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Interview with Jenny Shima, owner of The Literary

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by Brett Ashley Kaplan

The Literary has become a central hub in downtown Champaign, Illinois, since it opened in 2021. Champaign-Urbana is a micro-urban college town about one hundred and thirty miles south of Chicago. I’ve lived here for 23 years. At first, it was a struggle—it’s safe to say that Champaign is significantly quieter than my native New York. Over the years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the community, for the town, and of course, for the University of Illinois, where I have served on the faculty as a Professor of Comparative and World Literature and the Director of the Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide, Memory Studies. The Literary has done a lot to enrich our community!

When Jaynie asked us to pick a local bookstore and interview the owner for BookBound, I immediately thought of The Literary! It’s not just a bookstore: it’s a café, a wine bar, a meeting place. They host book launches, knitting circles, children’s reading hour, and book clubs (and more!). I’ve had many writing group meetings at The Literary wherein we all discussed each other’s work whilst sipping wine or kombucha. I’ve spent many hours there with a cappuccino and my laptop, wrestling with my fiction or answering endless streams of email. There are couches, comfy chairs, stools, and proper tables so you can pick your spot. They also satisfy the urges of notebook addicts like me and my daughters, and we’ve often purchased sturdy blank ones or mugs or silly earrings. The Literary hosted the book launch for my first novel, Rare Stuff, during which I had the great pleasure to be in conversation with the inimitable Deke Weaver. The joint was bursting at the seams, and everyone enjoyed a glass or wine or other beverage as we chatted. It was a memorable evening for which I am super grateful!

On 5 February 2026, I sat down with Jenny Shima, The Literary’s owner. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Is there a connection with the community centered bakery and coffee shop, Hopscotch?

I started The Literary in 2021, when we thought the pandemic was over the first time and it was really exciting. I wanted to create it because I’d lived here for a few years and thanks to the pandemic, hadn’t made any friends. So I figured if I build it they will come, you know? We all had such a desperate need to learn how to reconnect again after that isolating experience, and I wanted to create the opportunity to share community again. When we opened our doors, we were under the impression that the pandemic was dying down and of course, three days after we opened our doors they said, ‘Just kidding Delta is now in existence and we’re going back to masks.’ Somehow we made it through, but when we opened, it was with Hopscotch Bakery. I’d never met the owner before and sort of impulsively I was like, ‘Hey, you’ve got a cute place. You’re doing good stuff. Let’s get together,’ and we did! They were with us providing coffee and food for a little under two years and then the owner moved to Boise and we started our own kitchen and café in their absence. I had never set out to open a restaurant, it just wasn’t in my life plan, but here we are and it turns out it’s really fun.

What kind of vibe were you seeking and maybe not finding in extant bookshops in the city?

I designed The Literary like my own home and with inspiration from places that I admire; I wanted this space to be warm. I wanted it to be comfortable. One of the gripes I have about the big box bookstores was that they have no place to sit and read the books, which is probably strategic because they want you to purchase and then leave. I wanted a place for people to soak up the books, to find out if it’s a match, before you take it home with you. Maybe while you’re here somebody else is reading a similar book and you strike up a conversation. It was also important to me that we had a lot of art in here to spark imagination and make sure that we’re representing a lot of different kinds of people and a lot of different experiences of reading.

Do you ever showcase local artists?

We do! Not as much as I would like to because we just don’t have a lot of space—our walls are covered in books for the most part!—but we do a tiny art show every year on our large wall in the café. We have an original mural by Leslie Kimble on that wall now and she did a great job. It’s not much, but that’s what we’re able to do with our space and it’s a lovely way to bring art and books together.

Awesome! What kind of books do you like?

Oh my gosh, I have historically loved capital L literature but I have more recently fallen in love with fantasy books. Most recently, I’ve loved Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. Each book is about one thousand pages and it reads forever which I love. There’s no such thing a book that’s too big in my opinion. I also loved the My Brilliant Friend series by Elena Ferrante—I’ve never read writing like hers. What is the magic behind her pen? Every sentence is just impactful, incredible. I lived in Louisville when I was reading that series and I read the first book while I was very, very pregnant during a rare snowstorm. When I finished the first book I put on my boots—I couldn’t drive because it was too snowy—and walked to the independent bookstore, Carmichaels, and got the second book because I couldn’t wait. I had to read it right away! I’ve also made a point of trying to read outside my genre and I surprised myself with a Western, Lonesome Dove, that I absolutely fell in love with. It was such a beautiful story, it’s well written and the characters have incredible development. I’m reading Ronald Takaki’s Strangers from a Different Shore right now, I’m only just beginning—it’s a big book!

Are there any book clubs that The Literary hosts?

Oh yes, we have a lot of book clubs—our booksellers each host a book club every month and they choose any book they like. Some book clubs are interest-based, for example, we have a science fiction/fantasy book club that always reads a different title in that genre. It’s a lot of fun. We have a book buyer here whose name is Cale, and their job title is Book Wizard; they choose all the books that we have. This used to be my role but I’m really happy to pass the torch because they have a lot more time to dedicate to curating our collection. We try hard to respond to what the community is looking for when we choose books and we also rely on our special orders. We have a lot of people who order books that we don’t have in the shop and that’s how we meet a lot of cool new books that were not our radar. Many of them end up on our shelves!

