A Cappella Celebrates 20 Years

When Atlanta's A Cappella Books opened in 1989, it was exclusively a used, out-of-print, and collectible bookstore in less than 750 square feet, with fewer than 1,000 books, no employees, no cash register, no computer, and almost no money. Twenty years later, said owner Frank Reiss, "Our shop is still small. We don't think of ourselves as specialists, but, as our name indicates, books about music are a big part of what we are identified with. But we carry what we think of as the most interesting books being published currently, as well as a carefully picked selection of used and out-of-print titles."

To commemorate its 20th anniversary, on December 5 and 6, A Cappella is hosting a "Weekend of 20 Authors," featuring local writers talking, not just about their own books, but about their favorite books by others. "International bestseller Marc Fitten is going to talk about Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, the book that made him want to become a writer," explained Reiss. "Pulitzer prize-winner Hank Klibanoff is going to talk about Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and its resonance in today's difficult environment for books. The hilarious Hollis Gillespie is going to discuss the much more serious Joan Didion (Book of Common Prayer), and memoirist Jessica Handler is going to share a memoir that influenced her own writing, Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard." A Cappella will also have live music from local artists who have been involved in store events over the years, and prizes and snacks.

Reiss has a long history in bookselling. He's the son of Jake Reiss, III, owner of The Alabama Booksmith in Birmingham, Alabama, and his brother, Jake Reiss, IV, and his uncle, Norman Reiss, were also booksellers.

Frank Reiss managed Acorn Books, an antiquarian bookstore in San Francisco, in the early '80s before returning to his hometown, Atlanta, to open A Cappella, which was recently ranked Best Independent Bookstore by Atlanta's Creative Loafing. "The closest thing Atlanta had to San Francisco was Little Five Points, so that's where I set up shop," he said.

Reiss said that what the building where the now 2,000-square-foot store is located lacked in historical charm, the neighborhood more than made up for. "Despite being in Atlanta's bohemian district with nice walkable streets (one of which we were on for most of our history), we are in a strip shopping center between a fantastic pizza parlor and, even rarer than an independent bookstore these days, an independent pharmacy. What the building lacks in character, it makes up for by being more visible than our old space and having convenient parking."

The general bookstore, which stocks about 15,000 titles, shares the space with a photo gallery, where they sometimes hold events. Though it has shifted to general titles, A Cappella still maintains an excellent selection of titles about music and shies away from stocking a lot of bestsellers. "And as far as political books go," said Reiss, "you won't find the new Sarah Palin book or Glenn Beck at A Cappella."

What you will find is Nami Mun's Miles From Nowhere, Reiss' current favorite handsell. "It's dark, but it's very beautifully written, reminiscent of Hubert Selby, Jr. A couple of local favorites (and among our 20 authors who will help us celebrate) are Amanda Gable's The Confederate General Rides North and Susan Rebecca White's Bound South."

What has helped A Cappella remain viable, and the trait that Reiss is proudest of, is the bookstore's ability to react and respond to a constantly shifting retail landscape. "We were early sellers on the Internet, and when that became as much of a curse as a blessing (the bottom dropped out of the collectible book market), we segued into doing more with new books and author events. We're a very different business than we were in 1989."

Still, while A Cappella has long withstood pressures from the economy, online book sales, and big box stores, Reiss said, "To be honest, the future is a bit uncertain. As much adapting as we've done to survive, we still haven't landed in a place where we've confident that we can provide a needed niche in a profitable way for a whole lot longer. We're just going to keep working hard and trying to work smart and hope we stumble upon a formula that doesn't just work but actually pays off." --Karen Schechner