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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.

Elephant Ear Books: Plymouth’s New Literary Haven

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by Megan Schikora

As someone who moved from Detroit to Plymouth as a kid, returned to Plymouth every time I moved away, and has lived here now since 2010, I have been asking the same question for years. “Why doesn’t Plymouth have a bookstore?” As an avid reader, I have felt the absence of such a staple in this otherwise vibrant downtown area, flush with shoppers and thriving shops.

Then, in November, a friend texted me. “Did you know a bookstore just opened in Plymouth?” The next day, I hustled over to Elephant Ear Books.

The store is part of a collection of businesses at Ann Arbor Trail and Harvey Street that look from the outside like cozy cottages nestled close. Inside, the gray walls, black shelves, and generous sunlight create an atmosphere both modern and warm, a combination of clean lines and soft touches. The comfortable minimalism of the space allows the books themselves to step forward as the focal point.   

The owner is Melissa Schabel, who doesn’t quite know how to answer when people ask, “Where are you from?” She’s lived all over, including New Hampshire, Boston, Arizona, New Jersey, Ireland, and Texas. In 2020, she had the opportunity to buy the house next door to her best friend in Saline, Michigan, where she now lives with her husband and two sons.

Melissa is a librarian, former bookstore employee, creator of her store’s beautiful handmade greeting cards, and a lifelong book lover who used to spend all her babysitting money in bookstores. She reads anything that strikes her, but she has a penchant for fiction, naming J. Courtney Sullivan’s The Cliffs and Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods as favorite recent reads. Though she loved her library work, she realized she wanted to open a store of her own and decided last year, “If I don’t do it now, it’s never going to happen.” Spurred on by the loss of her father, she committed to the undertaking. “You can’t have regrets. You have to jump.”

While looking for a space, someone suggested she visit Plymouth. Seeing it for the first time, she says, “My shoulders dropped. [I knew] this is the type of place I want to be in.” Her family was a huge help in preparing the store for opening, and Melissa DIYed whenever and wherever possible to keep costs under control. In November, she cut the ribbon on Elephant Ear Books, the name a fun nod to her love of elephants.   

Now, Melissa can be found behind the counter every day, greeting customers who tell her how glad they are that she’s here. She loves talking about books with customers and wants to know what they like to read. She’s also happy to place special orders and wants to expand her unique, thoughtfully curated inventory to reflect the tastes of the community. “I want to be the community bookstore.”

Like all independent bookstores, Melissa faces challenges around visibility, competition with retail giants, and the limitations of physical space. Down the road, she would like to host store events, and she will feature local authors, beginning with Michigan native Breeda Miller. The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce has been a great support, and word of mouth continues to spread. In the three weeks since Elephant Ear Books opened, the store already has repeat customers.        

About Elephant Ear Books, Melissa says, “It really is my happy place,” a realized dream of owning and running a bookstore in a walkable downtown area. And as someone who really values living in a walkable downtown area, I’m delighted that Elephant Ear Books has arrived. For me, there are few greater pleasures than walking into a bookstore. Entering that intimate physical space, touching and smelling the books, browsing and making selections – it’s a sacred experience. Now, to have it, I don’t have to leave my town.

Elephant Ear Books is located at 449 S. Harvey Street in Plymouth, MI 48170. (734) 453-4707. Find Elephant Ear Books at https://bookshop.org/shop/elephantearbooks

Megan Schikora worked in mental health and higher education for many years before turning her full attention to writing. Her short stories and personal essays have appeared in numerous publications, and her debut novel A Woman in Pink was a Writing Award Short List choice for the 2023 Page Turner Awards. She lives in Michigan with her daughter.

FLAGSHIP BOOKS: A Vibrant Addition to an Old Kansas City Neighborhood

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by Catherine Browder

Flagship Books celebrated its second anniversary in the historic Strawberry Hill district of Kansas City, Kansas, on January 27, 2024. Brothers Ty and Joel Melgren left a more residential block and moved uphill to their current storefront in April of 2023. The old downtown district of Kansas City, KS, with Strawberry Hill nearby, is perched on bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. This once Central European neighborhood is enjoying a multi-national renaissance.

“Here, we’re in the heart of Strawberry Hill,” Ty explains.

Currently, at 510 N. 6th St., they enjoy steadier foot traffic, a third Friday Arts Walk, burgeoning and established businesses, and a busy Mexican restaurant across the street. Next door you can find a hairdresser, an auto body shop and a gym. The Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association meets at Flagship, as does a monthly Big Open Book Club, where patrons “come and hang out and talk about books.” They are a neighborhood business and proud of it.

During the recent AWP#24 conference, Flagship hosted off-site readings for Indy and university presses, including three Canadian presses. In its short life it has offered book launches for several local authors and is scheduled to do another in early Spring of ’24 for veteran KC poet, Trish Reeves. A table to the left of the entrance features local authors. Indeed, its support of local writers is one of its great appeals.

Melgren brothers: Ty (l) and Joel

What was once a grocery and bar in the 1950s later became a yoga studio and then a real estate agency. The pressed tin ceiling, the polished hardwood floors and brick walls are original.

Over five years ago, Joel Melgren joined the real estate agency that had offices in the space. When the space became available to rent, the brothers thought it fit their project: to build a business that was both fun and community-oriented. The space is modest, but deep and airy. Displays racks, shelving and tables are movable, and the arrangement was different each time I visited.

Joel is the financial half of the enterprise, the one originally interested in establishing a business. Ty, with a side-job as an ESL teacher, makes the literary choices, revealing wide-ranging taste. On a day I visited, among a selection of popular new books, I found Clare Keegan’s latest and Danny Caine’s updated How to Resist Amazon and Why, while Sarah Smarsh’s work appeared on the regional author table. A “small book” title by Wendell Berry, Think Little, sat on a wall shelf. Ty has developed an interested in physically “small books.”

In the center stands a tall multi-sided display of well-curated used books, both recent titles and classics. In the rear, beyond a settee and chairs, is the children’s section. An enormous map of Wyandotte County, KS, covers the north wall and was in place when the brothers moved in. On the north side, is a table for meetings or art activities. The wall behind the table is covered in a white board where, that day, a drawing of Strawberry Hill was displayed. Children are free to draw on the board. Flagship recently hosted a clay artist.

Ty standing with wall map of Wyandotte, Co, Ks.

Ty points out the art work decorating both north and south brick walls: framed paintings by local Croatian artist Elaine Grisnik. Grisnik has been documenting Kansas/Missouri buildings for years. And on the central table displaying cards and stationery, puzzles and journals, Ty selects a postcard featuring work by Grisnik. The painting replicated on the card depicts Weiss Market and Bar, where Flagship Books now resides.

Strawberry Hill was settled in the late 1800s mostly by immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Poland, and Russia. The area is situated close to the West Bottoms of Kansas City, MO. Most of the newcomers were employed in the meat packing industry, located across the river in the Bottoms. Although the stockyards are long gone, the West Bottoms, now mostly warehouses, has burgeoned into a new art and entertainment district.

Early on, these European newcomers to Kansas City, KS, lived on the riverfront close to their stockyard jobs in Missouri. The 1904 flood destroyed these homes, forcing the community uphill. Highway and viaduct construction in the 1950s further intruded on the old Central European communities. Somewhat later Strawberry Hill became home to a sturdy Mexican-American community. And nowadays, Ty informs me, the area has become home to recent Burmese immigrants.

Even today, established communities in Strawberry Hill belong to two Catholic churches that anchor the area. The Croatian community still attends St. John the Baptist, and Holy Family Catholic Church, visible from the bookshop door, remains the Slovakian parish. St. John’s Park offers an impressive view of the Kansas City, MO, skyline.

A visiting humorist once referred to Kansas City as “a burgh the size of Asia.” He was referring, probably, to the larger Kansas City, in Missouri. But the Kansas City Metropolitan area, in fact, includes two states, both Kansas Cities and their suburbs, housed in five counties. “Spread out” is an understatement.

A patron looks over a table of Kansas City related books

Flagship Books, actually, began its life in a different part of the greater Kansas City Metro: North Kansas City, MO. Ty had recently been brought home from a State Department teaching job in Tunisia because of the pandemic. Home at that time was family, living in Mission, KS. He continued remote teaching for the State Dept, but online teaching was not something he enjoyed.

The brothers began brainstorming ideas for a business they might both support and enjoy. When Joel, the real estate agent, sold a duplex, they had the money to invest. The Iron District in NKC was geared for an outside space since the pandemic was still an issue. Businesses and patrons were looking for outside spaces, and the Iron District offered unique shipping containers. The Melgrens started tentatively, but people did come. Since the shop was housed in a shipping container, they thought the bookstores might best he named for a ship.

“But not a battleship,” Ty adds with a laugh. “Eventually we settled on Flagship-Joel had the idea. It served us well even though we outgrew the original space.”

They remained in the Iron District for nine months. Since they lived in Kansas, they felt motivated to return. When the first Strawberry Hill location opened, they were ready to move. Eventually, the real estate agency space on N. 6th St. became available, and the Melgren brothers willingly moved once more.

“We are more visible here,” Ty explained during one of my visits. “We have people in their 60s or older stop by to chat because they remember the location, remember Weiss’s grocery store or the people who lived upstairs.”

A 2023 book launch for The Manning Girl

This connection to Strawberry Hill’s past appeals to the brothers. Yet Flagship has both the comfortable, and comforting, atmosphere one expects of a bookshop, as well an as appealing community engagement and youthfulness. They’ve hosted local artists and printmakers as well as indie bands as part of the annual music festival organized by Manor records. They even offered a Chilean Music Night with the Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra.

The Melgren brothers’ commitment to local writers is proving to be another strength. One of the newest bookshops in the Metro, you increasingly hear people refer to Flagship. More readings and book launches are scheduled. Its social media sites are appealing and up to date. And more writers and writers’ organizations, as well as readers, are beating a path to its door.

Catherine Browder lives and writes across the river in Kansas City, MO. Her novel, The Manning Girl, (winner of the Petrichor Prize) was published by RHP in November of ’23 and has been selected by the Kansas City Public Library as a Book Club Book. She has published four collections of short fiction, including the award-winning Resurrection City: Stories from the Disaster Zone, about the NE Japan disaster of 2010. She is a recipient of fiction fellowships from the NEA and the Missouri Arts Council, and her work has appeared in anthologies and been nominated for a Pushcart.

Eat, Drink, and Storytell: Life’s Essentials at M. Judson Booksellers

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by Beth Uznis Johnson

The exterior of M. Judson Booksellers impresses with 1918 architecture.

The women who founded M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC, were not deterred by the economic reality in 2015. At a time when many indie bookstores were closing across the US, and amid the rise of a certain-unnamed-profit-gobbling-ecommerce-giant trying to force customers to buy and read books on screens, they accomplished an incredible feat: bringing the experience of books and stories back to downtown.

In a ‘go big or go home’ move, M. Judson Booksellers opened its doors in the historic courthouse building in the center of Greenville. The store’s exterior is impressive, with brick pavers, antique street lamps, grand stairs, and 1918 architecture with its ivory-colored façade and terra cotta ornamental trim in the Beaux Arts style. Once inside, the landmark experience of M. Judson continues to inspire not only readers of all ages, but lovers of food and drinks, and anyone looking for the perfect South Carolina gift.

“You’ll find our shelves bursting with books we can’t wait to tell you about, bestsellers and new releases, everything from poetry to Southern Lit to cookbooks, as well as gift items gathered from all over the Upstate. We’re proud to be more than just a bookstore; we’re a home for stories,” says Ashley Warlick, an M. Judson founder, novelist, and creative writing professor.

M. Judson event manager Alyssa Fiske showcases the fiction section.

The store is named after Mary Camilla Judson, a historic Greenville feminist and the first Lady Principal (they really called her that!) at the Female College of Greenville. Camilla Kitchen is the café inside M. Judson serving up delicious treats and drinks with stories of their own.

M. Judson is a general interest bookstore with selections in every genre. The children’s section is huge, with areas to read and play at a 14-foot community table. It is built around themes children love, such as cooking, STEM, art, trucks, and animals.

Guests attend a Sunday Sit-Down Supper to enjoy a literary-themed meal.

Literary-themed events are an important aspect of the M. Judson experience, with most events requiring tickets, including a book, and selling out. These are not your traditional bookstore events with an author behind a table signing books. Most are interactive, such as the Sunday Sit-Down Supper series where a chef prepares a meal inspired by a novel and attendees gather around a beautifully set table to dine and discuss. Camilla Kitchen offers book-themed cooking classes or demonstrations. The events calendar is packed with experiences, like an evening with symphony music, open-mic nights for writers, book and wine pairing events, and more.

