Taking a look at the walls of the main storefront of Square Books, located in The Square, Oxford’s iconic town center, it seems fair to say that if Richard and… read more →
Women and Children First continues to break down barriers for what I had constituted as the primary function of bookstores—which up until now, I had considered to be to sell… read more →
In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s the residents of Washington, D.C. began branching out of the city for more spacious land to build houses and move their families to,… read more →
Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade had chutzpah. As a precocious child, Cohen insisted upon attending her father’s Americans for Democratic Action meetings that were held in her living room; as… read more →
* Imagine being a young feminist in the late 1970s, fresh out of graduate school with a degree in literature from the University of Illinois. You have discussed starting a… read more →
While the number of Feminist bookstores is on the decline, bookstores like Women and Children First manage to persevere. First opened in Lincoln Park in 1979, W&CF experienced moderate success… read more →
If you had taken a stroll through the Politics and Prose bookstore in 1999 and again today, you would naturally see aspects of change present in the bookstore. Carla Cohen,… read more →
John K. King’s Used and Rare Books had a very mobile history, but the greatest shifts took place in its literary stocks. Everything in this world has a history behind… read more →
In 1962, during the peak of the civil-rights movement, former U.S Air Force serviceman James H. Meredith was accepted into the University of Mississippi, only to be declined when the… read more →
Before there were a million books, there were gloves. Before there were gloves, there were hats. Before there were hats, there were blouses. Before John K. King Used & Rare… read more →
When Square Books began, it was a small store, which stocked mainly literature on Mississippi and the South. Richard Howorth and his wife Lisa struggled against the odds to open… read more →
In the article “Feminist Bookstores: Where Women’s Lives Matter,” Gina Mercurio of People Called Women says: “Feminist bookstores are a part of our endangered and crumbling infrastructure. If you can… read more →
Whenever I get my hands on an old book, the first thing I do, sometimes without even realizing, is bury my nose into its pages. Everyone who’s come across that… read more →
When John King was a child, he enjoyed visiting used bookstores in Detroit and meeting the eclectic mix of people you’re guaranteed to find in a bookstore. In Sunwise Turn,… read more →
In Sunwise Turn: A Human Comedy of Bookselling, Madge Jenison reflects on the development of her modernized bookstore in the early twentieth century, noting, “The only way we get at… read more →
Everyone hopes that one day they can make a living from their passions. Chuck Rozanski, founder and owner of Mile High Comics, made his dream a reality. While the comic… read more →
Powell’s Bookstores on Dipity. What becomes apparent when multiple bookstores are studied, rising and falling, is that there is much to be said for the strategies employed, and the… read more →
“Comic book retailing is the last refuge of the iconoclast and individuals who are unwilling to conform” – Chuck Rozanski (Duncan) When I was 13, I went… read more →
Not many businesses can say that they’ve managed to stay in the family for five generations, be continually in business for over 120 years, suffer three location changes and are… read more →
Back in 1890, Hirsch Lany, a religious scribe in Lithuania began the company now known as J. Levine Books and Judaica. He distributed copies of the Torah and religious articles in… read more →
To some people, carrying on the legacy and contributions your family has brought to the community for generations is important. To not only continue the traditions, but also the work… read more →
The 1990s brought new changes to the world. The Cold War had just ended as the Berlin Wall fell months before, bringing a hope of peace and safety. A new… read more →
If you go to yelp.com and search for Eso Won Books, you’ll see that Eso Won bookstore is the first store to pop up, unless you forgot to change the location… read more →
History of the Strand on Dipity. The Strand Bookstore is now ubiquitous with the common notion of the used bookstore. Walking past the 18 mile, several building store, its imposing… read more →
Imagine six blocks of New York City lined with a grand total of 48 bookstores. Begun early as 1890, Book Row was the bookseller and the book buyers paradise. The… read more →
In 1989, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing was released and caused an uproar in the racial politics of the United States. The next year, Eso Won Books opened its… read more →
The Strand, at present, holds almost 3 million books in its three story building as well as a warehouse and kiosks in Central Park. It is one of the most… read more →
Powell’s Books on Dipity. Imagine a wasteland full of abandoned factories, warehouses and waterways, heavy construction equipment, illegal activities and tiny businesses butting up against industry. There are vacant lots… read more →
When is the last time you had a comic in your hands? Do you remember what the title was, or even what the plot was about? I’m sure there are… read more →
The Long Life of Strand Bookstore Continues on Dipity. Imagine walking down 4th Avenue in Manhattan in the 1920s, gazing at some of the 48 used bookstores that line the… read more →