Good to know! I’ve special ordered a couple of books through The Literary because I decided a long time ago that I would never use a certain big online retailer again. I closed my account completely. So, I special order often, but I didn’t realize that it could impact the choices an independent bookstore makes. Readers, take note! Your choices matter!

When we pick up a special order we are often like, ‘Oh my God, this looks amazing!’ So, our community is actively curating our collection as well, which is really kind of great.

Yes, that’s really awesome! So, then my next question is about Champaign: do you feel like The Literary is very specific to this town or is it a sort of recipe that could be exported anywhere? Or does it thrive on its interface with this community?

I don’t know. I will know more if we open a second store—we are not thinking of doing anything right now; I think my instinct is that we’ve become very specific to Champaign, our collection is reflective of our community and we do so much with our local organizations and nonprofits that I’d imagine we’re quite Champaign specific at this point. I’d imagine the reading tastes would be different in another place; it’s something I’m curious about. For example, the advice when you open a new bookstore is to have a huge romance section because romance readers keep your doors open and that’s what I did when I opened, but it didn’t move that well. Turns out sci-fi/fantasy is the section that resonates with so many people in Champaign-Urbana—that is one of our biggest sections.

I am seeing lots of people here at all your book launches and book talks; recently I came to Gus Woods’ launch of Class Warfare in Black Atlanta and I could barely fit in the door! It’s amazing when you draw such a big crowd—that was lovely to see people really coming out for those things!

They do! We try really hard to support local authors as well as we can. We’re always trying to iterate and get better at everything we do and we have a dedicated events person who runs all of our events.

All the ones I’ve been to have been absolutely great. OK, next topic! How do you see the literary world with the idea floating around that people aren’t reading or that people’s attention spans are atrophying. I feel like I see the opposite, especially with bookstores like this. People are turning away from big online shopping outlets. People are in local stores. I’ve been living here for 23 years but I’m from New York City, and when I go to the Strand or McNally Jackson they are packed with people looking, browsing, reading, and I’m just curious what do you think? Are you seeing a ballooning of reading?

That is such an interesting question; I think both can be true. I think that in general, our attention spans are a whole lot shorter than they were in the ’90s. This change is by necessity and how we live our lives and the technology with which we interface. But I think it’s also true that there has been a massive shift to exactly what we’re talking about: supporting small businesses, buying things that are aligned with our values, and having an intentionality about what you’re reading and what you’re exposing yourself to and the choices that you’re making. Purchasing is resistance and choosing where your money goes is a political thing and I think it’s a really positive change. It gives me a lot of hope for the counter measures that are happening against our very centralized monopolistic economy and culture. For example, Indie Bookstore Day has usually been a nice day for us, but it’s not been tremendously remarkable, but last year was huge. I mean, our Book Wizard and our General Manager and I spent the whole day crying because of the incredible turnout we had that day. Our community came out and supported us and bought a ton of books and it was a direct reaction to an online retailer having their major book sale during Indie Bookstore Day. It was a very meaningful act of resistance and investment in something that belongs to this community.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about The Literary? Maybe what you’re hoping for in the future?

I’ve been feeling a lot of deep gratitude for this community. It’s hard to run a bookstore—bookstores operate on 10% smaller margins than any other retailer just right off the bat; it’s the only industry where the prices of the product are printed on the back. Your margins are decided not by you, but by the publisher. The fact that we’re still here in spite of that is huge and all thanks to our community. And then when you have instances like when SNAP Benefits were canceled and we decided to donate meals to people who were suffering—we invited the community to join us and they raised nearly $20,000 in two weeks—I never ever dreamed that was possible. When the community shows up for each other it’s the thread of hope that we all need. It continues to happen over and over again: there’s so much goodness that I see in the people who come here. It’s those lovely people who are not only helping us choose our books through their special orders, they’re also shaping this little shop into what they want it to be. It’s been fun to watch it evolve, I also love how little control I have had over how it grows and what it becomes. It’s been incredible. I can’t wait to see what happens next and my hands are off the wheel. We are just here responding.

It’s February, Black History month, and I see a Frederick Douglass biography prominently displayed along several other books that resonate. You’re responding.

I’m just grateful for this community and you know we’re in turbulent times, but there is a very strong counterculture out there that’s thriving.

Yes!

So, you have another novel coming out?

Yes! It’s called Epiphany’s Lament and it will be out next year (2027) with Regal House Publishing—I’m very excited! It tells the story of a woman whose mother survived a Kindertransport so she has all sorts of shadows behind her; at the start of the novel Poppy is living in New York, scraping by as a piano refinisher, when she gets a phone call from her grandmother, in England. Poppy returns to her hometown which is near a former Vietnamese Refugee Center where she and her mother and grandmother had volunteered and she begins to search for a painting of an enslaved man that had been looted from her mother’s family. The painting may (or may not!) be hidden in the Refugee Center and the main plot revolves around Poppy and the FBI Art Crime Agent, Max (who naturally is quite cute), searching for the painting and encountering buried histories along the way.

Oh wow, you’ve piqued my interest and I look forward to reading it!

Thank you and thank you so much for this wonderful conversation!

Brett Ashley Kaplan directs the Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide, Memory Studies and is a Professor of Comparative and World Literature at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her novel, Epiphany’s Lament, is forthcoming with Regal House Press in 2027. Please find more at brettashleykaplan.com

The Bookworm: Special Home to a New Jersey Community’s Reading Life

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by Donna Baier Stein

Some bookstores sell books. Some bookstores embody history.

The Bookworm does both.

Tucked into the heart of Bernardsville, New Jersey, this independent bookstore is far more than a retail space. It’s a community thread spanning generations of readers, families, and stories. And its continued thriving life is no accident; it’s the result of loyalty, commitment, and a deeply intuitive understanding of the people who walk through its teal painted door.

The shop started out as the Bedminster Bookshop before being moved to its current home on Claremont Avenue more than four decades ago. In 1985 it was sold to Mary Ann Donaghy, When she passed away, the future of the bookstore was uncertain — it might simply have disappeared.

Instead, Vera Marowitz, who had worked as a bookseller alongside Mary Ann, volunteered to buy it, determined that the store — and what it meant to Bernardsville — would be preserved. This wasn’t a job change. It was a continuation of a life-long love of books.

Residents of Bernardsville responded with relief and gratitude.

A Fourth-Generation Bookstore

When I asked Vera about the store’s relationship with the community, the answer was immediate: really good.

One local family has even shopped there for four generations — grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, and now great-grandchildren. That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from sale prices or algorithms. It comes from trust that you and your book preferences are known. From booksellers like Vera who remember what you loved last year — and what you might love next.

It’s easy to see why this is the heart of the store’s success and longevity. Staff like Jessica Sarlin pride themselves on understanding readers’ tastes—and will sometimes steer customers away from books that won’t be enjoyed. The fact that that level of candor is more important than simply ringing up another sale has led to a loyal, long-time customer base.

The Importance of Quiet

As soon as you step inside the store, you’ll experience a welcome calm and quiet.

There’s no noise from an in-house café, no piped-in music. Years ago, classical music from WQXR played softly, but when the station changed format, the store let the sound go. The quiet remains, making the Bookworm a lovely space for browsing.

Authors, Schools, and the Wider Literary World

The Bookworm doesn’t host many in-store author events, largely because of space and the unpredictability of attendance — an all-too-real challenge for small bookstores. Instead, they partner with venues and organizations throughout the state.

They regularly sell books for authors appearing at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, including frequent appearances by David Sedaris. They also provide books for author visits to schools in many towns. Authors appearing at the annual Junior League luncheon and the Bernardsville Public Library benefit from the store’s support as well.

Today’s Bookstore Challenges

Like every independent bookseller, The Bookworm faces the pressures of online retail, ebooks, and audiobooks. One solution is their partnerships with Libro.fm, which allows customers to support the store even when purchasing audiobooks.

But the greatest challenge may be less visible to anyone walking into the store: selection. Each season brings thousands of new titles from publishers. Choosing what to stock requires hours of from Vera as well as her intimate knowledge of what her clientele want.

The Secret to Success

Talking with Vera, it’s easy to see what matters most to her as an indie bookstore owner: her relationships with her customers and being able to choose the books they will most want to read.

The staff read widely, write reviews, and offer guidance based on reading the books themselves.

The Bookworm proves that an indie bookstore can still thrive — not by competing with algorithms, but by offering what they cannot: memory, conversation, discernment, and human connection.

It’s a place where someone might remember the book you loved ten years ago. Where a reader can grow up — and grow old — alongside the same shelves.

And that is a story well worth keeping in print.

Donna Baier Stein is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, poet, and playwright whose work has been featured on NPR, PBS, Washingtonian, Saturday Evening Post, and O Magazine. She is the author of The Silver Baron’s Wife, Sympathetic People, Letting Rain Have Its Say, Scenes from the Heartland, and Courtesan to the Buddha, forthcoming from RHP in Summer 2027. She was a Founding Editor of Bellevue Literary Review and founded and publishes Tiferet Journal. 

Plot Twist Books: A curated collection, engaging events, and a space to connect

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By Gina Linko

Owner Jacquelyn Martin didn’t set out to open a just a bookstore. The dream was always much bigger than that. Martin conjured ideas of a community-focused hub of comfort and escape, where people could slow down, connect, and feel at home. Martin’s dream really came into focus through her gatherings with several book clubs, and she saw how much people relished getting together, being with each other, and she knew that an independent bookstore could serve these needs, not just as a place to buy books, but a place to be. A place to linger.

Martin’s newly opened Plot Twist Books in Lockport, IL, achieves that dream and more, with its cozy, inviting, magical feel. Complete with its modern, stylish décor, warm lighting, and dark-wood bookshelves flanking all sides, Plot Twist calls to the book lover in all of us. Its flexible workshop space, cozy nooks and comfy, inviting seating beckon you to stay and use the space. Want to work on a jigsaw puzzle? Have a cup of coffee and chit-chat? Browse and read?

Plot Twist has room for all of that and more. You can also sign up for any of the many community activities: mommy & me crafts, book-of-the-month club, candle-making, and more. Plot Twist is especially engaged in the community, actively seeking partnerships with local schools, organizations, and artists.

Martin’s favorite customers are the ones who wander in without a plan and leave with a stack of books they didn’t know they needed. She loves curious readers and people who love talking about what they’ve read. Plot Twist has something for everyone. They not only offer a large array of new books, but also a whole section of gently used books, for both adults and children. And if you don’t know what you might like to read, Martin herself would love to chat and help you decide. Or you can purchase a mystery box! Or a blind date with a book!

Plot Twist is an author’s best friend as well. Hosting events, working as a partner, Plot Twist wants to create events that are inclusive and welcoming. Martin says, “The best events feel personal and fun, not stiff or formal. When authors are comfortable, engaging, and excited to be there, readers feel it. Good communication, promotion, and creating an experience whether that’s a reading, conversation, or Q&A really help turn an event into something memorable.”

You can visit Plot Twist Books in Lockport, IL, as well as at https://plotstorebooks.com.

Gina Linko lives in a south suburb of Chicago with her husband, three kids, and two spoiled cats. She edits textbooks by day, stays up way too late writing by night, and is an eternal optimist, i.e. roots for the Cubs.

Dockside Books: An Up North Haven for Thinkers, Adventurers, and Creatives

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By Linda K. Sienkiewicz

I brake for bookstores. Literally. So when my husband and I were driving through Charlevoix in northern Michigan, hunting for fall color, and I spotted Dockside Books tucked among the town’s boutique shops, I knew I had to stop.

Before I stepped inside, I was greeted by the owner, laughing, as she tried to sweep fallen leaves away from the open door. That friendly warmth carried through as I browsed her gorgeous shop and chatted with her.

The bookshop feels like a 1920s parlor designed for lingering. A soda-fountain table and chairs sit in the bay window overlooking Main Street. Two green velvet couches face the large arched window with views of the bridge and harbor. Old leather chairs nestle in a back corner, and the children’s room features seats crafted from dock pilings. Every nook invites you to stay awhile.

Shoppers can sip complimentary coffee while browsing books, art supplies, vinyl records, magazines, and creative odds and ends. “Great books, like great music or art of any medium, have the ability to change our hearts and weave themselves into the fabric of who we are,” owner Julie Bergmann told me. “They make us better humans.”

I think I swooned.

What surprised me most was learning that owning a bookstore had never been part of Julie’s plan. She was finishing her Ph.D. in educational leadership when she heard the town’s only bookstore was closing. Julie’s roots run five generations deep in Charlevoix, and the loss of a bookstore felt personal. The community had given so much to her and her husband over the years, and they began wondering… What if?

A succession of serendipitous events followed that she likens to Santiago’s journey in The Alchemist, where the shepherd boy is searching for hidden treasure only to find something entirely different than the one he was seeking. Julie was retiring from a career in education, her children were grown, and she and her husband had been discussing the importance of a thriving downtown that attracts and supports young professionals and creatives.

And then the perfect space opened in a 1917 building with an original tin ceiling, rich trim, and an enormous brick-lined arched window overlooking the drawbridge, harbor, and park. “Almost instantly,” Julie said, “I could see people enjoying books and coffee on couches in front of that window and tall, cigar-stained bookshelves along the walls. We signed on the line in a hurry.”

Even the shop’s name carries a lovely history. Dockside Books pays homage to the late Bill Ratigan, a beloved Charlevoix local and steamboat captain turned journalist and novelist. Ratigan operated a small used bookstore in a fish shanty called The Dockside Press from the fifties through the Seventies. In the seventies and eighties, Dockside Pharmacy was serving middle and high school students phosphates and milkshakes at its soda fountain counter during open-campus lunch.

Ratigan’s family was honored when Julie and her husband approached them about using the Dockside name. Today, glossy black-and-white photos of both the press and the pharmacy hang on the walls of Dockside Books. The bookstore sits directly in front of Bridge St. Tap Room, and Julie keeps the back door open so patrons can wander freely from “books to beer,” creating an easy neighborhood camaraderie.

Inside the shop, a chalkboard behind the register caught my eye: Classroom Donations, with grade levels and tally marks. A sign beside it read: Ask me about this program! $10 = 1 free book for a child.

As a former teacher and school administrator, Julie is especially passionate about getting books into children’s hands. She works with the local school district to supply low-cost books, but she knows that during school book fairs, some students quietly stand aside because their families can’t afford to purchase a book.

“I wanted every child to have the experience of coming to the bookstore and picking out any book they like, for free,” Julie said. She put up the colorful $10 chalkboard, hoping the community might respond. They set a goal to support every Pre-K through 6th grade classroom and ended up raising enough for more than 350 donated books.

“The gratitude we have for every person who donates is beyond measure,” Julie said. “I wish they could see the expressions on the children’s faces. They simply cannot believe that someone who doesn’t even know them cared that much. This is just another way that independent bookstores are unique—giving back to their local community in ways that make an immediate impact.”

Her customer-centered approach delighted me. Independent booksellers have a better “algorithm” than anything online. Tell them what you love, or what you’re in the mood for, and they’ll hand you something startlingly perfect because they actually know the books. Julie did exactly that for me. Dockside also carries limited editions, signed copies, and special titles you won’t find at chain stores.

Though Dockside Books has been open only six months, the numbers are astonishing. “We’re a 1,200-square-foot store,” Julie said, “and we’ve already put over 11,000 books in customers’ hands. We’re incredibly grateful for the support and warm welcome.”

With their “eyes and nose finally above water,” Julie and her husband are now focusing on building Dockside into a true gathering space—a hub for author events, dialogue, ideas, and creativity. Early events like mahjong classes, author signings, and book clubs have already been a hit.

For Julie, the best part is the daily reminder of how deeply books matter to people. That’s what fuels Dockside Books: reaching out, extending their best selves, and listening to every person who walks through the door.

Find Dockside Books: 204 Bridge St., Charlevoix, MI, United States

Michigan Website: Dockside Books Bookshop

Follow them on Facebook

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a poet and author whose work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Her debut novel, In the Context of Love, was a finalist for multiple awards including the Hoffer Award and Sarton Women’s Fiction Award. She has five poetry chapbooks and a children’s picture book. Her novel Love and Other Incurable Ailments is forthcoming from Regal House October 27, 2026. Linda volunteers at Neighborhood House, a local nonprofit in Michigan.

Tombolo Books: a book lover’s loveshack in downtown St. Pete, Florida

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by John Fleming

For the record, a tombolo is a sandy isthmus that links an island to the mainland, and if we are all “islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstandings,” as Rudyard Kipling wrote, then Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg is the antidote for both our isolation and our lies.

Sandwiched between Black Crow Coffee and the St. Pete Opera Company’s “Opera Central” with a SunRunner transit stop directly in front, Tombolo is a book lover’s loveshack in downtown St. Pete. If you’re not arriving by bus, skip the 1st Street entrance and enter through the lush courtyard next to the “Love Your Neighborhood” mural on (no joke) Poetry Alley. You’ll be greeted by the caffeinated breeze of Black Crow and restorative lungfuls of fresh-pressed lit inside.

Tombolo’s success starts with good pedigree. Alsace Walentine, shop owner along with her partner, Candice Anderson, mastered bookstore craft as the longtime events director at Malaprop’s in Asheville. What began as a pop-up in St. Pete eventually found its brick-and-mortar home in 2019.

I spoke with Kelsey Jagneaux, the Events and Marketing Manager at Tombolo, who gave me the scoop on the Tombolo recipe. It begins with the people—not only the owners and staff, but the authors, activists, journalists, and artists who make Tombolo events a success. “I get to work with some of the coolest, most interesting, intelligent people on the planet,” says Jagneaux. For her, it’s a dream job.

Community engagement drives Tombolo’s mission. The store hosts a dozen book clubs for readers of romance, horror, middle grade, sci-fi, queer comics, social justice, and others. For a small bookstore, Tombolo is big on events, most weeks featuring anywhere from one to three book releases, author conversations, poetry readings, and kids’ writing and comics workshops, on-site and off. Tombolo also partners with community organizations and leaders to create events around the city, including the African American Heritage Association, the Poet Laureate of St. Petersburg, and Florida Humanities. “Our community can count on us to provide a space where they can explore, learn, be curious, and gather,” Jagneaux says.

Tombolo is for kids, too. Sales Floor Manager Amanda Hurley curates a beautiful and diverse children’s book section, guided by the simple and beautiful principle that “every kid and family that walks through the section should see themselves on the shelves.” Kids visit often to read in the nook and pack the house for Thursday morning storytime.

Tombolo’s orderly layout invites relaxed browsing and a rich and expansive vibe. The friendly and knowledgeable booksellers, many of them pursuing (or already holding) advanced degrees in literature or creative writing, operate with joyful enthusiasm and unsnobbish good taste. They remind you why independent bookstores matter, and their recommendation cards draw your attention to the best reads for every taste and genre.

For authors looking to schedule an event at Tombolo or other independent bookstores, Jagneaux recommends engaging by email or social media. “It goes a long way when we know that the author is as enthusiastic about us and the event as we are. Helping to market the event also goes a long way to show our audience that the author is engaged.”

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, an author or reader, you’ll find a warm reception at Tombolo, as well as a literary link to the mainland.

John Fleming is the author of Wonders of Shadow Key, The Legend of the Barefoot Mailman, and Songs for the Deaf. He has been awarded two Literature Fellowships from the State of Florida and an International Book Award for Songs for the Deaf, which was also short-listed for CLMP’s Firecracker Award. He holds a PhD in Creative Writing from The University of Louisiana-Lafayette, a Master’s in Creative Writing from The University of Southern Mississippi, and a BA in Psychology from The University of Virginia. He is the founder of the literary magazine Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art.

Watermark Books & Café: The Literary Soul of an Evolving Prairie City

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by Steve Heller, author of Return of the Ghost Killer

Most of the articles one reads about small independent bookstores in the USA focus on the Northeast or, more rarely, the West Coast.  But book lovers are found everywhere.  Few literary institutions demonstrate this phenomenon better than Watermark Books & Café [Link to About Us | Watermark Books] of Wichita, Kansas. 

New owners Erin and Ryan Potter and their girls, Julia & Isabella

Wichita, an economically robust city of nearly half a million, was originally a village of Wichita Indians.  Over the last century and a half, the city has earned various nicknames: “Cowtown” for its Sante Fe railhead along the Chisolm Trail, “Doo-dah” for its whimsical character represented by a local diner of the same name, and the “Air Capital of the World” for its importance as an aviation design, research, and manufacturing center.  Wichita’s strong economy has led its residents to invest in obvious signifiers of high culture: a symphony, an opera house, festivals, parks, and numerous historical museums.  The most enduring evidence of Wichita’s literary culture, however, is housed in a modest strip mall near the center of the city in the comfy neighborhood of College Hill.

Co-owner Erin Potter at Watermark

I recently made two separate four-and-half-hour roundtrips from my home in Lawrence, Kansas, to Watermark Books & Café in Wichita to witness two authors launch their most recent books.  Together, these two well-attended presentations demonstrate one of the main ways new owners Erin and Ryan Potter intend to achieve Watermark’s mission, which Erin describes as “to foster a love of reading among Wichitans and beyond, preserve this wonderful space, and support authors. We envision continuing to build on the warm and inclusive environment where everyone can find their next favorite book and connect with fellow readers.”

Author Page Getz interviewed by Lynne Graham

The first event involved a former student of mine, Page Getz, who grew up in Wichita.  Page’s new novel, A Town with Half the Lights On (Sourcebooks Landmark) is set in the fictitious town of Goodnight, Kansas.  Instead of reading from the text, Page was interviewed by Lynne Graham, Marketing & Events Coordinator for Watermark.  Having read the novel twice, Lynne shared her observations and impressions with the audience.  Most notably, Lynne described the impact of reading the story of the citizens of Goodnight, Kansas, as “a warm hug” but also commented on the story’s authenticity and considerable wit.

“Hosting visiting authors is a vital part of what makes Watermark a meaningful space in our community,” Co-owner Erin Potter says.  “These events offer more than just the chance to meet an author, they create moments of connection, inspiration, and shared discovery that our customers truly value. In fact, we recently completed a customer feedback survey, and the number one request when asked about our offerings was for more author and community events. It’s clear that these experiences are appreciated.”

Tim Bascom reads in the “Story Time” room.  Photo by Kevin Rabas

A month later I returned to Watermark to hear award-winning author Tim Bascom give a combination lecture and reading in the “Story Time” room on the lower level, a space devoted to children’s literature events, as well as events for adults whenever the upstairs café needs to remain open.  Tim’s presentation for adults related to his new collection of short stories, Continental Drift (Main Street Rag), about characters whose adventures require them to travel between various points in the USA and Africa.  Tim’s presentation included slides from his experiences as the son of African missionaries, along with readings of representative snippets from several individual stories as well as one entire—and entirely engaging—short story, “Why I Am There, Not Here.”

By everyone’s account, the key to Watermark’s ongoing success is its staff, including Operations Manager Bethany Bayne.  Bethany originally joined Watermark in 2021 as a bookkeeper.  She describes the two main parts of her current job as “maintaining efficiency” and “teaching book people about money.”  She originally worked under the previous owner, Sarah Bagby, to whom she credits much of the store’s vision and success.  Bethany also likes the energy the new owners, the Potters, bring to the store.  “They’re also businesspeople.  They want to build a sustainable community of book buyers.  The customer base for books is aging.  We need young families, Gen Z, millennials.  College Hill residents can walk here and find a safe space.  We’ve expanded our hours to 7:00 p.m. to make Watermark more convenient for them.”

Reading accessories at Watermark

“It’s important for an independent bookstore to have multiple revenue streams,” Bethany stresses.  Aside from offering a wide variety of genres (literary fiction and nonfiction, romance, fantasy, history, and children’s literature), Watermark also sells multiple products related to reading and writing.  And then there’s the café, whose literary-themed menu includes such classics as “Moby Dick” (tuna salad with pickle relish, hard-boiled eggs, and mayo on wheat bread) and “As You Like It” (a house salad with your choice of chicken, eggs, or tuna salad with balsamic vinaigrette). 

“We want people to feel the pull to stop in for a cup of coffee and end up browsing for a new read or come in for a book and decide to stay and enjoy the café,” co-owner Erin says. “The two sides of Watermark complement each other in a way that feels natural and inviting.  Many of our customers enjoy a good cup of coffee and a pastry just as much as discovering their next great read. We’re proud to offer a space where people can connect, whether it’s for a book club, a business meeting, or simply lunch with a friend.”

Two book lovers at Page Getz’s signing in the café section of Watermark

Despite the challenges faced by brick-and-mortar bookstores across the nation, Watermark Books & Café has managed not only to endure but to thrive.  From its original staff of three, the store has grown to a total of 23 employees, nine of whom are full-time.  “The welcoming atmosphere at Watermark starts with our team,” says Erin. “We know our regulars by name, and we enjoy getting to know every person who comes through our doors. The café staff remembers customers’ usual orders, and our booksellers offer thoughtful, personalized recommendations because they’ve read the books and take the time to get to know the interests of our customers.”

I asked Erin what motivated her to take on the daunting role of owning and operating an independent bookstore in today’s economy.  I’ll let her answer conclude this review.

“Some of my favorite memories are from when I was on maternity leave with each of my girls.  I’d take them on walks through the neighborhood, wrapped in a baby sling, and we’d stop at Watermark.  It was the perfect little escape: browsing books, grabbing a coffee, and just getting out of the house for a bit.  It became something I really looked forward to.  Watermark has that kind of impact on the neighborhood; it’s a place where people feel comfortable, welcome, and connected.  It’s been that for our family, and for so many others in the community.”

Watermark Books & Café is located in Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, 4701 East Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67218.  Find Watermark Books & Café at Watermark Books.

Steve Heller is an award-winning novelist and short story writer and past president of The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). His latest novel, Return of the Ghost Killer, is forthcoming from Regal House Publishing in early 2027. Author photo by Aelita Parizek.

Books, Bites, and a Big Dream: Inside Rochester, Michigan’s Charming Indie Bookshop

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by Linda K. Sienkiewicz

When Elliot and Rachel May dreamed of owning businesses, they pictured it ten years out: he’d open a traditional sandwich shop, and she’d have her own bookstore. They didn’t imagine those dreams would come together under one roof in downtown Rochester, Michigan. But when the idea occurred to them, it came together fast.

Their story began in a Ruby Tuesday restaurant where they both worked. Elliot was in radio broadcasting and Rachel was majoring in journalism at Oakland University. That’s when Rachel fell in love with both Rochester and Elliot.

Shortly after they met, Elliot pivoted into a corporate role at Rocket Mortgage, but he never let go of his dream to run a sandwich shop. Ten years in, he decided to enroll in culinary school at Oakland Community College to learn the craft from the ground up.

Meanwhile, Rachel built a successful career in marketing. But as artificial intelligence began reshaping the industry, she considered shifting gears and perhaps revisiting her original love: books.

“For Novel: A Bookstore and Sandwich Shop, the impetus was food,” Rachel says. But she also knew from marketing that cafes inside bookstores tend to thrive because they create multiple revenue streams. That’s if they have a real chef in the kitchen. She had that in Elliot.

The couple began scouting locations in Rochester, which was Rachel’s college-town crush. With its mix of historic charm and contemporary flair, the downtown district boasts over 350 independent businesses from salons to boutiques to award-winning restaurants. When the perfect spot popped up on Main Street, they jumped at the chance. The competition was fierce, but their concept stood out. Rochester hadn’t had an independent bookstore in years. As a writer and reader who lives within walking distance of downtown, I was sadly aware of that fact.

Elliot and Rachel wrote a business plan and submitted their bid. Shortly after, the Mays were renovating a 1907 building that had once been a dentist’s office and later a feed store before a retail space. It had its share of quirks and challenges. “Designing the kitchen was the biggest hurdle,” Rachel says. The couple hired a kitchen designer and an architect. They tore up floors, updated wiring and plumbing, and brought the space up to code.

Meanwhile, Rachel dove headfirst into the world of bookselling. She reached out to other indie bookstore owners and discovered a warm, generous community eager to help. “Booksellers are the kindest people,” she says. They gave her advice on everything from data-driven curation to customer engagement.

I often walk my dog downtown. When I first saw the sign inside the window announcing Novel: a Bookstore and Sandwich Shop was coming, I snapped a photo and excitedly shared it with my literary community. Finally! An indie bookstore! In my town! They opened in November 2025 and, much to my surprise, my husband gave me a gift card from their store for Christmas.

Novel is a cheerful welcoming space where visitors can sip coffee, enjoy a warm sandwich, and browse through thoughtfully curated titles. The layout invites you to linger. You’ll find a huge couch and wide chairs clustered around a coffee table, small café tables in another area, and two plush armchairs at the front. Books line the brightly lit walls and spill into baskets on the floor, many displayed face-out to catch your eye. Children’s and YA books have their own wall. Stuffed animals peek out from the bottom bins of a rustic antique center table. During my visit, two of Elliot and Rachel’s three young children were happily mingling with customers. Elliot paused to read a book to their son, while their daughter enthusiastically “helped” ring up my purchase at the counter.

One stunning feature on the center table is the tall, handmade Tree of Knowledge, which Rachel and a friend crafted from the pages of Britannica encyclopedias. Its leaves flutter from arching branches and the trunk is wrapped in printed pages, making a tactile symbol of the stories and knowledge that fill the shop.

In the café, Elliot crafts one-of-a-kind grilled sandwiches, like the Mortadella Truffle, my personal favorite, layered on artisanal CRUST bread from a local bakery. The cheese in the sandwiches comes from another local shop, The Cheese Lady. The menu also features CRUST pies and bakery, soups, and coffee and cold drinks. This is elevated comfort food with Michigan-made heart.

What sets Novel apart from chain bookstores is the personal connection. “Talking to customers is my passion,” Rachel explains. She recently spoke with someone who claims they read only one book a year because they don’t know what to read anymore. Big box stores are overwhelming with massive displays that often lead to impulse buys and reading letdowns. At Novel, Rachel strives to curate her collection not just from bestseller lists and reviews, but from conversations. She learned from Rochester’s annual sidewalk sale that the community enjoys romance, historical fiction, YA thrillers, and true crime, not necessarily what’s on a list.

To help guide readers, she’s created a “If you like this → try this” shelf and encourages customer-written review cards that are displayed alongside featured books. “I hope to build trust with readers,” she says. Return customers mean everything, and Rachel is delighted to see that happening as Novel is becoming a community hub. Weekly story time for kids is led by local teachers. There are adult book clubs, puzzle nights and game nights. Their recent “Spicy Boozy Book Fair” and “Mystery Boozy Book Fair” events, hosted with Bitter Tom’s Tasting Room just a few doors down, were big hits.

