An Intersection and an Outlier: Molly’s Books and Records

As the nation’s city of world heritage, Philadelphia prides itself for its exceptional history and diverse culture. Hence, the historic outdoor marketplace–fondly known as Little Italy–is one of Philly’s most cherished attractions. There, 10 city blocks down South 9th Street, tourists and locals immerse themselves in a gastronomic environment. However, not just a 15-minute walk from the heart of Little Italy, a cluster of independent bookstores stretches across the mouth of South Street. There, tourists and locals–with their bags full of fresh produce and freshly cut meats–filter out onto South Street’s busy scene where dozens of art and recreational businesses line the street.

 
Image courtesy of Eater Philadelphia

If you could imagine a place where these two worlds coincide, would you see a place where second-hand books coexist with vinyl records and DVDs; does the storefront shine under the sun because it is embossed with mosaic art; do you see a cat wandering the narrow aisles of this mom-and-pop shop? If you could imagine this place, you should know it already exists as Molly’s Books and Records. Burrowed between the Italian markets and the cluster of bookstores, Molly’s Books and Records stands as the intersection of one of the most culturally and artistically enriched communities of South Philly. 

As Education Updates explains, Philadelphia was historically a site for immigration, particularly for people of Italian, Irish, and German descent. In fact, their presence is still recognized in South Philly as the population of Italian descendants stands at 17.7%, Irish descendants at 16.5%, and German descendants at 11.7%, according to the United States Census Bureau. However, it is the dominating presence of Italian ancestry that contributes to the cultural identity of South Philly. 

Now, you can easily picture South Philly as the hub for authentic Italian cuisine, and this points to the significance of food in Italian culture and identity. In fact, in the Broad Street Review Pamela J. Forsythe explains gastronomy is a “‘social glue’” in Italian communities, especially in South Philly where Italian-owned businesses were established to facilitate daily and authentic Italian life. Therefore, when you picture yourself standing at the heart of Little Italy, you see butcher shops, specialty food shops, authentic pizza and pasta restaurants–what you don’t expect to see is a used bookstore. 

So, how does Molly’s Books and Records fit into this gastronomic environment of South Philly? According to the official website of Philadelphia, the city has a long history and commitment to preserving culture and art. This sentiment of celebrating culture and art is reflected in the 10.7% of South Philly’s population who are currently employed in arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (United States Bureau). Notably, dozens of art and recreational businesses scatter throughout South Street, such as a painting studio, a concert venue, and at least nine other independent bookstores. 

With nine other independent bookstores in South Philly, how does Molly’s Books and Records establish meaning as a significant place of art? Consider Tim Cresswell’s fundamentals of defining place: “Naming is one of the ways space can be given meaning and become place” (9) and “places must have some relationship to humans and the human capacity to produce and consume meaning” (7). Originally established in 2001 at the heart of Little Italy, Molly’s Books would yet officially change its name to Molly’s Books and Records until nearly nine years later (The Secondhand Beat). As mentioned in Tamala Edward’s 6abc News article, the name change proceeded after the bookstore’s owner, Molly Russakoff, formed a relationship and partnership with rock-and-roll enthusiast Joe Ankenbrand; together they operate Molly’s Books and Records as a family-owned business. In this sense, Molly’s Books and Records is a place of unique and emotional meaning to Molly Russakoff and Joe Ankenbrand–but how does the store become a meaningful place in an area where people’s values rest in culture and cuisine? 

Image courtesy of Eater Philadelphia

As Laura J. Miller explains in Reluctant Capitalists, independent bookstores like Molly’s Books and Records “assumed position as cultural authorities” (84) of their communities. Hence, these independent bookstores diversify and expand their reading material to preserve the democracy of bookselling and bookbuying (Miller 84). With this ideology, Molly’s Books and Records became a multifaceted bookstore where customers can purchase vinyl records and DVDs (The Secondhand Beat). Not to mention, the bookstore has one of the most diverse genres of books in the neighborhood, including poetry, literature, children’s books, and more–note, I have yet to list all the sub-genres of their extensive cookbook and food writing selection. In their position as “cultural authorities” (84) of South Philly, Molly’s Books and Records pursued the task of representing the culinary cultures of Little Italy through a carefully curated cookbook collection. Considering Little Italy’s history with immigration and cultural diversity, the cookbook collection extends its range far beyond the neighborhood’s Italian population with books “devoted to Pennsylvania Dutch, African American, Native American, Jewish, Scandinavian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines, among others” (Weil). In their pursuit of diverse cultural representation through cookbooks, Molly’s Books and Records became the intersection of culinary and artistic cultures of South Philadelphia.

Works Cited

“The City of Philadelphia Celebrates 60 Years of Percent for Art.” City of Philadelphia, 18 Apr. 2019, www.phila.gov/2019-04-18-the-city-of-philadelphia-celebrates-60-years-of-percent-for-art/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” pdf.

Edwards, Tamala. “Married couple shares their love of books, music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc News, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Forsythe, Pamela J. “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas.” Edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. Broad Street Review, 18 Jan. 2022, www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia-history-culture-people-and-ideas-edited-by-andrea-canepari-and-judith-goode. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists. 2006.

“Molly’s Books and Records.” The Secondhand Beat, 12 Mar. 2011, thesecondhandbeat.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/mollys-books-records-part-ii/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Stephanie. “Decisions of the Board of Special Inquiry: The Story of Irish Immigrant Bridget Donaghy.” Education Updates, 1 July 2021, education.blogs.archives.gov/2021/07/01/irish-immigrant-bridget-donaghy/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

United States Census Bureau. data.census.gov/profile/ZCTA5_19147?g=860XX00US19147#employment. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite Like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philadelphia, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

The Electric City Trolley Museum. Image courtesy of Jim Cheney.

Scranton, Pennsylvania is well known as the Electric City. According to Google, it is known for its Steamtown National Historic Site. Some may know it from their Electric City Trolley Museum which has vintage trolleys. Others may only know Scranton from the US adaptation of the television series, The Office, which is set at a fictional paper company in Scranton. Or perhaps people may know Scranton just because of the colleges that are located there.

Head down to Scranton for a day or a weekend trip, and stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where you may find whatever you need. As stated on the Marketplace at Steamtown’s website it is the “home to lifestyle services, professional offices, retail shops, and entertainment.” The Marketplace at Steamtown has many different stores for just about anyone. If you need to do some errands you may find what you need there. If you want to go to the gym after work, you can stop by Crunch Fitness. If you are a book lover who happens to be taking a trip to Scranton, be sure to stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where they have a bookstore known as Library Express. This unique place is not only a bookstore, but it also functions as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System. Much like a regular public library, Library Express will loan books to the members of its community. However, Library Express also allows you to go in and wander around so that you can buy yourself a new or used book as you would do at a regular bookstore.

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Map courtesy of Google Maps.

The entrance of Library Express Bookstore. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Facebook page.

Library Express is located on the Second Floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Its storefront is paneled with oak, and it has large windows that have decorations that match the seasons. As seen in the picture below, the window display matches the current autumn season matching people’s love of fall foliage. When the bookstore is open its doors always remain wide open which allows anyone to stroll in. This provides a sense of feeling welcomed and may encourage people to enter the bookstore. Since Scranton has several universities, Library Express is very useful for college students. They can go to the bookstore and either buy the books that they need for school, or they could possibly just borrow them and give them back once they are done with them. Right next door is Lackawanna’s Dress for Success, a second-hand clothing store that all women to feel empowered by providing them with professional attire that allows them to thrive at work. There is also a little food court that has food that ranges from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to Ruano’s Pizza & Pasta to Amori Sushi. So take a stroll inside the Marketplace at Steamtown, where you can have some lunch, and then go grab yourself the book you have been wanting to read. Plus if you happen to also like The Office then you can stop to check out the Scranton Welcome sign that is seen during the opening credits of the television series.