“I think we have found the way to connect with our community and our readership here in Greenville and show them how to better support the literary world. Our goal is success for the people who are making and telling these stories. I do feel committed to that mission,” Ashley says.

The community component of bookselling has surprised her the most, with deepened ties as the store pivoted during the pandemic to meet its customers’ reading needs. Some patrons have continued having M. Judson staff read, select, and recommend books for them long after shutdown ended. Greenville is also a popular tourist destination, with M. Judson a must-visit destination for travelers. Ashley describes a beloved customer, who actually lives in California and saw on social media that the store offers book recommendations. Three years later, M. Judson still sends her books.

Author Katherine St. John discusses her book with event guests.

Nine years after opening an independent bookstore at a seemingly impossible time in history, M. Judson and Camilla Kitchen are thriving businesses in downtown Greenville. Firmly rooted in books and storytelling, often centered around food and drink, and providing a breathtaking experience both inside and outside the store, it is woven into the fabric of the city.

“We believe that stories don’t just come wrapped in book jackets. Sometimes they’re bottled in a wine, roasted in a bean, baked in a bread, woven into a tea towel, or created in a moment,” Ashley says.

Learn more about M. Judson Booksellers, upcoming events, or contact them to send you one of their famous “blind date” book selections to change things up in your reading life. You won’t be disappointed.

Beth Uznis Johnson’s fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Massachusetts Review, Broad Street, Mississippi Review, Cincinnati Review, Story Quarterly, Gargoyle, Southwest Review and elsewhere. Her essay, “Your Friend/My Friend, Ted,” was included in The Best American Essays 2018, edited by Hilton Als. Beth is the author of Coming Clean, released by Regal House Publishing on January 9, 2024.

Volumes Bookcafe: A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

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Volumes Bookcafe, Wicker Park in Chicago, 1373 N. Milwaukee Ave.

By Beth Uznis Johnson

Who remembers that glorious day in May 2020 when 28 authors from around the country released a reenactment of the library dance scene from The Breakfast Club to the song “We Are Not Alone”? I’d seen their faces on book jackets, Twitter, and a few in person at writing events over the years. Amid the isolation of the pandemic, to get this inside peek at their homes and dance styles was beyond thrilling.

Themes of social justice proliferate all sections of the Wicker Park store.

Not only did they dance their asses off, they did it in support of Volumes Bookcafe, an independent bookstore in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. The video was conceived by Chicago author, Rebecca Makkai, who is also the artistic director of the nonprofit literary organization, StoryStudio Chicago. At the time, I was a Michigan-based writer without a neighborhood bookstore. To see the literary community rally behind a beloved bookseller touched me deeply.

It was a great day on literary Twitter. I watched the dance video at least 10 times.

It made me long to move back to Chicago, a vibrant literary community, with many indie bookstores sprinkled around its more than 200 neighborhoods. Flash forward to 2023 and I did move back. With the launch of my debut novel, Coming Clean from Regal House Publishing, slated for January 2024, I vowed to never live in a community without a bookstore again.

“Volumes, on Milwaukee Avenue,” my friend Claude said without hesitation, when I asked for the best bookstore around my new condo in West Town. I scrambled to open my maps app and couldn’t believe my luck: Volumes Bookcafe of Wicker Park was only 0.7 mile away. A 15-minute walk! A 7-minute bike ride! A 4-minute drive if I could talk my husband into dropping me off.

Even better, I can pick up Claude on the way. She’s only 0.2 mile away.

Come to find out my kickass neighborhood bookstore has an amazing neighborhood story. When a new landlord upped the rent (during the pandemic, no less), forcing Volumes to temporarily close their doors in Wicker Park, the neighbors rallied. They found a great location, crowdsourced funds to BUY the store space, and partnered with owners, sisters Rebecca and Kimberly George, to open a new, forever location at 1373 N. Milwaukee Ave.

With the community deeply invested in the store and the days of pandemic isolation in the past, Volumes has everything a reader (or writer) could ever need, starting with the heavenly new-book smell and knowledgeable staff who love and care about literature. Foot traffic in the store has returned and the in-person event schedule is back and growing.

Owner Rebecca George greets guests at an author event.

Rebecca, who spends the bulk of her time at the Wicker Park location, gives me her take on the book business, including:

  • 1. Physical books are a much-needed escape in a world where people spend far too much time on screens.
  • 2. Community bookstores are a reflection of the community itself and, in Wicker Park, that means a focus on fiction, science fiction, kids’ books, and nonfiction on topics of social justice, popular culture, and true crime.

Volumes offers handwritten recommendations for books in all categories around the store, from its section featuring Chicago authors to carefully curated literary fiction, best-selling graphic novels, mysteries, memoirs, and on and on. The notes include quick plot summaries, staff picks, who liked the book and why. There are also novelty items and gifts for readers (and writers) like literary-themed mugs, t-shirts, bookends, and socks. There are cozy nooks for reading, a picnic table for discussions, and tables for work-oriented patrons. There’s a café with baked goods, coffee drinks, teas, and other refreshments.

Fiction, memoir, and biography, also popular in Wicker Park.

I sit with Rebecca while she checks out a customer, a man she obviously knows based on their rapport. He’s finally decided to use the gift card he’s been hanging onto, selecting a cookbook with glossy photographs.

“You’ll have to bring in some of the dishes you make and we’ll sample them,” Rebecca jokes. The customer laughs and pauses, seeming to seriously consider it. We chat for a few minutes and I wonder if there is a way to ask them to call me for this sampling party; I like to eat, especially when someone else cooks, and I’m new in the neighborhood and looking for friends.

After the customer leaves with his book, Rebecca shares there’s a story behind the joke: some amazing cookbooks were released in the spring of 2020, the early days of the pandemic, and a local mom and her kids had—indeed—continued to visit Volumes with samples of baked goods they’d made together.

Authors Bradeigh Godfrey and Alison Hammer (aka Ali Brady) at the
launch of The Comback Summer

The café, Rebecca says, is especially nice to have during author readings and other events at the store. She tells me about a literary-themed private event the night before: a husband planned a surprise party for his wife that included an 8-course meal with themes from her favorite classic books. She was one of Volume’s first Wicker Park customers. She was really surprised.

Rebecca also tells me about a children’s book, The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom, that Volumes took to local schools for student readings over the course of a week. The Wicker Park neighborhood is next to Ukrainian Village, where many Ukrainian families live. One child, from a refuge family, read the book to his mom three times and insisted on sleeping with it. Other classmates got enthused and decided to do an action project to support Ukraine.

My new Chicago neighborhood suddenly feels distinctly more intimate than the bookstore-less Michigan suburb I’d lived for more than 20 years. Strange how a big city can feel quaint; a suburb can feel vast and never ending. During the brief years a Border’s Books opened and closed, I never heard friendly chats between shop owners and customers.

Rebecca says Volumes loves to support new authors and local writers. She encourages me to attend some events at the store and recommends an upcoming Ali Brady launch, a summer beach read titled The Comeback Summer. So, I go. It turns out the author is the writing team of Chicago writer, Allison Hammer, and her friend, Bradleigh Godfrey. I’m amazed at the turnout: the bookstore is packed! It turns out the authors are members of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, which has a large Chicago contingency. The WFWA members have come in droves to support the book.

As a proud member of the WFWA since its 2020 pandemic write-ins, I feel the warmth of the Chicago literary community like an embrace. How lucky to be here for the launch of Coming Clean. How amazing that Volumes Bookcafe is my neighborhood bookseller. How exciting to have Volumes in Wicker Park hosting my launch event on January 13, 2024.

How lucky I donated so many books before I moved and can now refill my shelves with all the great new literature. Volumes will see a lot of me in the years to come.

Visit Volumes for the launch of Coming Clean by Beth Uznis Johnson: Saturday, January 13, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Volumes Bookcafe, 1373 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 Website: www.volumesbooks.com ; Instagram: @volumesbooks ; Facebook: @volumesbooks ; X: @volumesbooks

Beth Uznis Johnson’s short fiction and essays have appeared in Massachusetts Review, Broad Street, Cincinnati Review, Story Quarterly, Mississippi Review, Southwest Review, “The Best American Essays,” and elsewhere. She lives and writes in Chicago. Coming Clean is her first novel. www.bethujohnson.com