Bookstore: A Bookstore and Sandwich Shop is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a love story of food, books, Rochester, community, and a couple who dared to build something original, meaningful, and warmly unforgettable.

Find them at 307 S. Main Street, Rochester, MI. 48307.

Website: Novel | Sandwiches and Book Store in Rochester, MI.

Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a poet and author whose work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Her debut novel, In the Context of Love, was a finalist for multiple awards including the Hoffer Award and Sarton Women’s Fiction Award. She has five poetry chapbooks and a children’s picture book. Her novel Love and Other Incurable Ailments is forthcoming from Regal House in Fall 2026. Linda volunteers at Neighborhood House, a local nonprofit in Michigan.

Ease What Ails You at UpUp Books

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by Elizabeth Costello

Michelle Gutman; photo credit: Isa Hammond
Michelle Gutman; photo credit: Isa Hammond

I had a great time talking with Michelle Gutman of UpUp Books in Portland, Oregon, about how to bring people together through books. Gutman opened UpUp in 2023, after starting on a social service path during the pandemic. She was working with children, getting trained to address domestic violence and prevent suicide, and she was moved by connecting with others, but she felt that something wasn’t quite right. A lifelong reader who grew up with poets and artists, Gutman realized that what she always wanted to do was to open a bookstore — and that doing so would scratch her itch to bring people together.

“I realized…it’s not something I’m running but the community’s running, that I can have a bookstore that has a workshop space and functions like an apothecary,” said Gutman. “You come in and you’re not feeling so great, and you’re drawn to what’s going to ease your ailments.”

Gutman had previously lived in Buckman (in NE Portland) and knew right away that that was the neighborhood for her store. From the beginning, she approached UpUp as a place that would be responsive to the changing needs of the neighborhood. She was fully aware that Portland already had a thriving ecosystem of great bookstores and wanted to focus on small presses, local authors, and two-wheeled literary outreach.

“I quickly formed a relationship with Street Books, which is a bicycle-powered library for those living outside. They’re one block down,” she said, noting that the proximity meant she could make an immediate positive impact by serving as a conduit for book donations. “Because they’re so close and only open on Tuesday, I thought why don’t people just drop off books for them here. Then I did a fundraiser at my shop for their spring campaign, featuring local poets Matthew Dickman and Marcus Lattimore. Marcus is an ex-football player and an amazing spoken-word poet who takes a typewriter to different places in Portland, asks people to give him a word and writes a poem with it on the spot.”

Gutman knew that she wanted to have a “kickass” poetry section, but the business reality soon became apparent. As she started buying books for the shop, she discovered poetry volumes are expensive, and because they tend to be physically small, they are easy for the casual shopper to miss. After talking to a friend about the layout of the shop, she decided to put poetry on the new arrivals shelves that prop books up to showcase the full cover. When you walk into UpUp, beautiful poetry collections are the first thing you see.

I asked Gutman what she has found surprising in terms of sales, and I was pleased to learn that she sells a lot of fiction.

“It’s interesting to see what people gravitate towards,” she said, noting that she assumed there would be more interest in nonfiction. “Although there is interest in social justice and climate change, there is not as much as I thought, and people are more interested in local authors and fiction.”

UpUp: a cozy, welcoming space. Photo credit: Christopher Dribble
UpUp: a cozy, welcoming space. Photo credit: Christopher Dribble

I’m hoping people will pick up a copy of my novel The Good War at an event at UpUp that I’m offering there on March 6th with another Portland writer, Mary Rechner, whose most recent book, Marrying Friends, is out from local small press Propeller Books. I was inspired by UpUp’s eclectic programming to suggest that we discuss books that have had an influence on our work as well as reading from our own books. We will also invite the audience to share their thoughts about books that have made a big impression on them.

UpUp is the sort of cozy and attractive space that makes you want to engage with your fellow readers, writers, and artists. In the workshop space in the back of the store, paintings by Gutman’s father hang on the walls. There you can take a workshop such as “Eno/Ono,” which invites writers to employ some of the strategies musicians use to generate new work or participate in Gutman’s six-week series engaging with Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way. Gutman also offers a semi-monthly book club where she leads the conversation artfully — she comes prepared with great questions but knows how to pass the mike.

Gutman notes that everything in her store is on wheels, which makes it easy to rearrange the space for hosting events and gathering community. Her many upcoming plans for UpUp include hosting a roundtable discussion and fundraiser for local food magazine Kitchen Table on Thursday, March 27th, and a 15-year celebration for Street Books on Thursday, April 10th. She is also working on creating “book boxes,” artfully packaged sets of works that work well together — kind of like an herbalist at an apothecary, putting together the teas and tinctures to lift you up or calm you down. I recommend you check out UpUp when you’re in Portland — it’s a perfect place to browse and find that special something you didn’t know you needed.

Author of The Good War and RELIC, Elizabeth Costello was a finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and the Pirate’s Alley William Faulkner Award. She has written about dance, film, theater, and poetry for SF Weekly and 7X7. Her poetry has been published in venues including The Buffalo Evening News, Crab Orchard Review, Fourteen Hills, and the Solitary Plover.