Library Express Window Decorated for the Fall. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Page

In Tim Cresswell’s “Defining Place” he talks a lot about what a place can be, whether it is a specific location, locale, or a sense of place. There are many things that are considered places such as your bedroom, a garden, a gym, Scranton, Marketplace at Steamtown, Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, etc. As Cresswell would say what makes these all considered places is that “they are spaces which people have made meaningful” (7), and that is what these places are to people. These places including Library Express provide people with what they may need or want. Library Express is a place that is meaningful to bookworms who cannot help but stop by and buy a new or used book. It is also a meaningful place for college students to stop by and possibly borrow a book if they do not wish to buy it since they already spend a lot of money just to go to their university.

According to the 2020 Census Bureau, the city of Scranton was predominately White (71.3%), the second highest demographic was Hispanic (9.51%), the third was Black or African American (5.39%), then following was Asian (5.07%). With three more demographics: Multiracial (Hispanic) at 3.17%, Multiracial (Non-Hispanic) at 3%, and Other (Hispanic) at 2.01%.

The age of the population is approximately 33% 65 years old or older and 15% at the age of 25 or younger. However, in the neighborhood that Library Express is in, about 35% of households whose incomes are less than $15K in a year.

In Laura J. Miller’s Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, she mentions how the right kind of businesses are “nourished by its vital connections to a locality” and that they “can rise above profit considerations to provide community service as well as customer service” (122). This is exactly what Library Express does. The Library Express being a branch of a public library and bookstore allows it to provide not only for the community but also for a regular customer who may not be part of its neighborhood community.

Sources:

Texts

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: An Introduction, 2013, p 7.

Library Express Facebook Page. Facebook. (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/

Miller, Laura J. “Serving the Entertained Consumer: The Multifunction Bookstore.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 122.

Mixed-use Facility: The Marketplace at Steamtown: United States. Steamtown. (n.d.). https://www.themarketplaceatsteamtown.com/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

We brighten the lives of women across the world. Dress for Success Lackawanna. (n.d.). https://lackawanna.dressforsuccess.org/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Images

The entrance of the bookstore: https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The window display: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=881111396810461&set=pb.100047348262907.-2207520000&type=3 Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Cheney, Jim. “17 of My Favorite Things to Do in Scranton, PA.” Uncovering PA, 14 Aug. 2023, https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-in-scranton-pa Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Maps

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown https://maps.app.goo.gl/8fpjpofh9HFcFUrm9

**Map created on https://mymaps.google.com/ **

Statistics

Households by IncomeClaritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Scranton, PA. Data USA. (n.d.). https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-pa#demographics Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

Midtown Scholar Bookstore, located in the bustling city center of Pennsylvania’s capital, has become a staple in the Harrisburg area since its doors opened in 2001.

Tim Cresswell talks about political geographer, John Agnew’s, “three fundamental aspects of place as a ‘meaningful location.’” These aspects are location, locale, and sense of place. It’s already been said that Midtown Scholar is located in Harrisburg, PA, but what does that mean for its locale? What is “the actual shape of place within which people conduct their lives as individuals,” (Cresswell p. 7)?

Midtown Scholar is within the 17102 zip code, which houses roughly a sixth of the overall population of Harrisburg, PA (Data USA and Claritas). This segment of the population is made up of mostly people 25-years-old and up, with the majority unmarried and living alone (Claritas). It is also a diversified area regarding race and ethnicity, as shown in the graphic on the left.

Keep in mind that this is only a small segment of the population which can find enjoyment in Midtown Scholar and all it has to offer. However, these are the people that make up the immediate surroundings, and therefore have a level of influence on how people from beyond that area feel about entering it. Laura J. Miller states, “Suburban women would take periodic shopping trips to the city, and commuting men would pick up items on their way home from work. Some suburbanites minded the inconvenience, especially those who saw the city as a place of iniquity and danger,” when discussing the post-World War II era, within which shopping in the city became less necessary for the suburban areas surrounding them (Reluctant Capitalists, p. 89-90). Despite being many decades since this change began, there is still quite the stigma around city areas, and Harrisburg is no exception. Although some may harbor this tainted idea of cities, the neighborhood Midtown Scholar is housed in has been referred to as “an up-and-coming neighborhood” by Jim Cheney in his September 2023 review for Uncovering PA.

Looking at the map of midtown and downtown Harrisburg, one will find several locations (marked in purple) that were built, like Midtown Scholar (marked in red), for the artistic, cultural, and historical betterment of the community. Midtown Scholar sits in the same strip as the famed Broad Street Market, known for its numerous vendors and fresh foods, and the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, known for its live music performances. Also not far are the Susquehanna Art Museum and Midtown Cinema. Just on the other side of Forster Street, a main road running through Center City, anyone interested can visit the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, Capitol Park, or The Forum Auditorium, all beautiful representations of the art, architecture, and history of the Harrisburg area. And if that all is not enough to fill the day, taking a quick trip through the Strawberry Square shopping center could kill some time as well.

The bookstore also makes a point of being involved with the community surrounding them. Jim Cheney’s review also states, “The local arts scene is quite prevalent in the store, with local artists, authors, and speakers frequenting the Scholar’s stage and the work of local artists hanging on the walls.” Anyone who visits the About Us: Community page on the Midtown Scholar website can see their preference for local representation in their featured events and works.

To have such a hand in the community, the store must understand who this community is and why their influence on the store and its influence on them is culturally significant to the Harrisburg area. In this way, the community and the store formulate their sense of place. The community and the locale and how it all interacts shows how, “places must have some relationship to humans and the human capacity to produce and consume meaning,” (Cresswell p. 7). Featured on the Midtown Scholar website, along with their mission statement, is part of a review left by Carson Vaughan in his article “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” (Vaughan, 2017) for Travel + Leisure back in 2017 (the original article is no longer on the Travel + Leisure site). In it, Vaughan remarks, “Today, The Midtown Scholar has become a veritable marketplace of ideas… Come for the literature, stay for the conversation.” This is the sense of place Midtown Scholar has built for itself over the course of its (so far) 22 years.

Citations
Texts

Cheney, Jim. “Visiting Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Harrisburg’s Best Destination for Literary Lovers.” Uncovering PA, 6 Sept. 2023, uncoveringpa.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore.

“Community.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/community. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: A Short Introduction, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 2004, p. 7.

“History and Mission.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, https://www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. “Designing the Bookstore for the Standard Consumer.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 89-90.

Vaughan, Carson. “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” Local Color XC, Local Color XC, 30 Jan. 2017, www.localcolorxc.com/travel-blog/2017/1/27/local-color-xc-in-travel-leisure.

Images

H, David. Inside Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 13 Feb. 2022. Yelp, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/midtown-scholar-bookstore-harrisburg?select=6VTVMd9GRzFXoRWIjrXsDA. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Schindlerdigital. State Capitol building in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. 15 Sept. 2018. Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:State_Capitol_building_in_Harrisburg_Pennsylvania.jpg. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Stats

Harrisburg, PA. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/harrisburg-pa. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Population by Race & Ethnicity. Claritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Maps

“Midtown Scholar Bookstore.” Google Maps, Google, www.google.com/maps/@40.2698301,-76.8890499,3a,75y,231.75h,98.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srbbfijdcvJQOKjpdNqUABA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Neumyer, Olivia. (2023) Midtown Harrisburg Art/Culture Scene, Google My Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1i6ufKyiP25OTPeo8WR6njjFNgehCwG4&ll=40.264298356631905%2C-76.88645563397043&z=16. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Cafe con Libros Brews Change for Crown Heights

Cafe con Libros Brews Change for Crown Heights

Hundreds of protesters, escorted by police, march towards Lubovitcher Synagogue in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, Aug. 24, 1991. Photo courtesy of Joe Major.

