-square-foot store, also in Middletown.

Another well-known New York City independent bookstore is looking for a last-minute reprieve. Just two weeks after announcing that her store was up for sale, Bluestockings Women's Bookstore owner Kathryn Welsh told BTW that the store would close at the end of February unless a buyer materializes before then. The news comes less than a week after Deacon Maccubbin announced he had purchased the landmark gay and lesbian bookstore Oscar Wilde Bookshop, just prior to the store's scheduled closing.

Sometimes there's more to an investment than just profits. That was certainly the case when Deacon Maccubbin, owner of Lambda Rising, decided to take over operations of the New York City independent Oscar Wilde Bookshop.

The Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA) has announced the winners of its annual Regional Book Awards, which are presented to outstanding books published in 2002 that are set in the Mountains and Plains region.

The Regional Book Award Winners are: