Women & Children First: Deconstructing Women & Women First

You may have an easier time picturing  a true feminist bookstore by imagining the opposite of what you just saw. Many people have preconceived ideas of feminism that probably have a lot in common with the Women & Women First skit from Portlandia. The skit presents a narrow sort of feminism, one that caters to a specific kind of woman and excludes everyone else. It asserts rather than denies the idea that identity can be reduced to something basic and easily definable. In the show, the owners, Candace and Toni, are an amalgamation of stereotypes about feminists. They are often judgmental, angry, and dismissive of the lived reality of others, reinforcing common misconceptions about feminism, such as the idea that all feminists are lesbians, hate men, and represent an exclusionary culture.

While these tropes certainly makes for an amusing viewing experience, is this portrayal of a feminist bookstore accurate?

In the case of Women & Children First, a feminist bookstore located in Chicago, Illinois, it is anything but. Where the fictional Women & Women First excludes more people than it includes, W&CF invites a wide variety of people from different backgrounds into its space. This space affirms the experiences and values of a broad range of women and children. In a world where many of these experiences and values are frequently overlooked or outright rejected, this bookstore offers a safe space for those people who have traditionally not been allowed a voice.

This message of inclusivity and support, as well as a celebration of both the things that bring us together and the things that make us different, has been the mission of W&CF since the very beginning.

At W&CF, the staff take a wildly different approach from Toni and Candace. W&CF opened with the purpose “to promote the work of women writers and to create a place in which all women would find books reflecting their lives and interests” (P&W). When store ownership changed hands in 2014, the W&CF website was briefly updated to say that “the store may be changing hands, but it will not be changing heart” (Chicago Tribune).

That heart started beating in 1979.

W&CF opened in the late 70s, just as feminist bookstores were beginning to open across the United States. Part of a feminist academic discussion group, the two, (Christophersen and Bubon) realized that the local bookstores carried very little or no relevant literature. They noticed a hole in the book market for the emerging field of women’s studies. It was an opportunity not only to provide a valuable service, but also to create a new space that gave priority and voice to minorities in the writing world. Business was a little slow at first, but Linda credits the store’s success with a renaissance in women’s writing (P&W). As colleges and universities began to integrate women’s studies courses into the curriculum, more bookstores began to carry feminist texts.

Ann Christophersen on the left and Linda Bubon on the right.
Ann Christophersen on the left and Linda Bubon on the right.

Initially, women and children were Bubon and Christophersen’s priority for the bookstore, but in learning how to create a space for those who have little or none, they discovered their potential to create a space for all, resonant with the type of equality feminism represents. The opposite type of feminism is satirized on Portlandia in Women and Women First.

When their landlords changed and rent was set to be tripled, W&CF needed to change locations. The increase in business prioritized the need to move as well. However, the decision of where to relocate proved to be challenging. Luckily, Andersonville (a progressive community in Chicago) asked W&CF to move into their neighborhood. Bubon and Christophersen’s mission to create an equal space for those without had caught attention, and in a community where all were welcomed and embraced, W&CF found its current and final home.

From there, W&CF became an integral part of the Andersonville community, a place with many locally owned businesses and LGBTQ-friendly establishments. W&CF found it easy to make a home of Andersonville, expanding the store further a few years later after a neighboring craft store closed.

When W&CF first opened, and like many other feminist bookstores, they had a new market to fill. However, during the 90s changes in the book market (chain stores), the economy and the feminist movement saw the closing of many feminist bookstores (Hogan). Despite this, W&CF adapted to the changes, offering a wider range of books, while still remaining the same in its message—as a result, W&CF is one of thirteen remaining feminist bookstores in the United States (Paste Magazine). Surviving as one of the last stores, W&CF understands the importance of their customers and community, unlike in the Portlandia video below.

 

The clip from Portlandia shown above presents a bookstore with a very minimal connection to its surrounding neighborhood. Toni and Candace are actively discouraging potential customers from even approaching the storefront; it’s clear that the people they find outside of their bookstore are not the sort of customers that they desire. Toni and Candace are playing along with the stereotype that feminism is a narrow concept, one designed exclusively for one particular sort of person. This narrow conception of feminism has no room for the typical shopper. Women & Women First is isolated and obviously unwelcoming, but what is its real life counterpart, W&CF, and its neighborhood of Andersonville, like?

Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.
Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.

Despite stretching just 0.634 square miles, Andersonville is a tight-knit community. Today, the Chicago neighborhood is home to roughly 15,000 inhabitants, earning an average income of approximately $10,000 more than Chicago residents as a whole. (More statistics on this neighborhood can be found here). This increased amount of income helps to support the neighborhood’s many independent businesses, and attract many people from other states (30.7% of Andersonville residents have moved there from somewhere else in the U.S.).

These independent businesses are the heart of Andersonville, the glue that holds the community together. Run by actual residents of Andersonville, rather than large-scale corporate companies, these businesses work together and promote each other’s success, frequently banding together to organize neighborhood-wide activities. W&CF is a vital part of this neighborhood, a center of literature-based events and an excellent meeting place for many Andersonville residents.

In a neighborhood such as Andersonville, where new people from different backgrounds arrive frequently, there is a recognition and celebration of diversity, of the things that make us all unique. North Clark Street, the location of W&CF, is a good example of the many different options available in Andersonville.

In the southern end of the neighborhood, North Clark Street includes a variety of independent businesses, much like the rest of Andersonville; in addition to W&CF, this street hosts restaurants, furniture stores, and even a dance studio. The restaurants on North Clark Street, from a variety of different countries and cultures, embody the sense of inclusivity that the neighborhood, and W&CF, strives for: there is Reza’s, a Mediterranean and Persian restaurant, the Southern-style Big Jonesthe Polygon Cafe (a Thai kitchen and sushi bar), and Diamante Azul, a Mexican restaurant. These restaurants, all clustered together on a single street, represent the blending of cultures and people that can be found in Andersonville.

As one of only two bookstores in the neighborhood (the other is AlleyCat Comics, across the street), W&CF offers a unique physical space for all kinds of customers, no matter their background, to connect with literature, especially literature with a feminist focus. In this way the bookstore embodies an important feminist concept: intersectionality. Intersectionality, defined as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender” (OxfordDictionaries.com), acknowledges the importance of being open to the differences within everyone. Though W&CF values the experiences of women, they also value the experiences of many other types of people, no matter their class, race, or sexuality. W&CF offers a safe space for those who need one.

Along with this physical space, the bookstore dedicates much time and effort to hosting various events designed to draw in interested members of the community; these events include author readings, book launches, workshops, arts and crafts events, open mic nights, and a weekly story time hour for local children. The bookstore’s event calendar can be found here. These events reinforce W&CF’s connection to their surrounding community.

Through its many events, which bring members of the community together and offer new ways to interact with and connect to literature, W&CF provides what Laura J. Miller calls “community service” in her book Reluctant Capitalists; the bookstore “offer[s] a much-needed public space” for Andersonville residents to come together (122).

Along with its communal connection, the bookstore welcomes customers old and new into the store through its organization; unlike Women & Women First in the clip below, W&CF creates a space that gives people the chance to interact.

Looking at the organization of Women & Women First as a counterpoint to W&CF, we see the idea of a “personal” bookstore taken to its extreme. In this context, a personal bookstore means one based on the personality of its owner(s). In Women & Women First, the bookstore lacks logical organization, with books shelved based on the whim of the owners. This depiction of Toni and Candace plays on stereotypes of women as emotional, rather than rational beings. Instead of logically considering the intern’s suggestion that the store take up the standard practice of alphabetizing books by author’s last name, the two women react with aggression. Toni does not even allow the intern to finish shelving books, instead choosing to throw the volumes. These aggressive actions again play into stereotypical “angry” feminist behavior. In contrast to this fictional store, W&CF demonstrates a logical and considered organization that takes into account both business and feminist community space.

W&CF navigates a delicate balance between the business of books and the community of books, a disparity made visible simply by moving through the bookstore. Unlike Women & Women First, the staff uses rationalized sections, such as hardcover bestsellers and new & noteworthy titles. Indeed, much of the front section of the store is devoted to the fiction and nonfiction titles that generally sell in greater quantities than, say, queer horror (all the potential teens who may be looking for it aside). In another logical decision aimed at increasing sales, several displays of non-book goods sit directly to the left of the main entrance. These goods (cards, bookmarks, t-shirts emblazoned with the name of the store, etc.) are conveniently positioned for the sake of the casual browser or impulse buyer.

French philosopher Bruno Latour defines a thing as both a factual object and a “matter of concern,” whereas as an object only encompasses the realm of the factual (2288). Using this definition, Women & Women First, as a fictional bookstore, treats books as mere objects. Even in W&CF, some of the books function as objects, for instance the tables of bestsellers at the front of the store. The element of W&CF that paints a book as a thing rather than an object is community.

W&CF reflects the importance of community involvement through its use of space. One of the primary goals of the recent renovation was to create more room for community events. Prior to the remodel, most readings and events took place in the children’s section of the store. Staff would set out rows of folding chairs facing an elevated platform. Although the children’s section still occasionally becomes an event area, there is now a second community area, one that can either play host to folding chairs for a reading or a large table for an adult coloring book night, adult beverages included. While the owners of Women & Women First objected to the idea of a mixer, the staff at W&CF certainly would not.

W&CF owes its continued existence in part to the fact that it has remained cognoscente of the importance of physical space as well as claiming online space. Through events like feminist book clubs and Sappho’s Salon, in addition to simply stocking feminist titles, the store maintains a thriving public space for feminist discussion. This discussion continues online through active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The bookstore also creates a space for the Andersonville community. Its multiple book groups include space for “QueerReaders,” “Family of Women,” and kids, in addition to the feminist and women’s book groups.

W&CF, unlike the stereotypes Toni and Candace are portraying in Women & Women First, does not draw lines to exclude any particular group. They are, in fact, trying to do the opposite, and are trying to blend all of these lines to create a space that all types of people can enjoy.

Toni and Candace from the television show Portlandia.
Toni and Candace from the television show Portlandia.

