Advancing Finely Crafted Literature
Microcosm Publishing
2752 North Williams Avenue
Portland, Oregon
97227
503-232-3666
https://microcosmpublishing.com
Visit: 23 May, 2017
(Full videos will be available soon on our imminent Regal House YouTube Channel)
Microcosm Links to Topics Mentioned Above:
“The Publishing House of My Dreams”
In Portland, I was able to hit four amazing bookstores. The first was the bijou Broadway Books. Broadway Books is a small indie store, fortuitously located on a busy and popular stretch of the street for which it’s named. (It’s also across from my favourite brunch place, the Cadillac Café, where the food is always excellent and satisfying, the staff pleasant and courteous, and the Cadillac pink and operable.)
The store-front windows of Broadway Books make the shop light and airy, and its well-organized shelves draw customers on to explore the next book, the next topic, the next table. Over the shelves hang poster-sized covers of other volumes for which readers might want to search.
One of our authors, Paula Butterfield, lives in Portland, and she gave me a heads-up that the store was going to be celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary while I was in town, and I put the party on my calendar. However, I couldn’t help stopping by a couple times before the anniversary fête. Despite its small size, the book selection never feels inadequate. I made four trips into the store, and each time came out with a book or two, cards and postcards, or beautiful wrapping paper. The staff were invariably charming and helpful. I make particular mention of Rose, who was kind and informative both times I encountered her there.
The birthday party on Saturday made it obvious what a community asset the store is. I met a trio of women who had been friends for forty years. Regular customers milled about, chatting, talking books with the owners and staff, having their photos taken at the picture booth set up for the day, and eating cake and drinking champagne. Despite the bustle of the celebration, I saw the staff continuously assisting customers by making recommendations and finding books. One of the owners (alas! I did not discover which one) asked everyone there to please go out and tell the story of their book store, and I am happy to comply with that request here.
Do check out the website for the history of the store and a calendar of events. But the best, most moving tribute to the store can be found on its wall, in the form of a paean by Brian Doyle. It perfectly captures the magic Broadway Books holds for anyone who enters.
P.S. Very shortly after my visit to Broadway Books, Brian Doyle died of brain cancer. Broadway Books has a memorial planned for him on September 21, 2017.
Ruth Feiertag is a senior editor at Regal House Publishing. She has an M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She meandered towards a Ph.D. but arrived in the realm of independent scholarship and NCIS instead. Ruth is the founding editor of PenKnife Editorial Services, and a member of the National Coalition of Independent Scholars.
Third Place Books
Visited: 15 May, 2017
I began my bookstore safari in Seattle, Washington, where I was visiting my particular friend Maren Donley. Before I arrived, I explained my quest to her, and she immediately recommended a visit to the Third Place Books. While there are three Third Places (I’m not sure how the math works on that, whether it requires simple addition or some kind of quantum exponential multiplication), Maren suggested we drop by the Lake Forest store. “I drive by it twice a week. I had never been in until I met my priest there for a meeting. Then I said, ‘Oh! I have really been missing out!'” she told me.
As always, Maren’s advice proved invaluable. I contacted the store and was put in touch with Zak Nelson, the Events and Marketing Manager. Mr. Nelson gave me some background, drawn from the website, on the store and its philosophy. He explained that “Third Place Books is the deliberate and intentional creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them” and that the name, Third Place Books, comes from sociologist Ray Oldenberg’s idea “that each of us needs three places: first is the home; second is the workplace or school,” and a third place “where people from all walks of life interact, experiencing and celebrating their commonality as well as their diversity.”
Maren commented on this aspect of the store as well. After our visit, she remarked, “I appreciate that so much of that space is devoted to the community and I will go out my way to make purchases there because I value that space. I have never found anywhere else that can do that.” Before visiting the book store, Maren and I fortified ourselves with lunch at the Everest Kitchen, a few doors away from Third Place. We find Indian food tends to be the best way to prepare for about anything, and we wanted to ensure we would have sufficient stamina for an extended exploration.
When Maren and I walked into the Lake Forest Third Place, the atmosphere and layout were genuinely comfortable and intriguing. It felt almost as much like a library as a book store, a place where one could take the time to get to know a book before deciding whether to take it home.
Mr. Nelson had suggested that I speak with Robert Sindelar, the Managing Partner and now president of the American Booksellers Association. When Maren and I arrived, Mr. Sindelar was working in the back, but one of the clerks at the customer service desk cheerfully went off to find him. Mr. Sindelar came out and showed me around the store and talked about his store’s commitment to authors.
Third Place hosts authors—both new, local writers and established celebrities—fifteen times a month. The traditionally published authors have their publishers behind them to arrange readings and signings, while local authors must approach the store in person to arrange appearances and apply to have Third Place carry their books in the stores. When considering self-published works, the Third Place staff take into account not only the quality of the books, but also whether the authors are motivated self-promoters.