On August 19th, 1991, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson is being escorted by a motorcade from visiting his wife’s grave back to his home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, when the final car falls behind the others. The driver, in an attempt to catch up, runs a red light, loses control of the vehicle, and pins two seven-year-old Black children against the side of a building, killing one and seriously injuring the other. After the dust had settled from the initial chaos, the Black community rallied around the death of the child and the perceived inequality between the medical attention given to the driver compared to him. By the time night had fallen, an angry crowd had gathered, and at 11:25 p.m., police found the body of a Hasidic Jew stabbed on Kingston Avenue by two Black youths who had left the angry crowd looking for revenge (Chang et al.). Over the next few days, Black and Jewish protestors alike gathered to hurl insults, as well as rocks and bottles, at each other. Accusing one of racism, the other of anti-Semitism in what would be known to history as the Crown Heights riots. It would be several years before the area known as Crown Heights returned to a quiet peace between the two communities.  

Crown Heights has historically been a place for Black culture, particularly Afro-Caribbean culture, to thrive in Brooklyn alongside the small, but significant Hasidic Jewish population (Schaefer 350). The 2021 census estimates the population of Crown Heights to be 138,614, and of that 43.4% identify as Black (“Crown Heights…”). The settlement of the region began in the 1830s with two small villages founded by African Americans, called Weeksville and Carrville, where a large free Black population grew (Schaefer 350). When the villages were destroyed during the urbanization of the area in the later 1910s, Crown Heights became home to “an upwardly mobile, rapidly assimilating elite of Eastern European Jews and other White European immigrants” (Schaefer 350). A boom in population came in the 1940s and 1950s, when “these established residents were joined by the communities that have come to make up today’s Crown Heights: Hasidic Jews, arriving in New York as Holocaust refugees, and Black migrants, both African American and Afro-Caribbean, drawn in part by the city’s booming wartime economy” (Schaefer 350).

Within this small portion of Brooklyn known as Crown Heights, one can find not only large swaths of Caribbean restaurants and a thriving Afro-Caribbean community, but also over ten separate churches of all faiths.

The exterior of Cafe con Libros from the sidewalk. Photo courtesy of Poets & Writers.

At the junction of Prospect Place and Rogers Avenue (just four blocks removed from Kingston Avenue, where Yankel Rosenbaum was found dead), lies a small bookshop and café called Café con Libros, with the words “BLACK, FEMINIST, & BOOKISH” scrawled in big white letters across the black awning. The shop interior is almost entirely empty, except for the shelves lining the two side walls from floor to ceiling, with a clear path to the tiny front counter which is littered with coffee cups, pastries on display, and a sign saying, “no cash please.” It is clear that this place is not meant for more than five or six people to be in here at a time, browsing books or drinking coffee, or sometimes both.

The interior of Cafe con Libros from the front door. Image courtesy of Chris Setter.

This small piece of the giant that is New York City is not somewhere that blends into the background, but instead a place, just as Tim Cresswell defines it in Place: A Short Introduction. Firstly, the location of the bookstore: it is tucked away between a restaurant and a block of Victorian style townhouses, far away from most other businesses in Crown Heights (Cresswell 7). Secondly, the locale, or “the material setting for social relations,” which can be seen in Café con Libros’ events page on their website (Cresswell 7). They host author events, book clubs, and other such gatherings to bring the community together and engage with one another. Laura Miller touches on this idea of community engagement as well in Reluctant Capitalists, saying how the independent bookstores began to advertise themselves as a place to “build community solidarity” (118). By depicting their bookstore as not only a shop, but as a community center and place to build connections, Café con Libros is catering to the modern consumer, who wants entertainment with their daily shopping. Finally, Cresswell emphasizes the “sense of place” in his work, which is clear in Crown Heights’ history (7). This location has meaning not only to the owners of the store, but also to the community. The riots of Crown Heights were a mere 30 years ago, and many residents will remember them clearly. A bookstore that broadcasts its stock being from Black authors represents a strong community that has gone through hardship and violence together. When I look at the images of this unassuming little bookstore and café, I don’t just see books and coffee, but decades of tension, riots, and hard work towards getting and maintaining peace.

Sources:

Information/History

Chang, Dean, et al. “Fatal Crash Sparks Crown Heights Riots in 1991.” New York Daily News, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 1991, www.nydailynews.com/2016/08/18/fatal-crash-sparks-crown-heights-riots-in-1991/.

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

“Crown Heights/Prospect Heights Neighborhood Profile.” NYU Furman Center, furmancenter.org/neighborhoods/view/crown-heights-prospect-heights. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

“Intersectional Feminist Bookstore: Cafe Con Libros: New York.” Cafe Con Libros, www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists. The University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Schaefer, Richard T. Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. SAGE, 2008.

Images

Exterior of Café con Libros. “Café con Libros” 23 Jun. 2023. Poets & Writers, https://www.pw.org/literary_places/cafe_con_libros.

Major, Joe. Protestors marching to Lubovitcher Synagogue. “PHOTOS: 1991 Crown Heights riots in pictures” 19 Aug. 2016. ABC7NY, https://abc7ny.com/crown-heights-riots-1991-tension-archive/1476212/.

Setter, Chris. Interior of Café con Libros. “Badass Women: Kalima DeSuze, founder of feminist bookstore, Cafe con Libros” by Rebecca Kobert, 28 Jun. 2018. Medium, https://medium.com/coconuts/badass-women-kalima-desuze-founder-of-feminist-bookstore-cafe-con-libros-c64e0f8ed358.

Map

Map created by Megan DeAngelo using mymaps.google.com

“Coffee and Community, Coming Right Up!” How Cafe Con Libros Fights to Unite Crown Heights

“Coffee and Community, Coming Right Up!” How Cafe Con Libros Fights to Unite Crown Heights

The storefront of Cafe Con Libros, facing Prospect Place in Crown Heights. Image curtesy of Rolling Out.

Tucked behind a cozy curtain of sage, forest, seafood, and bottle green shades of ivy hangs the stark black and white sign of Crown Heights’ combined coffee and book shop, Cafe Con Libros. “BLACK, FEMINIST, & BOOKISH” the sign reads on weeks that follow a good hedge trimming. On weeks that don’t, it doesn’t seem to matter. All the shop’s customers already know what the big block letters spell. 

Cafe Con Libros is an intersectional feminist shop catered to, made for, and beloved by its Brooklyn neighborhood. There’s a homey and amicable sense of belonging emanating from its walls. As the Edinburgh academic Tim Cresswell describes in his book Place: A Short Introduction, there’s significance to this shop shaped by its locale and sense of place.

Sweet, nutty notes of espresso waft out the door as it swings open and shut. The windows display works written by women of all different bodies, backgrounds, and beliefs. Catchy coffeehouse tunes trickle out onto the street, harmonizing with the soft chatter of customers perusing the shelves. Locals gaze upon the rowdy road from cushy window seats, cupping warm mugs in their hands before returning to laptops, cracking open paperbacks, or scribbling on notepads.

Of course, this isn’t to say that geography doesn’t still play an insurmountable role in Cafe Con Libros’ sense of place. Most notably, the soft turquoise storefront stands on the frontlines of an uphill battle to unify an increasingly gentrified community. 

Between 2000 and 2015, the area saw a 23% decrease in Black residents and a 205% increase in White residents (“Observer”). The median rent shot up from $870 to $1230, according to a study conducted by NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.