W&CF effectively does this on their online spaces as well—through their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All of their online spaces try to interact with community and to bridge the gap between W&CF and the rest of the world.

So, what exactly does this blend between online space and physical space mean for W&CF?

Perhaps it is suggesting that W&CF functions culturally as an all inclusive, welcoming space, in all aspects of their store—and is keeping up with modern demands through their use of these online surfaces. By harboring this inclusive environment online, they are creating a space for those who cannot physically come to the bookstore to still be able to participate in all that the bookstore is trying to offer. Unlike Toni and Candace, they are not catering toward a specific type of woman or person, they are catering towards all.

W&CF seems to use their physical space as an extension of the books they carry, using it in order to create an area of equality, and understanding. As we saw through the videos, Women & Women First is doing quite literally the opposite of this—and is “trying” to be inclusive, but is actually creating a very exclusive space through the way they carry out their definition of “feminism.”

20110314140344320
The very real Women & Children First to the left, and the satirical “Women & Women First” on the right.

Looking at all W&CF is trying to accomplish, it seems their definition of feminism and of literature is much broader than just what is on the page. They are using literature as a center point of their mission. Feminism, simply put, is about equality—something that Toni and Candace are clearly not comprehending. Literature for W&CF becomes a tool to deconstruct the stereotypes that shows like Portlandia are placing on feminist bookstores. Through their relationship with their surrounding community, the books they carry, and the very open spaces in which they display them, and even their history as a bookstore, they combat each one of the stereotypes that Toni and Candace try to place on today’s feminist bookstores.

As one of the original owners, Linda Bubon, responds to the skits: “I like irreverent humor. I’ve always thought that feminists have a great sense of humor and are able to poke fun at the patriarchy. But I have to say, I think satire is at its best when it is the powerless making fun of the powerful. And so [for the TV show] to target a little independent bookstore—you sort of wince thinking there are so many people who’ve never visited a feminist bookstore and this is what they might actually think” (Kelley). Portlandia is making fun of one of the last remaining feminist bookstores in the US, which is evident by even their fictionally named “Women & Women First” bookstore. W&CF, through their definition of literature, are using their bookstore as a tool to remind us all that there is no one “correct” version of feminism.

These feminist bookstores are “a part of [an] endangered and crumbling infrastructure” (Mantilla, 50). This infrastructure provided women with a safe, physical space for consciousness-raising and activism. W&CF is trying to provide their community, as well as all communities, with this type of safe place. They have survived against the odds as one of the last remaining feminist bookstores.

W&CF will continue to fight back.

 

Sources

Images (In order of Appearance)

Newspaper Shot of Bubon and Christopherson. <http://chicago.gopride.com/entertainment/column/index.cfm/col/2212>

Andersonville Sign with People <http://previewchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/andersonville.jpg>

Toni and Candace (Portlandia) <http://images.amcnetworks.com/ifc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/toni-candace-best-moments.jpg>

Women & Children First Storefront <http://www.goindie.com/assets/images/user_images/2011/3/14/20110314140344320.JPG>

Women & Women First Storefront <http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/portlandia/images/a/ab/Women_%26_Women_First.png/revision/latest?cb=20140119173726>

Text

Hogan, Kristen. “Women’s Studies in Feminist Bookstores: “All the Women’s Studies Women Would Come In”.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 33.3 (2008): 595-621. Web.

Latour, Bruno. “Why has critique run out?” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent Leitch. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2277-2293. Print

Mantilla, Karla. “Feminist Bookstores: Where Women’s Lives Matter.” Off Our Backs. Women and Culture. Vol. 37, Num. 2/3, 48-50. Print.

Thinglink Images

W&CF Entrance. <https://patriciaannmcnair.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/women-and-children-first1.jpg?w=640>

Window display. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/12814703_10153283545866338_4343474797026190231_n.jpg?oh=998719b031bcb966b465efad569c2228&oe=57938ADC>

Events board. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10405303_10153219879726338_7945255532557947548_n.jpg?oh=38d4db7996db4bcb0c85cde79d5bd288&oe=574D90D8>

Sales counter. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12417627_10153219879676338_222654522480338781_n.jpg?oh=34a4c4e295c513fb370e5a959f51927e&oe=574A363D>

Genre signs. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12642766_10153219879836338_8287368278436888577_n.jpg?oh=32779f35d746cf3c8b5af25c0624e042&oe=574E5872>

The fiction section. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12644729_10153219879896338_3194130524665210655_n.jpg?oh=ba0c2619b05231a3485a8619b1febcc4&oe=57521A70>

Community event table. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11036949_10152647486441338_9218828880307891634_n.jpg?oh=71a80d7402600206b44b6e25e18c8207&oe=577EC247>

The gift section. <https://thechicagoactivist.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/feminist-bookstore-starts-a-new-chapter/>

Other images of the bookstore courtesy of Lynn Mooney.

Timeline Images

Change in Ownership <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-Children-First-Bookstore/8326741337>

Grand Opening <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose>

Post-Renovation Open House <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-Children-First-Bookstore/8326741337>

Sappho’s Salon <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/event/sapphos-salon-monthly-performance-salon-featuring-expressions-queerness-gender-and-feminism-0>

Store Opens in Current Location <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-Children-First-Bookstore/8326741337>

W&CF Moves <http://www.chicagogayhistory.com/ARTICLE.php?AID=21 >

Women’s Voices Fund Created <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose >

Web

Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Andersonville-Chicago-IL.html>

Chicago Tribune <http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-women-and-children-first-bookstore-has-new-owners-20140717-column.html>

The Feminist Bookstores that Inspired Portlandia. <http://www.mhpbooks.com/the-feminist-bookstores-that-inspired-the-portlandia-sketches/>

Intersectionality: definition of intersectionality in Oxford dictionary. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/intersectionality>

The Neighborhood – Andersonville. <http://andersonville.org/>

Paste Magazine <http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2014/05/the-last-13-feminist-bookstores-in-the-us-and-canada.html>

Poets & Writers <http://www.pw.org/content/inside_indie_bookstores_women_amp_children_first_in_chicago?cmnt_all=1>

Women and Children First <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose>

 

A Communal Space for Women and Children

Located in Chicago, Illinois, Women and Children First Bookstore has been an integral part of its community since it first opened in 1979. Throughout the years, this bookstore has made the most of its 3,500 square foot space on N. Clark St; though packed with books and other merchandise, Women and Children First has always found room to host numerous local community events, such as author readings and workshops, among its many shelves. Supported by its Women’s Voices Fund, the bookstore is dedicated to enriching the community it has thrived in through its many events and programs. This dedication to the community of Andersonville, and the greater Chicago area, can be seen in the bookstore’s interior as well, which, after its recent renovation, skillfully balances a welcoming, communal atmosphere with a significant stock of titles on many different topics.

Lynn Mooney and Sarah Hollenbeck, the new owners of the bookstore as of August 2014, announced upcoming renovations soon after they took over store operations. The renovations were completed in February 2015. One of the goals of these renovations was to allocate more space and time to the many community events that the bookstore hosts. These events include author readings, workshops, TEDx Talks, and meetings for local activist groups. The renovations were themselves a community effort, organized through Indiegogo and backed by many local citizens and businesses. Below is a video from this campaign outlining the goals of the renovations and the bookstore’s call for support from their patrons:

Now that the renovations have been completed, the first thing that greets a curious customer upon walking into Women and Children First is a table book display; the first of many. Beyond this point, you have a choice to make — to the left is the gifts section, full of postcards and other odds and ends, and to the right are the books. As we move past the gifts section, we come to the center of the store — the sales’ counter. Surrounded by displays, the sales’ counter is the center of activity. Behind the counter is a large chalkboard, where employees write in the events for the month; a touch of the personal to advertise the many programs the bookstore supports. While many customers may gravitate towards the left, and towards the easier means of navigation through the bookstore and the colorful displays in front of the sales counters, if one knows what one has come for, the tall bookshelves to the right offer more options.

Beginning with the New & Noteworthy section at the very front, these larger shelves house many different genres. From bestsellers to literary fiction to nonfiction, the alcoves created by these bookshelves allow customers to browse through the books without interrupting the flow of traffic throughout the rest of the store. This, along with the tables and chairs scattered throughout these sections, encourage customers to sit down and stay a while; there is one particular area for guest seating in the New & Noteworthy section, where the bestsellers are kept. Since many customers come to bookstores seeking particular bestsellers, and this section is located at the very front of the store, this is an ideal place to set aside seating. Scattering tables and chairs throughout the bookstore brings a more home-y feeling; rather than appearing simply as a business, as a place to pick up products and move on, this bookstore is a place to linger, to browse.

beforeafter
A before & after renovations view of the right side of the bookstore.

In the next alcove is the fiction section. The signs indicating genres throughout the store are hand-written by employees, and throughout the shelves in the fiction section are small cards detailing store recommendations. These personal touches emphasize what kind of bookstore this is; an independent bookstore, a product of the surrounding community, a place where the employees know enough about books to give informed recommendations and they aren’t in the business for money. In her book Reluctant Capitalists, Laura J. Miller states that, unlike with independents, customers assume that employees at chain stores are “not very well versed in book matters” (202). In a bookstore like Women and Children First, however, the employees know and care for what they’re doing.

As you walk further along this end of the store, you come to the last alcove, which houses the LGBTQ+ and Women’s Studies sections. As a feminist bookstore, Women and Children First has a particular interest in displaying these sorts of titles prominently; though this section is located relatively far back in the store, there is a large amount of floor space dedicated to books on them. According to Laura J. Miller, often “consumption […] can be viewed as a means to demonstrate commitments to particular values” (225). In a world where feminist and LGBTQ+ topics are not necessarily seen as commonplace, a dedication to selling quality literature about them is a rare find; Women and Children First places a high importance on these titles, and many customers do as well.

childrenssection1
Story time with former bookstore owner Linda Bubon.

Turning the corner to follow the back wall of the bookstore, we come to one of the largest sections — the children’s books. Formerly the center of all community events in the bookstore, this section has been rearranged to appear more comfortable and welcoming. According to this article, the events scheduled in this space tended to block off this area of the store, which is quite popular, and some larger events even had to be relocated to other places in the neighborhood. The stage once used for events has been removed, and in its place are tables, chairs, and a rug for young kids to sit on during the bookstore’s weekly story time readings with former bookstore owner Linda Bubon. Many of the local kids come to these readings, an important aspect of the bookstore’s connection to the Andersonville community.

Past the children’s section, at the north end of the bookstore, is the newly renovated community and event space. Surrounded by bookshelves, this event space is separated from the rest of bookstore; this separation allows traffic through the rest of the store to move easily during events, as well as allowing for a more intimate setting. The set-up of this space depends on the event. For some events, such as author readings, there are rows of chairs gathered around a microphone, a fairly traditional setting. But for other events, such as workshops, the bookstore has a large table. Each visitor sits at the table, side-by-side with everyone else, a welcoming atmosphere for the events that allows for more casual conversation. These events solidify the bookstore’s connection to its community, a connection that has allowed the bookstore to thrive through the many years since it first opened. The events calendar for Women and Children First can be found here.

Women and Children First has been an important part of its community for over thirty years. Even with its recent change in ownership, the bookstore’s message of open-mindedness and diversity has not changed. New owners Mooney and Hollenbeck, with their recent interior changes, have emphasized the bookstore’s connection to community events and programs, as well as to quality literature. Women and Children First truly makes the most of its space.

Sources

Websites

Indiegogo, Women & Children & YOU First. <https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/women-children-you-first#/>

Kirby, Megan. Chicago Tribune, “Women & Children First to celebrate renovation March 21.” <http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-women-and-children-first-bookstore-renovation-20150311-story.html>

Kirch, Claire. Publisher’s Weekly, “Anniversary launches fund: women & children first celebrates 25 years with fund to support bookstore programs.” <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=susqu_main&id=GALE%7CA126198272&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=susqu_main&authCount=1>

Women & Children First Website. <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/>

Photos

Before and after of the bookstore. <https://www.facebook.com/8326741337/photos/pb.8326741337.-2207520000.1458547073./10152560025351338/?type=3&theater>

Story time. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/l/t1.0-9/12651123_10153219879651338_1654267169981121629_n.jpg?oh=2ff9de53136e5dabe2df799ccd3016fc&oe=575344FE>

ThingLink Photos

The chalkboard. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10405303_10153219879726338_7945255532557947548_n.jpg?oh=38d4db7996db4bcb0c85cde79d5bd288&oe=574D90D8>

View of the sales counter. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12417627_10153219879676338_222654522480338781_n.jpg?oh=34a4c4e295c513fb370e5a959f51927e&oe=574A363D>

Genre signs. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12642766_10153219879836338_8287368278436888577_n.jpg?oh=32779f35d746cf3c8b5af25c0624e042&oe=574E5872>

The fiction section. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12644729_10153219879896338_3194130524665210655_n.jpg?oh=ba0c2619b05231a3485a8619b1febcc4&oe=57521A70>

Window display. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/12814703_10153283545866338_4343474797026190231_n.jpg?oh=998719b031bcb966b465efad569c2228&oe=57938ADC>

Front entrance. <http://patriciaannmcnair.com/2011/09/19/women-and-children-first-chicago-great-books-great-places/>

Children’s section pre-remodel. <https://www.groupon.com/articles/a-neighborhood-treasure-for-kids-storytime-at-women-children-first-bookstore>

Community event table. <https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11036949_10152647486441338_9218828880307891634_n.jpg?oh=71a80d7402600206b44b6e25e18c8207&oe=577EC247>

The gift section. <https://thechicagoactivist.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/feminist-bookstore-starts-a-new-chapter/>

Text

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.

Women & Children First: Navigating Between Books as Objects and Books as Things

From its long purple awning to its brick façade, the exterior of Women & Children First has remained much the same over its nearly three-decade-long residence in the Andersonville Neighborhood of Chicago. Perhaps the only element of the storefront that regularly changes is the window display – one week encouraging readers to “choose [their] own feminist adventure,” another supporting LGBTQ rights with a pride display. The interior of the building, however, tells a different tale.

women & children first picture (3)
Interior of Women & Children First in 2011

Based on photographs, the interior of the store also remained much the same until February of 2015 when current owners Lynn Mooney and Sarah Hollenbeck, along with a team of staff members, completed renovations to the space. Prior to these renovations, the store was perhaps more reflective of stereotypical ideas about independent bookstores, with its hodge-podge of shelves, its cramped walkways, and its lackluster lighting. As a customer entered the shop, the sales desk greeted her, blocking her view of the merchandise and making it difficult to distinguish an intended pathway for the flow of traffic. The children’s section at the back of the store, located partially on a raised platform,  doubled as an area for author readings and other events. In this space, the mixture between the business of books and the consumption of ideas was highlighted by desks and work spaces interspersed between bookshelves.

The current view from the front door of Women & Children First is calm when compared with this. In many ways, the store has adopted a more strategic, rationalized floor plan. Tables display the merchandise closest to the door, then short shelves, with the tallest shelving near the walls. The floor plan creates a logical path for the eyes and feet to follow, instead of allowing the customer to be accosted by mismatched  shelves at different heights and angles across the sales floor. Below is a floor plan for the current layout of the store.


When Linda Bubon and Ann Christopherson, the founders of Women & Children First, put their store on the market, they made it clear that they would only sell to someone committed to maintaining its legacy as a feminist, independent bookstore. With their new layout, it seems that Mooney and Hollenbeck have preserved both of these facets of the bookstore, but have also moved forward with renovations that make the space more commercially viable in today’s market. The new design of the store seeks to navigate between the seemingly opposed values of business and community, capitalism and activism, between preserving the history and political nature of the store, increasing its ability to cater to members of the community, and updating the space for improved sales. In doing so, the booksellers, the collectors and curators of this place, also negotiate between viewing books as objects and viewing them as things.

This shelf of is located close to the front of the store and the window facing W Farragut Street. Both the physical and online stores feature some staff picks also found on the Indie Next List. Many of these titles are also currently displayed at the indie bookstore close to my home.
Both the physical and online stores feature some staff picks also found on the Indie Next List. Many of these titles are also currently displayed at the indie bookstore close to my home.

First, in the design of the store as it is meant to sell products, we see the book treated as an object. Here I give “object” the same meaning as Bruno Latour, specifically that it is a fact, something external, as opposed to a “thing,” which encompasses the factual object but is also a “matter of concern” (2288). In other words, a thing connects an object to a subject. Currently, the first display of objects that a customer will see upon entering the store is a table of hardcover fiction, closely followed by a table of new and noteworthy titles, a fixture of both independent and chain stores. Just past this is the first “tall” shelf of the store, showcasing staff picks. The prominent position of these staff-selected titles is a mark of the store as an independent, eager to showcase its unique qualities through personalized, hand-written recommendations for books. While the store attempts to display these recommendations as unique, I have seen many of the featured titles displayed prominently in other stores, or on the Indie Next List published by the American Bookseller’s Association (ABA). In this way, the display also seeks to capitalize on strategies first developed by chain retailers. As described by Laura Miller in Reluctant Capitalists, IndieBound (formerly Book Sense) is an attempt to brand independent retailers and “beat the chains at their own game” (193).

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The community & event space on the north side of the store during a recent adult coloring book night. Notice the community bulletin board in the background of the photo.

While the first few sections of the store seem constructed to appeal to the casual shopper without a specific interest in feminist issues, the final alcove, against the back wall, features LGBTQ & Women’s Studies titles. It is a section positioned for the reader who knows what she is looking for, who might bypass the flashier fiction bestsellers and head for gender studies. Similarly, the store’s other titular focus, the children’s section, resides against the back wall of the store. This area, somewhat separated from the rest by its location and the positioning of the bookshelves around it, is also distinguished by its décor, including a rainbow rug and cushions. It is also one of the two areas in the store specifically designated for community. While all events used to be held in the children’s section of the store, the remodel opened up space along the north wall to serve in this capacity instead. During readings or performances it becomes a stage, surrounded by rows of folding chairs. During book clubs or evening events like adult coloring book night, a large table fills the space.

 

Issues of community constitute one of the arenas of W&CF in which objects become things. To return to the front of the store, one display given prominence is that related to events and book groups. The proprietors have placed this specialized selection in an area primarily devoted to books that will appeal to a wider variety of people because these books represent more than products. These books more easily pass the boundary between object and thing and become the gathering of people that meet to discuss them. They are matters of concern, matters of subject, matters of people.

Concept Sketch of Sales Desk
This concept sketch by designer Annie Osborn shows the area where the non-book merchandise is located in the store, to the left of the entrance, between the front window and the sales desk. It is an intentionally isolated position.

On a larger scale, the store reflects a division of thing and object in the way that non-book merchandise and work space stands separate from the rest of the store. The non-book merchandise exists almost solely in a congregation to the left of the entrance. While one purpose of this position may be to elicit impulse buys from patrons, it is also a very physical separation between items that are matters of concern and items that are not. The remodel of the store also makes a point to separate the business of books from the consumption of ideas. Whereas desks and work areas originally sat among the bookshelves, they now sit physically and visually separated from the rest of the space. In addition to convenience and reduced clutter, this separation marks the boundaries between the object-driven capitalism of the bookstore and its otherwise thing-oriented nature as a site of discussion and feminist activism. Even as the booksellers at Women & Children First take steps to rationalize and move toward selling books as objects, they cannot manage to completely divorce themselves from thinking of books as “things.”

Sources
Floor plan
Annie Osborn
Sarah Hollenbeck and Lynn Mooney provided concept sketches for the design and floor plan.
Women & Children First Facebook Page

Images 
Annie Osborn
Google Street View: 5233 N Clark Street
Sarah Hollenbeck and Lynn Mooney
Women & Children First Facebook Page

Text
Emmanuel, Adeshina. “Women and Children First Bookstore Sold to Store Employees.” DNAinfo. 16 July. 2014.
Web.
Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press. Print.
Latour, Bruno. “Why has Critique Run Out?” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B.
Leitch. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2277-2293. Print.

 

Survival of a Feminist Bookstore Through Community and a Literary Public

*

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 business with a peer from your program and decide that the most logical endeavor for your joint skill-set is the creation of a bookstore. At this time in Chicago there exist upward of sixty independent bookstores, and chain stores have yet to move into the area (Chamberlin). You and your new business partner decide that there are plenty of readers to go around and open your small, specialty bookstore. The two of you are also active in the second wave of feminism – when you are not supporting the movement in your freshly founded bookstore, you are out on the streets campaigning for causes like the Equal Rights Amendment.

This story describes the genesis of the now well-known feminist bookstore Women & Children First, today located in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen, the founders of this store, were far from the only young feminist entrepreneurs of the era. At the height of their popularity, there were over 100 feminist bookstores in the United States (Frangello), and 175 in North America (McGrath). Now the number of feminist bookstores in the U. S. seems to hover somewhere in the low teens (Hogan). How then has Women & Children First survived in a climate so inhospitable to the feminist bookstore? For that answer, we need to look back into the store’s history and the history of the feminist bookstore in general.

Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen in front of Women & Children First at its first location.
Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen in front of Women & Children First at its first location.

Bubon and Christophersen opened the first incarnation of their bookstore on November 10, 1979, not in Andersonville, but on Armitage Avenue in the DePaul neighborhood of Chicago. Their goal in opening the store was to “promote the work of women writers and to create a place in which all women would find books reflecting their lives and interests” (W&CF History and Purpose). In line with Raymond Williams’ ideas in Marxism and Literature, Women & Children First recognized that institutions were “irregularly applying ‘literary warrant’” to texts, mostly those by men (Hogan 604). Bubon and Christophersen pooled money and even built the bookshelves for the store themselves (Harper). The original 850-square-foot store served the pair for almost five years, at which point they moved to a new location a few blocks away (Chamberlin). They stayed in this area for another five years, until, in July of 1990, a new landlord and higher rent forced them to look for a new site. Women & Children First relocated to a building in Andersonville that had once been a grocery store (Chamberlin). The bookstore has remained at this location for the last twenty-five years.

Former location of Women & Children First at 1967 N. Halsted Street.

Andersonville now has a reputation as a diverse neighborhood with a thriving LGBTQ culture. Looking at the area now, it can be difficult to determine whether this culture evolved around the bookstore or the bookstore moved into the culture. On closer examination, it appears to be the former. Andersonville is a historic neighborhood that gained a large Swedish population after the Great Chicago Fire (Figueroa). In more recent years, (since Women & Children First came to town), the area has become much more diverse (Chamberlin); the community and the bookstore have grown together.

Bubon reports that between 1979 and 1992, the store’s sales increased steadily, but began to waver in the mid-nineties. To make up for this decline, the store began to sell textbooks at local universities and put more emphasis on conference sales (Amer). It is unsurprising that this drop in sales coincided with the appearance of multiple chain retailers in the area. One reason for the so-called “death” of the feminist bookstore is that chain stores began to carry titles that were once only available through small feminist stores. As a result, “the spaces that nurtured the movement and produced those ideas are vanishing” (McGrath).

In her article “Women’s Studies in Feminist Bookstores: ‘All the women’s studies women would come in,’” Kristen Hogan writes that feminist bookstores “claimed public space for the feminist movement” (595). These stores provided resources for scholars looking for information that they could not find in general bookstores or college libraries, as well as activists and community members looking for a safe space to work through sensitive issues. Feminist bookstores made obscure books by women more widely available by stocking Xeroxed copies and small publications and rallying for out-of-print books to come back into print. They created a “feminist literary public sphere,” space for literature as a political activity (Hogan 597). Explaining this phenomena in an interview Karla Mantilla, Gina Mercurio of the feminist bookstore People Called Women says:

The dot coms and big box stores don’t offer a safe space for women (especially marginalized  women) to read their poetry aloud for the first time in public…don’t have resources to connect women with lawyers or lesbian-friendly therapists…don’t spread the word about local feminist cultural events…And they DO NOT operate on an ethic committed to creating and anti-racist, anti-classist, pro-choice, pro-lesbian, anti-woman-hating culture. (50)

Creating this physical space for the feminist movement allowed for the formation of relationships and the spread of feminist ideals. However, as these ideals became more mainstream and resources became available in chain stores and on the internet, less people saw the need for the feminist bookstore. While Women & Children First is one of the few feminist bookstores still in existence, it too has struggled with economic troubles and floundering support for this type of bookstore. In 2007 the store came close to closing, but Christophersen believes that the Andersonville community is what kept the store alive (Frangello).

Over the course of the store’s history, Women & Children First has emphasized the importance of events and community outreach. In the article “Pushed to the margins: the slow death and possible rebirth of the feminist bookstore,” Kathryn McGrath writes that “Women & Children First has successfully competed with Barnes & Noble over star speakers, getting authors like Margaret Atwood, Isabelle Allende, and Al and Tipper Gore.” Women and Children First not only emphasizes big-name speakers and authors (they recently hosted a conversation between Gloria Steinem and Roxane Gay), but also supports local authors. In 2005, the store started the Women’s Voices Fund to help support their programming when they could no longer afford to pay for it with their operating budget (Women’s Voices Fund). They have a strong marketing and publicity presence, promoting events and sending out an e-newsletter every month that goes to 6,500 people (Presenting Women & Children First Bookstore).