As an additional support to Seattle-area authors, the book store offers Third Place Press for those who want to self-publish. The Press designs books and publishes them using its Espresso Book Machine. The Third Place Press office is located not in the book store itself, but in the Commons, near the stage. Many of the books produced there are displayed in the window of the office. It should be noted that publishing with Third Place Press does not guarantee that the book store will carry the book produced. TPP authors must go through the same application process as other independent writers. Mr. Nelson wrote me that the stores carry local authors’ works on consignment.
The selection of books, Mr. Sindelar told me, has a curatorial aspect. The staff have a lot of say in the choices, which are also guided by the interests of customers and the diverse ideas and opinions that represent the neighborhood. It seems that every aspect of Third Place is indeed geared toward fostering community and neighborhood. The Commons area not only has ample seating and a play area for small children, it has three restaurants as well: sustenance for both mind and body.
And then there’s the stage. The bookstore uses it for readings and signings, and shares it with schools, musicians, and theatre groups as another way to create inclusive and cohesive bonds between various individuals and groups in the area. Mr. Nelson, in one of his e-mails, had assured me that Third Place “depends on having a well-rounded and enticing events program.”
When Mr. Sindelar had to take his turn staffing the information counter, I explored the store some more on my own and eventually found Maren in the children’s section with Rene Holderman, one of the store clerks who had greeted us when we first arrived. Maren was looking for books for her children, both voracious consumers of literature. On the way home, Maren confided that “This is the second time that Rene has been able to help me select books for my daughter. She’s an avid reader with VERY specific tastes. It’s such a pleasure to have expert help.”
As we wended our way toward the registers at the front of the store, Maren pointed out the cards that annotated the books on the tables and shelves. The cards offered reviews by the staff, noted awards won by the book and author, and even let browsers know that a less expensive edition of the book in question was available on a different shelf in the store. I had seen cards similarly deployed in other stores, but never to such good effect. Walking through the store while looking at the books and reading the cards was like enjoying a stimulating conversation with friends or taking part in a silent book club discussion.
Third Place is a community epicenter that extends opportunities for education and enjoyment. While Third Place strives to be a place apart from home and work or school, I think it might be something better: a place that embraces aspects of all our important environments and makes room for members of the community to nurture their separate selves within while forging connections with the world around them.
A quick look at The Commons and Third Place Books.
I want to thank Zak Nelson and Rene Holderman for their assistance; I am particularly grateful to Robert Sindelar for his time and kindness in showing me around. And especial gratitude to Maren Donley for leading me to Third Place Books, and for more than I can articulate here.
A few months ago, our intrepid leader, Jaynie Royal, suggested that we, as members of an independent publisher’s community, undertake a challenging new adventure: to seek out independent book stores; talk with the people who own, run, and staff them; and celebrate these stores and staff in a continuing series on the Regal blog. Jaynie wanted to give store owners a chance to tell their stories and to inspire other bibliophiles locally, nationally, and across the globe to appreciate the essential role independent book stores play in the author-publisher-reader symbiosis.
We would write up the tales of our forays into the worlds of our counterparts to inform our readers about these bastions of literacy, to entertain our readers with our escapades, and to express our support and encouragement for the individuals and institutions that keep the indie scene vital and vibrant.
Here us our first installment.
Quail Ridge Books
North Hills
4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road
Raleigh, North Carolina
27609
(919) 828-1588
http://www.quailridgebooks.com
Visited: 5/21/17
Bookstores, for me, have always been imbued with magic: their exterior signage, the glimpse of books and bindings through gleaming glass windows sound a magnet call that I am utterly helpless to resist. It little matters whether the bookshop is a dusty repository of the previously loved or a modern facility that houses the recently released, but it must be independent—chains necessarily lack the vibrant individuality that differentiates one store from the other.
Having recently moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, I was unacquainted with its literary scene and worried that quality independent bookstores might be in short supply. Needless to say, I was thrilled to discover the joy that is Quail Ridge Books—itself having recently moved from Ridgewood Shopping Center to its glorious new store in North Hills. For the owner and staff’s passionate support for independent authors, poets, and presses, for their ongoing collaboration with independent booksellers across the Piedmont[1], and for their unceasing devotion to the Raleigh writing and reading community, Quail Ridge Books deserves the inaugural place in our “Celebrating Indie Bookstores” blog series.
Quail Ridge Books, in its reincarnation in the North Hills shopping center, is an enticing space, one in which warm hues and artfully inscribed literary quotations decorate the walls. Reading nooks present inviting spaces to linger and browse while bright, brocaded armchairs with sink-in cushions are situated next to a faux gas fireplace or grouped in proximity to convenient tables that will host the inevitable stack of books you will end up carrying around with you.
Lisa Poole, the owner of Quail Ridge Books, René Martin, the events coordinator, and Sarah Goddin, the general manager, were kind enough to sit down with me one afternoon this summer to talk about the Quail Ridge Books enterprise. A lovely chat ensued between us four in a delightfully snug corner of the Young Adult fiction section.
The story began, as they usually do, at the beginnings of things, at “Once upon a time…,” when Quail Ridge Books’ founding editor, Nancy Olson, received a small inheritance from her uncle and used it to start the bookstore. She had recently moved from Virginia to Raleigh and had noticed the lack of independent book shops. Nancy moved the bookstore to Ridgewood Shopping Center in 1994, then Lisa Poole bought the store from Nancy when the latter retired in 2013.
Quail Ridge Books has sought to promote and nurture Raleigh readers and writers ever since with a vibrant event schedule that features a mix of local, national, and international authors. There is a lively writing community in the Triangle, and Quail Ridge Books accepts a fair number of books on consignment, some of which are self-published. Twice a year, their bestselling self-published authors come in to give a presentation. A quarterly event showcases North Carolina poets, a series of workshops for writers examines both traditional and self-publishing options, and other events help writers establish ways in which they can promote and market their work.
While adults seeking a warm and engaging book-purchasing, event-offering space emerge deeply satisfied, the next generation of readers is equally well catered to.
In the best tradition of bookstores (although lamentably this practice seems to be on the wane these days), Quail Ridge Books hosts story-time every Monday at ten-thirty for two- to five-year old Raleighlings. Bi-weekly and weekly summer book clubs tantalize five- to twelve-year olds with an array of intriguing titles. The Saturday previous to my visit, Quail Ridge Books had been jam-packed with kids from early morning till mid-afternoon, with Adam Rubin’s book Dragons Love Tacos the first offering in a wildly popular line-up. The afternoon saw the arrival of the Scholastic big bus, with local Scholastic authors, photo booths, and other exciting activities with the kids. “It was a great, great day,” René declared with a smile.
When one first walks through the doors at Quail Ridge Books, however—child and adult alike—the immediate impression is one of space, modern and convivial. It can be challenging indeed to marry the two: large can be lacking intimacy, modernity can be at the expense of warmth. And, for bookstores, the challenge doesn’t end there: one must, after all, pack in the shelving that allows for ready browsing, with aisle space for fellow booklovers to exchange a smile or two, so that one can peruse the spines from a little distance without feeling confined and hemmed in. Quail Ridge Books navigates these potential pitfalls masterfully. The walls are a warmly inviting shade of maroon, chandeliers add a decadent luxury to the browsing space, and the chairs—Oh, an entire blog post could be written on the chairs alone! They are upholstered in bright fabrics, with cushions deep and snug. And you realize, as you sink into one with books on your lap, that you are indeed welcome to stay and leaf through some favorite selections. For Quail Ridge Books is not about lining customers up, extracting from them their book-purchasing funds, and getting them out the door to make room for the new and next buyer. Quail Ridge Books, the store and the staff, are imbued with a passionate love of books and of sharing that passion with the Raleigh world. This dedication meant that the chair choice was no small matter. As Lisa, the owner of Quail Ridge Books, noted: “I have three daughters and when they were growing up, they always wanted to go to bookstores and sit in comfy seats. Not all bookstores have comfy seats, or any seats at all, so that was important: lots of comfy seats.” And so it occurs to me that Quail Ridge Books is like the Victorian library that we all wish we had at home with the winged back chair in front of the fireplace, innumerable books all around. Quail Ridge Books has one such library—and they are inviting us all in!
Most bookstores today understand that success is a collective endeavor—they rely not only upon a devoted following among the book-buying public, but also on a sense of fellowship among other book retailers. For last two years, as part of Independent Bookstore Day, Quail Ridge Books has been participating in a collaborative effort with other booksellers in the Piedmont, encouraging customers to become acquainted with as many indie bookstores as possible. In an age when brick-and-mortar stores are rapidly becoming eclipsed by online giants, Quail Ridge Books desires to underscore actively the importance of independent bookstores to our collective community. René also works closely with other bookstores on a number of other events: “We are all good friends. It really is wonderful to have colleagues with whom you can share stories and for whom you can provide support. We are not in competition; different kind of stores feature different kinds of books, and anytime that someone is happy with their experience in an independent bookstore, it helps all the other independent bookstores.”
Quail Ridge Books’ vibrant event schedule and robust support of the local writing community have made them a literary favorite in the Raleigh bookselling niche. Their draw, however, has extended beyond city and state. Frequently, devoted readers will travel from further afield, from four or five various states, in order to attend a much-anticipated reading event with a favorite national, international, or local author. These events are rare and exciting opportunities for fervent followers of specific authors; they provide readers a chance to see their heroes in person, to hear the authors read the words they themselves penned, to obtain an autograph perhaps, to forge a sense of connection beyond the printed page, all while enveloped by the warm intimate surrounds of Quail Ridge Books’ lovely space—a treat indeed that cannot be duplicated by a remote online service that will deliver the book to your door but offer nothing in the way of experience or community.
The Quail Ridge Wrap-Up
While I have resided in innumerable cities across the globe, I am delighted to have finally settled in Raleigh, N.C.—not just because of the quiet beauty of its wooded groves, its engaging museum scene, and variety of culinary offerings, but because it is home to Quail Ridge Books. Lisa, Sarah, and Rene are dedicated to fostering a vibrant literary connectivity between authors and readers, to providing warm support for local poets and self-published writers, and to implementing an exciting event schedule that significantly benefits the city of Raleigh. I am proud indeed to be a supporter of their beautiful new store.
Authored by: Jaynie Royal
[1] The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point.