Though there is still a Black majority in Crown Heights, the popular has significantly shrunk over the past 20 years. More than a quarter of the neighborhood is now White. Graphic curtsey of NYC Health.
There is also a tremendous variety of wealth statuses in Crown Heights as a result of gentrification. Graphic curtsey of NYC Health.

Cafe Con Libros’ Afro-Latina owner Kalima DeSuze grew up a six-minute walk away from the shop, a place she says was once crowded with old community convenience stores and African hair-braiding spots that have all since disappeared. Gone is the mostly Black and low-income neighborhood she knew as a girl. In its place, a tense population divided by race and class now bustles around one another, unsure of how to make peace with and live together (“Fernández”).

Kalima DeSuze knows she played a role in the gentrification of her town with Cafe Con Libros. She told a local publication that coffeeshops are a classic marker for redlining, that one popping up is an immediate signal to residents that the neighborhood is “done for” (“Fernández”). However, DeSuze took this as a challenge to signal the opposite to her community with a bold selection of books. 

According to their website, the shop aims to “offer feminist texts for all personalities, political affiliations, temperaments, and tastes.” Their selection means to “represent as many identities as possible.” They even proudly offer selections for what they affectionately call their “baby, budding feminists.” Picture books and children’s toys take up the entire right-hand side of the window display, for all the new upscale families living nearby.

The left-hand window boasts Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You? and Lovely War by Julie Berry, but also features The Crunk Feminist Collection and The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae, attempting to fight the misconception DeSuze finds thrown around in her community far too often when presented with a feminist text: “Oh, that’s for white folk, that’s not for us” (“Fernández”).  

“I aim to bring the folks together who would normally not feel comfortable with one another. This is what I want to see […] I want to see multiple identities being comfortable sitting and hanging out with one another and connecting across differences.”
Kalima DeSuze, Owner of Cafe Con Libros (“Fernández”)

Bookstores today sell experiences as much as they do books and coffee, and DeSuze is using this to her advantage for community bulding. She cultivates a warm yet quaint space where people of various backgrounds can bump elbows while working, socializing, and reading. She personally welcomes in and welcomes back those who otherwise feel like they wouldn’t belong in a place like Cafe Con Libros. 

Prospect Place, the street where Cafe Con Libros is located in Brooklyn. Image curtesy of Chris Setter.

Early critics of the modern chain bookstore were critical of superstores being “better at promoting coffee drinking than an interest in ideas and the intellect,” as Laura J. Miller points out in Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Competition. However, socially conscious and intersectionality-minded shops like Cafe Con Libros show the obvious faults in this thinking with their feminist book clubs and late night readings. 

Kalima DeSuze created a shop with a sense of place, a store that embodied the colloquialism of the old neighborhood she grew up in. No matter if someone’s family has been in the neighborhood for generations or they just moved in last year, DeSuze makes it so that everyone has at least something in common when they enter the front door: they know the sign behind the overgrown ivy reads “BLACK, FEMINIST, & BOOKISH.”

The turnout for Cafe Con Libros’ book club meeting for Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. Image curtesy of Chris Setter.
Works Cited

“Cafe Con Libros.” Rolling Out, rollingout.com/places/cafe-con-libros/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023. 

Fernández, Stacey. “This Afro-Latina’s Feminist Bookstore Is Building Community in Gentrifying Crown Heights.” Remezcla, 10 Mar. 2018, remezcla.com/features/culture/this-afro-latinas-feminist-bookstore-is-building-community-in-gentrifying-crown-heights/. 

Hinterland K, Naidoo M, King L, Lewin V, Myerson G, Noumbissi B, Woodward M, Gould LH, Gwynn RC, Barbot O, Bassett MT. Community Health Profiles 2018, Brooklyn Community District 8: Crown Heights and Prospect Heights; 2018; 32(59):1-20.

“Intersectional Feminist Bookstore: Cafe Con Libros: New York.” Cafe Con Libros, www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023. 

“Portraits by Chris Setter.” NYC Photographer Chris Setter, www.chrissetter.com/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023. 

“State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods in 2018.” NYU Furman Center, 2018. 

Molly’s Books & Records: A Slice of Life in an Italian Market

Molly’s Books & Records: A Slice of Life in an Italian Marketplace

By Lexie Kauffman

As you stroll South 9th street in Philadelphia, PA, a plethora of sights and smells will engulf you. Whether it be the bustling market on one side of the narrow street, or the line of local businesses on the other, there is something for everyone. Nestled within the Italian Market is a small paradise for any book and music lover.

Molly’s Books & Records has been serving the public since 2010. Molly Russakoff, an accomplished poet, and Joe Ankenbrand, a lover of music, teamed up to bring their respective passions into their community. After four years of business, the successful partnership led to a devoted marriage for the Italian couple.

Now Russakoff and Ankenbrand are pursuing their passions (and each other) as they serve their community with a perfectly curated stock of used books and records. Molly’s Books & Records serves an adult clientele, with 76% of residents being over the age of 25. The store is not void of all children’s literature, but customers will have more luck browsing for items marketed towards adults.

Their stock ranges numerous genres but one focus stands out in the Italian marketplace climate: cookbooks. About seven years ago, Russakoff decided to bring her love of food and cooking into the bookstore via an extensive collection. You can find anything from general everyday cookbooks to special edition books signed by famous chefs. Russakoff works hard to create a special selection that will draw people into the store and pair nicely with the surrounding community. Within steps of Molly’s, you can find countless stores with Italian roots, like Paesano’s or Villa di Roma. The bustling Italian market is “America’s oldest and continuously operating outdoor market” that spans for 20 city blocks. In the mid-to-late 1800’s, an Italian immigrant named Antonio Palumbo opened a boarding house for other Italians. The boarding house created a sense of community that attracted many different businesses, building the historic market that still exists today, though it does look a little different nowadays.

“Today, while the outdoor vendors and many of the original Italian businesses remain, the market has diversified to reflect new waves of immigration. The market boasts some of the most authentic Mexican fare in the city and the surrounding neighborhood is home to a number of Asian eateries and grocery stores, featuring delicacies such as Korean barbeque and Vietnamese Pho.”

This sector of Philadelphia is an opportunity to engage with many different cultures and communities, and Molly’s Books & Records is just a small slice that you can experience in this area. Independent bookstores are often heralded as “true representatives of the populace” (Miller 115), and Molly’s Books & Records is a wonderful example of that. This mom-and-pop shop is run by book and music lovers for book and music lovers. The shop is a family endeavor, with Russakoff’s son taking on a larger managerial role nowadays. The family cat, Mrs. Stevenson, also has an imperative role in customer service. This family has turned a small space into a local paradise and Russakoff hopes that the store will continue to thrive for another generation and continue to draw crowds.

From the unique tiled storefront to the hand painted sandwich board out front, Molly’s works hard to lure South 9th Street’s foot traffic. Tim Cresswell states that “Places are very much things to be inside of” (10) and Molly’s Books & Records embodies that idea. Each hand-chosen item sings a siren song to passersby, inviting them into the store. Once customers are past the front door, the stacks of literature and displays of records will lead them on a treasure hunt through the tightly packed building. Russakoff is always looking for something special, “I love to find things, and then find them a home.” This leaves many collectable editions sprinkled throughout the store, so keep a keen eye as you shop.




Molly’s Books & Records is a singular stop in a city full of bookstores. As of 2023, 46 bookstores populate Philadelphia, PA. In June of 2023, a free map of all of Philadelphia’s bookstores was released with Russakoff as a close collaborator. This map has been a dream of Russakoff’s and her partnership helped make it possible. Russakoff’s work in her own shop as well as on the map shows her dedication to the concept of independent bookstores. According to Laura J. Miller, “…the independent [bookstore] is promising to maintain a style of retailing that American at least profess to miss” (121). As a third-generation bookseller, Russakoff knows how important it is to maintain the smaller stores and she loves every minute of it, stating “It’s just such a wonderful business to be in.”

To truly grasp the wonder that is Molly’s Books & Records, you need to hear and smell the bustling Italian Market. You need to feel the coarse pages of a rare cookbook. You need to see the swish of Mrs. Stevenson’s tail as she patrols the store. Molly’s is a place that you want to be inside of; you won’t regret your trip into a small paradise.

Works Cited

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: An Introduction, 2013, p. 10.

Miller, Laura J. “Designing the Bookstore for the Standardized Consumer.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, 2007, p. 115.

The South 9th Street Italian Market Philadelphia. www.italianmarketphilly.org/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Sources

Claritas. claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Edwards, Tamala. “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” ABC Action News, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

“Phillybookstoremap.” Instagram, 21 June 2023, www.instagram.com/phillybookstoremap/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Images Used

Check-Out Counter. Map Quest, www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/mollys-books-and-records-2345352. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Crane, Henry. Molly’s Books & Records. Philly Bookstore Map, phillybookstoremap.com/mollys/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

“Population by Age for 19147.” Claritas, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023. Chart.

Records for Sale. Map Quest, www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/mollys-books-and-records-2345352. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Sandwich Board. Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Storefront. Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Lexie Kauffman

Lexie Kauffman is a Creative Writing and Publishing & Editing student at Susquehanna University. Her work has been published in multiple locations. To learn more about her work check out her Instagram @lexie.kauffman

The Qualifications of “Classic” Literature in D.J. Ernst Used and Rare Books

D.J. Ernst, an independent bookstore located on Market Street in Selinsgrove.

In Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, nestled on North Market Street, sits a bookstore that’s been serving its community for 44 years. In its display windows, used books surround electric candles, inviting passersby to peer in and, just maybe, walk amongst the books that line the shelves within. Hanging beside the receding door is a wooden, weather-worn sign, welcoming potential customers with the name of the bookstore: DJ Ernst Books, Used & Rare.

Donald J. Ernst—known to the students and faculty of the nearby Susquehanna University as “Homer”—has owned and operated the single-room store since he was a college student in the 1970s. Looking around the space, there’s an ever-present sense that this is a place in which time stands still, and the once-forgotten is given a spotlight. From the cloth-bound collections to the vintage orange-crate shelves to the old cash register that came with the store, DJ Ernst proudly shows its age and revels in its history.

Age, history, and a “classic” status are important features in the types of literature Ernst keep in his store. With the books being used or rare copies, it’s clear that many of these books have histories we can only begin to imagine. For DJ Ernst, literature is made up of well-written classics that both reflect Homer’s personal taste and the tastes of the communities he serves.

The Past

Donald J. Ernst (A.K.A. Homer)

The bookstore was first established on February 1st, 1975. Ernst’s father had always had a passion for literature as he enjoyed collecting and reselling books out of his house. He passed down this joy to his son as they began to bond over literature in the ’60s. As their passion grew, Ernst’s father decided to open the very store that still stands today and is now owned by his son.

In the text “A Global Sense of Place,” Tim Cresswell reiterates Massey’s definition of place as, “[a] site of multiple identities and histories” (72). From what was previously a women’s shoe store, to what is now known as DJ Ernst Books, it is safe to say this particular building has been filled with multiple identities and histories. To add to this, along with the building, Ernst was also left with an antique cash register that is still there today.

The contents of the store are in a way a part of a time capsule, one formed when Market Street started to slow down. Preserving “Old Selinsgrove” became the store’s aesthetic. The memorabilia hanging on the walls–the postcards, the pictures of his family, the articles cut outs from newspapers about his store, the multiple maps of Pennsylvania–are points in his timeline that makes up Ernst’s time as a bookseller. The antique cash register is a tribute to a time when Market Street was busy, before the mall was built on 11/15. It is one of the oldest stores on Market Street and it proudly shows.

One of Ernst’s many interests is used, rare books, and he’s not alone. Antique books are some of the staples of the store. Throughout the years he has managed to find a signed copy of a Robert Frost book, as well as a signed Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass. These old books help define what literature is in Homer’s definition.  To further explain what his definition of literature is, it is well-written classics and antique books that both reflect his personal taste as well as the tastes of those within the community. Ernst says he stocks books that he believes are interesting and are worth passing the knowledge on to others or are books everyone should read at least once in their life. I can agree with that.

A copy of Bookman’s Weekly Magazine, the publication Ernst and his father used to use to buy and sell used and rare books across the country.

While other stores in Market Street have struggled to stay open through the years, DJ Ernst has persisted. The store has expanded by creating an online presence. In the early 2000s when he joined Biblio and Abebooks, it allowed him to accept credit cards and to sell worldwide. He also created a Facebook page, where he posts books that he finds and updates his customers on what he has in stock. However, he never added a credit card scanner to the physical store. It was not part of the environment he wanted to have. Homer wants to keep the good parts of the history in his store and allow customers to experience it by purchasing the classics that he has for sale.

The Bookstore

The structure of the store is a clear layout of self-identity embodying a living and breathing time capsule of classics. Looking into this time capsule is a large “timeline” of Ernst finding out who he was, but also learning what has molded his experience into the bookseller that he is today.

Ernst’s store embeds various versions of his history through the structure and layout he provides within the store. At first glance you see a giant, awkwardly shaped display of books smack in the middle of the store. This shelf is made up of small and tall shelves, a table, and a couple of random wooden pieces placed nicely together. This system holds a variation of books that are displayed either facing you when you first walk in, spine out, or even the cover facing up. It is not the type of shelving you would see at a chain bookstore since they would display their books in rows and columns of straightforward shelving, but there is true character behind this funky shape that makes his system so attractive. It is almost as if each piece was put there at a different time in his life, expanding the ability to display his collection of books.

This giant mix-matched shelving is shifted a little to the left when you walk in. Peering through the right-side window enables the customer to face Ernst as he sits at his front counter.  As an assumption, Ernst was probably trying to find the best way to display the most amount of books that he had, so his system of this awkward shelving worked for him and his store. Ernst cleverly placed the shelving in the center forming a pathway around the perimeter of his store, which directs the overall traffic throughout the building. This is a creative way to keep the viewer intrigued and their eyes constantly active, making it easier for a consumer to get “lost” within the store. Regardless of if the customer was to start their journey on the right or left side of the store they always walked around the entire perimeter either once, or multiple times.

Most books are placed on the shelves, but there are also three rows of books stacked on the floor, spine up, and in front of the shelves filling the perimeter of the store. Whether you look up to the ceiling, or down to your feet the place is completely covered in books. Ernst talks about not really knowing how to be a bookseller when he started out and this experience stemming from a passion that he shared with his father. You can tell by the setup of the store that Ernst doesn’t look into the nit-picky details of how to organize the business; it is merely groomed out of that hobby that he formed the store from.

A few of the shelves that make up the History section in DJ Ernst, along with the fiction books on the floor.

Ernst mentioned how he is a “specialist in early Pennsylvania history and local history,” which is not apparent until truly digging into the identity of the store.  You can tell that he is proud of the accomplishments through the various newspapers and articles hanging around the room. Whether it is a shout out from the town’s newspaper, or him and his father inside the store, every moment has been captured and hung up. You can tell that Ernst holds things close to him through the way he has structured his store and his layout.

The chair that faces Ernst’s front counter.

An example of such would be how Ernst has placed the chair facing the front counter that he sits behind. He mentions that individuals from the Selinsgrove community always come in and sit on the worn-out rocking chair with a colorful knitted blanket to talk for hours. It could range from talking about Philosophy to WWII and even for some, a trip after the bar for a “how are you” conversation. And most times these community members leave his store empty-handed, but the openness that Ernst gives for a conversation and a place to sit back and relax makes the community feel welcome. He never passes on the opportunity to learn new things as he helps his customer’s branch out on topics that they are interested in. When thinking about this generation, it is known for basing basic communication skills off of technology whether it is texting or even email. Ernst holds onto the past when facing the chair towards his desk only forcing this “abnormal” form of communication to occur. Whether it is the structure of his store or the things that embedded within it, the history is apparent, and it is not going away as long as Ernst is there.

Within DJ Ernst Books, the collections of books themselves are perfectly indicative of the bookseller and

Just one of the many books Ernst keeps in his bookstore.

the community surrounding him. DJ Ernst Books is clearly not a typical bookstore, at least, not in the way modern consumers understand them to be in the world of corporate stores and standardized inventories. In true fashion of the personal bookstore, Homer doesn’t refer to popular bestsellers lists to stock his shelves. His collections differ greatly from the standardized models of corporate bookstores and his inventory is not motivated by profit or marketability. Personal bookstores almost always differ from corporate ones in this sense, as seen in Reluctant Capitalists by Laura J. Miller. Like many other personal bookstores, DJ Ernst Books is, instead, purely a reflection of the owner’s taste, interests, preferences, and distinct definitions of literature.

Those distinct definitions, however, can be difficult to discern with the way the collection is organized throughout. DJ Ernst has subgenres and niche categories galore, all fit in tightly with each other in this small space. If the collection is supposed to reflect the bookseller’s tastes in literature, the only thing that becomes clear upon entering is that DJ Ernst loves to read as many books as he can. Children’s Illustration Books are next to Ancient History, books on music are near books on war, and on the other side of the store, there are hunting books next to American Literature, as well as reports of historical explorations next to World Literature. Many people are so used to walking into a bookstore and finding nothing but modern bestsellers and the most popular books hot off the presses. DJ Ernst Books, however, overflows with books from a wide array of genres, time periods, and aesthetics.

The other thing that becomes immediately clear is that Homer has a deep respect for the book itself as a material. While there is an almost overwhelming number of subgenres, all of them are clearly defined in handwritten labels, and many other labels pasted throughout the space are handwritten warnings to treat the books with great care, as if they were made of glass. It’s clear that Homer values the book as a special kind of object, which is also evident in the aesthetics of the books he chooses to place on high, important pedestals and shelves. There are antique, leather-bound books, and more rare and ornate tomes presented in high places, in the center display for people to admire, or even in the back shelves away from customer’s hands. However, on the other hand, the simple paperbacks are lined up in rows on the floors in front of most of the bookcases.

Most notably is the sheer number of historical genres, especially on the left side of the store. From history books on the wars big and small, to Pennsylvanian history, and even a section just labeled “Europe,” it is clear that the past and knowledge are immensely important to Homer. This is clear in almost everything about this personal bookstore, such as the unchanged interior design and the ancient cash register on the counter. He has even kept a magazine from decades before where regional collectors and booksellers such as himself could keep in touch and share product, despite the magazine being obsolete now and many of those contacts outdated. This is why the bookstore isn’t categorized with genres like fantasy, science fiction, romance, or self-help. Homer isn’t interested in these kinds of books, and he doesn’t tend to stock them unless they stand out to him or he knows one of the regular customers might be interested. Instead, the definition of literature presented in this bookstore’s collection reflects the classics and the unique, especially if they are reminiscent of an older era.

Beside the door are books on hunting, fishing, and wildlife, all of which relate to the area’s interest in hunting.

In addition to the bookstore’s personal taste, Homer attributes a lot of his inventory to other people in the surrounding Selinsgrove area and many of his contacts who are collectors. DJ Ernst Books isn’t solely a reflection of the bookseller’s personal taste but also a reflection of the community it is so ingrained in. For example, if this was just a personal bookstore, there wouldn’t be any sci-fi paperbacks, seeing as how Homer doesn’t like the genre. This also explains the hunting books, the books about fishing and nature, as well as books written by faculty from the creative writing department at Susquehanna University. Ultimately, DJ Ernst Books is a personal bookstore whose collection reflects the personal taste and identity of the bookseller, just as people are products of their communities.

:

The Present

While the number of independent bookstores is on the decline, one that still remains today on Market Street is DJ Ernst Books.

A view of DJ Ernst from Market Street.

At D.J. Ernst Books, people don’t come just for the books, they visit for the conversations with Homer. Also, people visit for the unique and personalized experience that only an independent bookstore can create. In his book The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, Lewis Buzbee reflects on this idea. Buzbee explains, “My excitement at being in a bookstore comes from the place itself, the understanding that I can stay here for as long as need be” (4). Unlike other book merchants eager to make a sale, Homer doesn’t rush his customers. People are free to browse until the store closes. Buzbee as a bookseller reminds me of Homer, as both gravitate towards old paperbacks, talk freely with their customers, and create a helpful atmosphere in the store. When Buzbee talks about the “excitement” of the bookstore coming from the sense of place, Homer’s bookstore fits this description. The “excitement” of Homer’s bookstore is the atmosphere the store creates, a sense of home. It’s the comfortable and relaxed atmosphere of an independent bookstore that makes it feel homey.

When looking back on how Homer defines literature, Buzbee touched on another concept. His definition of good literature can be summed up in this quote: “I fall into these worlds again, not as much for the enchantment, but for the familiarity” (35). Homer believes that literature is defined as classic books, the “familiarity” stories that many generations have read. Similar to Buzbee, Homer believes in the power of the familiar, that these old books have a reason for maintaining their celebrated status. Homer has built his business around the classic paperback favorites that keep customers engaged with the store, the books that are the most “familiar.”

Another bookseller that reminds me of Homer is Kathleen in the film You’ve Got Mail (1998). Kathleen runs an independent bookstore and she knows all her customers by name. Although her store in the film appears nothing like Homer’s décor, they both appeal to a local audience. Kathleen runs a children’s bookstore and recommends her favorite books to her customers. Homer runs an independent bookstore that’s frequented by mainly college students and retired residents of Susquehanna. What makes these two booksellers similar is their passion for good literature, the quality content between the covers.

A more specific example of what Homer defines as literature is his selection of John Steinbeck novels. Homer himself has been recently discovering Steinbeck’s works. He stocks them now because he’s reading all the works and discussing them with customers. Buzbee commented on Steinbeck by writing that “John Steinbeck has always been a controversial writer. More of his works have been banned than those of nearly any other American writer in the last sixty years” (42). It’s this attention, this acknowledgment that Steinbeck’s books have been read by so many, that Buzbee uses to define the work as literature. Homer doesn’t care whether Steinbeck is “controversial” or not, because he enjoys the books and the response they receive from customers. Since people of all ages and generations have read Steinbeck and enjoyed his work, it is good literature to Homer. Homer defines good literature by how his customers respond to the work in question, his opinions on it, and the impact the book has had on the world. It’s the relaxed atmosphere, the familiar books, and the excellent customer service that makes Homer’s store so special to locals.

Conclusion

What makes a book or a type of literature a “classic” is highly personal. At DJ Ernst, that personal understanding of classic literature–old, rare, and well-written–mixes with the wants and needs of Selinsgrove residents, Susquehanna students and faculty, and the people of Snyder County. This store’s stock, then, creates a beautiful union between the past and the present that can stand the test of time.

Sources

Film:

Ephron, Nora, et al. You’ve Got Mail. Warner Bros., 1998.

Graphics:

Floor plan by Erin Reid, created via ThingLink

Map by Monet Polny, created via Google

Photos by Erin Reid, Valerie Erickson, Monet Polny, Laurel Jakucs, Ty Bricker, and Eneida Giboyeaux

“DJ Ernst.” New Timeline – Timeline, time.graphics/line/234048.

Text:

Buzbee, Lewis. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop A Memoir, A History. Graywolf Press, 2008.

Cresswell, Tim. “Place: A Short Introduction” A Global Sense of Place. Off Our Backs: pg. 72. Print

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014.

Literature in Stacks at Mondragon

From the outside, Market street seems like your typical downtown business district, consisting of chains, private stores, and houses. However, not all the houses are being occupied by humans. Mondragon houses a different genre of living creature: literature! Though from the outside, it may look like a place of little action, if any at all, there are many things happening inside the front door of this store. While situated in an older house, Mondragon offers a true “home” feeling as you enter. Though the hallway leading to the door into the store is not the most pleasing, owner of the store, Sarajane Snyder, does her best to use it to her advantage with a free book table and other literature pieces. Once inside, you can see the fast number of books that have book donated, gone through, and organized to the best of what the building has to offer, not only in space, but in size.

As you walk into Mondragon, one of the many volunteers that give their time to the store will usually greet you because that’s just the type of atmosphere they create. In the very front room, they have a theme of nature, from animals to plants and natural health. I find it very cool that you can find a book at one end of the bookshelf on “How to Plant Tomatoes” and at the other end, you can find “10 Different ways to use Tomatoes in an Everyday Kitchen”. Talk about planning! Tastefully accompanying the front section are various plants, whether it be potted flowers or just greens, they give you a sense of that that room is really about.

Continuing on your trip through, you can take a “historical” walk around the world, or pick your next vacation spot in their side room. Everything in this room gave me the feeling of being in a study of a house. Hardwood furniture, the very distinct lighting, a reading desk overlooking Market Street, and the sounds of the bookstore give that room especially that feeling of being in one’s home. The best part is having a window in the wall looking into the front room with the plants and the customers, allowing you to be connected to the other parts of the store, but yet feeling like you’re in your own separate space.

As we walk straight out of this room, we find ourselves in the heart of the store. In the Middle Room, art, politics, classic literature, spirituality, and culture come together into one room with no boundaries or barriers. In an interview with Sarajane, this room is among one of the most popular, specifically the religious/spiritual section. Depending on what books come in, sometimes they done even last a day on the shelves. Another popular spot, and one of their staples of the store is the bookshelf in the middle consisting of Shakespeare. As with most of the store, and very specifically in this room, there is an abundance of books, and a limited number of spots on the shelf. So, the floor, and stacks on a tables are the next alternative. Some people might call this tacky, but in the words of Walter Benjamin, “what else is this collection but a disorder to which habit has accommodated itself to such an extent that it can appear as order” (Benjamin).

The back room consists of mostly fictitious novels and poetry. ALong with them, there are children’s books and a blast from the past, RECORDS!

Walking out of the Middle Room and heading back the hallway, there is books lining that hallway. The highlighted ones on the map that owner Sarajane has hung in the store indicate a good amount of humor and sports, which I find ironic that they are next to each other. However, the one that is missing from this list that is also in the hallway is a whole bookshelf of music books. Some are textbooks, but others are actually books of music literature, stories of famous musicians, and musical scores. When talking with Sarajane and telling her I am a musician, she immediately went and showed me this collection that she has in the store. Though it is not well known or the popular section of the store, Sarajane expressed interest in hoping to make it grow.

The back and final room is the next popular room in the store. In here, we find mostly fiction and novels but some small known authors and some big names. on the other wall, you can find what seems to be a collection of poetry and local writings, and well as some artistic writing. One unique display that Mondragon has in the room is the use of Pennsylvania history, maps, and writings. It feels out of place in that room, but yet it feels right. It’s weird! However, the next best seller is in this room… the children’s books!

The Magnificent Mondragon

A doctors office turned center for the County Democratic Committee turned a hub for Lewisburg, the building which is now home to Mondragon Books has seen many businesses come and go and has had to undergo various interior changes over the years. Although Mondragon is quite small due to its structure, owner Sarajean utilizes the space by making sure books are stacked so high, barely any wall space can be seen. The makeup of the hidden bookstore is surely anything but that of an ordinary corporate bookstore with its maze-like pathways and hidden rooms.

Mondragon has two entrances, one leading in from the outside and one leading to the actual bookstore. Entering into the second door, I was greeted by the “Front Room.” This room highlighted the owner, Sarajean’s personality the most as many books about cooking, health, nature, and overall self-sufficiency are standing on their shelves.

As I wandered through the tiny, yet filled bookstore I noticed that there is a room for everyone. With the wide variety of books all carefully placed in their own rooms, I had seen that me, as well as my partners, had been drawn to and developed a meaning toward a specific room.

In order to gain that attachment, it is required that a visitor browses around and focuses on the books within each room as there is no specific label to any room which means one would not know what types of books are in a room until they walk into it. Being adventurous, I found myself enjoying that aspect for I could create my own themes as I closely observed each book carefully and drew my own conclusions. With this feature, I had become aware of my immediate fondness for not only the bookstore but to one specific room because I was able to create my own unique meaning, ultimately generating a bond.

My first instance with realizing this was when I entered the “Side Room”, the first room I was drawn to. I named this room the Geography Room. Consisting of secondary sources about different countries as well as the history of those countries and foreign affairs with a window front table to relax, read, and enjoy a cup of coffee from the Front Room’s coffee closet. While being the most aesthetically pleasing, I found myself rushing out due to my great disliking for anything about history. That room was surely not for me. However, individuals who enjoy politics as well as expanding their knowledge of the world will find pleasure in exploring this part of Mondragon.

The layout of the Side Room consisting of books relating to the history of countries as well as a coffee table aligned with the window.

The layout of the Middle Room.

Black History Flashcards placed eye level to customers.

Opposite of the Side Room I headed to the Middle Room, the second biggest room next to the Front Room. I found myself amazed by the selection of books and items placed upon the shelves, books relating to topics regarding race, philosophy, and religion, surrounding the walls and in the middle of the room, two sofa chairs on either side of a small bookshelf containing Shakespeare.  This room also held many small items like one dollar postcards, pins, and buttons. My favorite object of all? The Black History flashcards laying on the second highest level of a bookshelf, just about eye level to me. Being as I am African American and understanding that Lewisburg is not the most diverse town, I appreciated that those cards were not only made a part of Mondragon but placed in an area where any customer can see them. The Middle Room had made a strong impression on me and proved to be my favorite room out of the whole store as it symbolized diversity and inclusion through the art of literature.

Hallway Leading to the Back Room.

To the right of the entrance of the Middle Room is the hallway leading to the Back Room. At first sight, I thought the hallway was off limits to customers and was hesitant to peek as I believed it lead to a break room or the owner’s room. However, it was soon discovered that the hallway leads to the Back Room above all, the hallway even held books!

Back Room holding fantasy, fiction, sci-fi, and more!

The Back Room hold fiction, poetry, Sci-fi, fantasy, and children’s fiction, vinyls, handmade coasters which resembles mini vinyls from classic albums, and many signs labeling the discounts of certain books. Individuals with strong imaginations who consider themselves free spirited and enjoy opening their minds while reading a wide variety of fiction and sci-fy novels will not be let down when entering this room.

Aside from the attachment different customers develop to each room or their own specific room in the store, the owners love and commitment for their bookstore is also taken into mind as their layout speaks for each owners personality. Seeing Sarajean put pieces of herself into this store makes it easier for customers who know her to also form a close relationship with Mondragon. Is it just Sarajean reflecting her personality into her bookstore that draws all of these individuals in or is there more to that? Could it also be that that Sarajean is well respected throughout the community so her store is able to thrive based on that? Or is her book selection just magnificent?

