Around Indies

Community Rallies ’Round Charis

After a successful literary event at Atlanta’s Charis Books & More, one of the oldest feminist bookstores in the country, the store was hit with anti-gay graffiti, reported the GA Voice. But the community has rallied to make donations to Charis Circle, which pays for the upkeep of the building, and many volunteers helped prime the side of the building that was covered in graffiti, in preparation for a future community mural.

“I am from the school that if they are gunning for you then you are doing something right,” said Elizabeth Anderson, executive director of Charis Circle, the nonprofit arm of Charis Books & More. “It means politically you are valuable. To me it means we are doing good work.”

Curious Reader Opens Its Doors

Last Sunday, The Curious Reader, a children’s bookstore, opened in Glen Rock, New Jersey. The store, owned by Jim Morgan, a former member of the Ridgewood Board of Education, has filled a void in the community that was left after Books, Bytes, and Beyond closed its storefront earlier this year. Morgan said his past experience in education is helping him to build the store’s inventory, as is the expertise of his daughter, Sally Morgan, who helped manage Books, Bytes, and Beyond for eight years.

“Working on the board of education gives me an appreciation for childhood literacy,” Jim Morgan told the Ridgewood Patch. “Once you start reading, if you do it right, the world’s your oyster.”

The Curious Reader, which will continue to fill out its inventory in the coming weeks, offers books for children of all ages –– from budding early readers to young adults. A significant portion of the store will be organized by reading level, which Morgan is modeling after local classroom libraries.

Newtonville Celebrates 15 Years

Today, October 10, marks the 15^th anniversary of Newtonville Books in Newtonville, Massachusetts. To celebrate, the bookstore is welcoming special guests including authors Claire Messud, Atul Gawande, Jonathan Lethem, Meredith Goldstein, and others.

Newtonville Books is owned by Mary Cotton and Jamie Clark, who purchased the store in 2007.

Lift Bridge in Search of Serious Buyer

After 42 years in the business, Archie and Pat Kutz, the owners of Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, New York, are ready to retire and are looking for a serious buyer.

Lift Bridge, which opened in 1972, offers a diverse inventory of books and non-book items, as well as a fully developed online and in-store textbook business.

The bookstore has a strong reputation for community service and is a meeting space for groups of all kinds, including book clubs, writers’ groups, occasional workshops, and a regular Saturday Salon book signing opportunity for local authors. It also offers a full schedule of children’s programs.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the owners directly at (585) 637-2260, or via e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]