Visiting Mondragon Books and hearing what Sarajean had to say about her collection of books and also detecting how much “literary education” (Miller, 201) she has acquired throughout her years of running this store is certainly beyond impressive. Definitely not something one would hear from an employee working at a corporate bookstore. Laura J Miller highlights in her book, Reluctant Capitalist Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, that “independents see themselves, in contrast to chains, as devoted to books for their own sake rather than as a means to acquire monetary reward” (Miller, 165) which is something I noticed about Mondragon.

Sarajean’s knowledge of these books and of her customers allows her to select literature that she knows shoppers will appreciate and want to buy because they would be interested. With the layout of her store, customers know exactly where to visit whereas in a corporate bookstore, not only is the space so big that it is harder to develop an attachment due to being overwhelmed by what feels like an abundance of books. But these books are also continuously moved around so that a shopper will hopefully become distracted while in the process of searching for what they want. The purpose of Mondragon’s layout is to provide a relaxing environment that allows customers to gain an attachment so that they are able to feel comfortable while wandering through the maze-like rooms and also draw them into coming back because they want to, not because they have to.

Sources

Map created by Thinglink

Text

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014.

Images
Courtesy of Desiree Bratton

The Anatomy of a (Mon)Dragon

When you first enter Mondragon, you do not actually enter the physical store. Instead, you enter a long hallway that leads up into the apartments. The hallway is lined with books. If you remember from my last post, this is the hallway in which people take free magazines, post flyers for local events, and sometimes take the occasional book or two for reading when the store is closed. The front door to Mondragon sits among these shelves of books like the teeth to the mouth of a dragon.

 

You enter the store and enter the “Front Room” (as labelled by Sarajane). Like the hallway, it is cluttered with books. Everywhere your eye can see, there is most likely a book. Except when there’s not. When there’s not, there is art from local artists or a record player that exudes the sounds of jazz. To your right is where the worker sits, usually surrounded by books. And then in a little corner of the Front Room is a free coffee nook. You can take a mug and pour some coffee or hot water for tea and add whatever you like to make your coffee exactly the way you wish.

***

Just beyond the coffee nook is a hallway. There are three options to go down. There is the “Side Room,” the bathroom, and the “Middle Room.” You go to the Side Room and see, again, a cluttering of books and art. In front of you is a bench and table. To your left there is a hole in the wall. This bookshop used to be a doctor’s office and the Side Room used to be where the receptionists would sit. As you peruse the selection of books, you notice that they mostly deal with international history. When you start travelling on your right side, you start with US History from the beginning. As you move along, you get to the International History section. This section takes up the largest wall in this room. The next section of books you hit then is the Economics section. Before you know it, you are back in the hallway.

***

You continue into the Middle Room. As usual, this room is packed with books, more so than the rest due to the island in the middle of the room housing their Shakespeare collection. The amount of books in this room may intimidate you, so you decide to check out half of the collection of books in this room before you head on over to the room full of novels. As you do this, you see a selection of plays from various playwrights throughout history. And before you head into the hall, you stop to look at a small wall of books covering film and media.

You step into the hall and see a small bookshelf covering a miscellaneous selection of genres from sports to literary criticism to comedy.

***

You finally find the “Back Room.” The Back Room has a lot of books but surprisingly not as many as the other rooms. One and a quarter walls are covered with fiction top to bottom. Rare copies of fiction are placed at the top of the shelves to be displayed. Three quarters of another wall is a mixture of nonfiction, poetry, and literary criticism. At the end of this grouping of books, on a table by the window, sits a table with baskets of records of many genres and a variety of sizes. Looking through the fiction section, you find books that you have seen before or heard of before. You pick up the ones that have been recommended to you.

***

Leaving the Back Room, you go back down the hallway, but now from a different angle. You can see the Front Room through the cut out where the register sits.

You enter the Middle Room again, but now, the room seems less full than before. This time, you venture to the sections that you missed. You pass the LGBTQ/ Women/ Africana/ Indiginous Studies section. This section is larger than you expected; most used book stores don’t carry a section on diversity specifically. On the same wall, there are sections on Culture, Philosophy, and Art. And finally, there is a small collection of Graphic Novels. If you do not know where to look, you might miss them. This section is the smallest and in a tiny bookcase under a window. You have never heard of most of the Graphic Novels in this section. But, there are some that look really interesting to you.

***

By the time you return to the tiny hallway between the three first rooms, you realize you have finished drinking your coffee and have been done for a while. You make a stop in the bathroom to drop your mug off in the washing basket.

You then reenter the Front Room and realize you have missed so many books in this room. As a matter of fact, you have missed walls of books. When you explore, you find a section on Agriculture and Gardening, Cooking, Music Theory, and a small section on Birth/Life/Sex/Death which is mostly a tiny religious/ spiritual section. While in the Front Room, Tiger will probably snuggle up to you as you sit and look through the sections.

You buy the books you want after having a pleasant conversation with the owner about gardening and/or books and/or Tiger. Like that, you exit the store the way you came in.

***

Mondragon has a large, large, collection of books. As stated in previous posts, this collection is made up entirely of donated books from people in the surrounding area. Benjamin’s idea of a collection of books is particularly interesting, especially when analyzing Mondragon. Benjamin says, “The period, the region, the craftsmanship, the former ownership– for a true collector the whole background of an item adds up to a magic encyclopedia whose quintessence is the fate of his object.” (Benjamin 60). While Mondragon may not sell their rare books in store, every book feels rare in the way they are marketed. First, the experience of browsing allows the consumer to find treasures within the store, like the Graphic Novel section. Mondragon does not have the newest books coming out of the press, but what they do have are books with a history. In some books you can see the yellowing of the page, pen markings of certain sections, or the wear and tear on the bottom of a book from being taken on and off shelves. When a consumer shops used, they shop the history of the book. Like I said in my previous post, Mondragon feels like a shrine to books. But, along with being a shrine, it also destroys books. Sarajane categorizes and picks out books specifically to be used for craft nights in which people take apart a book and use it to create art. This art can be seen all around the store. This complicates Benjamin’s position before because, in a way, this destruction of books is a destruction of a collection. I am continually mystified by people who worship the physical object. Bookriot, a website for the modern bookworm, reported on the destruction of books in an article called, “Books Are Not Sacred Objects.” In this article they argue that books are simply an object. They quote Rachel Fehrschleiser, an editor in Big Six publishing,

“They used words like ‘sacred’ and ‘deface’ and ‘murder.’ My best guess is that these people have little experience working in a bookstore, library, or publishing house. Books are made from wood pulp. If they don’t sell, to wood pulp they return.” (Schinsky).

This goes back to an important part of Mondragon’s identity. Mondragon is a store that is conscientious to world politics and environmental conservation. With this destruction of books, they reduce, reuse, and recycle. Their stock is in a constant state of renewal. In my group’s interview with Sarajane, she told us that her office is cluttered with donated books that she simply cannot put out due to the large volume of books already in the store. This process of recycling books helps create more room in the sore, reduce waste in dumps, and still worships the book, but in a different way.

_________

MAP

Map courtesy of Sarajane Snyder.

IMAGES

Photos courtesy of Richard Berwind

SOURCES

Benjamin, Walter. “Illuminations.” Schocken Books: New York.

Schinsky, Rebecca J. “Books Are Not Sacred Objects.” BOOK RIOT, Riot New Media Group, 20 Aug. 2012, bookriot.com/2012/08/20/books-are-not-sacred-objects/.

Snyder, Sarajane. Personal interview. 22 February 2019.