There is a support system in the Andersonville area for the “’local’ economy” (Frangello). When Women & Children First moved into the neighborhood, it was one of the stores that built this emphasis on local business, and now it benefits from that. Almost all of the stores along Clark Street, where the bookstore is located, are independent and locally-owned. When Women & Children First announced to the community that it was struggling, the community came out to help. The bookstore is also “deeply involved in every aspect of the neighborhood” (Presenting Women & Children First Bookstore). One of the founders sat on the chamber of commerce for a number of years. When area libraries announced that they would be closed on Mondays due to financial reasons, Bubon quickly organized a story time read-in in front of a branch of the library. The library is currently open on Mondays (Presenting Women & Children First Bookstore).

Ultimately, Women & Children First has survived due to its deep involvement in the Andersonville community. In addition to being a feminist bookstore, it is a neighborhood bookstore. Kristen Hogan identifies a split that occurred between academic feminism and community activism as women’s studies became more institutionalized in the 1980s and 1990s (606). This split may have caused the dissolution of the communities surrounding certain feminist bookstores, but Women & Children First has kept a sense of community intact, and through community it has continued its existence.

*Please note that, when an event has a date of the first of January, it indicates the year, and when the date is the first of any other month, it indicates the month and year.

Sources

Images

Harper, Jorjet. Putting Women & Children First. Chicago Gay History.

Windy City Media Group.

Women and Children First.

Maps

Google Maps: 1967 Halsted Street

Text

Amer, Robin. What’s killing feminist book stores? WEBZ91.5 Web.

Borrelli, Christopher. “More than a Bookstore.” Chicago Tribune. 10 Nov. 2009. ProQuest. Web.

Chamberlin, Jeremiah. “Inside Indie Bookstores: Women & Children First in Chicago.” Poets&Writers. 1 May 2010. Web.

Figueroa, Sonia. “Andersonville: A Chicago Neighborhood.” See Sonia. N.p., n.d. Web.

Frangello, Gina. “Chicago’s Women & Children First Inspires Three Decades of Writers and Readers.” Huffpost Chicago. 29 Nov. 2009. Web.

Harper, Jorjet. Putting Women & Children First. Chicago Gay History.

Hogan, Kristen. “Women’s Studies in Feminist Bookstores: ‘All the Women’s Studies women would come in.’” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 33.3 (2008) Web.

Mantilla, Karla. “Feminist Bookstores: Where Women’s Lives Matter.” off our backs 37.2/3

McGrath, Kathryn. “Pushed to the margins: the slow death and possible rebirth of the feminist bookstore.” Feminist Collections: A Quarterly of Women’s Studies Resources 25.3 (2004) Web.

Presenting Women & Children First Bookstore.

W&CF History and Purpose. Women and Children First.

Williams, Raymond. Marxism and Literature. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1567-1575. Print.

Videos

A New Chapter for Women & Children First

Women & Children First: A Tradition of Inclusivity and Support

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 afford to buy books […] offered at feminist bookstores, consider spending that extra couple of dollars […] When you do you honor the legacy of those feminists who came before us, and you safeguard the values and aspirations of those who will come after us” (Mantilla 50).

In a time where all but nine feminist bookstores have closed their doors, Mercurio’s message is more important than ever. The proliferation of many bookstore chains mere miles from decades-old independents, as well as the increasing mainstream appeal of feminism and number of feminist titles carried by chains, has led to massive profit losses for many of these bookstores.

However, all is not lost; feminist bookstores still exist and, in some cases, are doing quite well. Take, for example, Women & Children First, a bookstore located in Chicago, Illinois. First opened in 1979, this bookstore continues today in the Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville, known for its thriving independent businesses.

Co-founders Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen met while pursuing master’s degrees in literature at the University of Illinois. When, during their studies, they found a distinct lack of literature written by and for women, Bubon and Christophersen decided that, rather than pursuing academia further, they would create a feminist- and LGBT-friendly bookstore. They also sought to provide quality children’s literature, particularly about young girls. Thus Women & Children First was born; of their status as a ‘specialty store’ and their feminist focus, Bubon says: “It was what was in our hearts, and in our politics, to do” (Chamberlin).

The bookstore was first housed in an 850 square foot building on Armitage Avenue. Though in the early days Bubon and Christophersen found it difficult to fill their shelves, within five years they had outgrown this space, as the feminist movement gained new ground and a significant number of new works. The bookstore’s first move was a mere two blocks away; by 1990 it had yet again experienced rapid growth as well as rising rental costs, prompting the search for a new home. At this time, members of the Edgewater Community Development Organization approached Bubon and Christophersen about moving into their available space — the Andersonville neighborhood, where the shop would eventually settle, was a part of this organization. Women & Children First soon moved into a renovated grocery store in its now-familiar location on N. Clark St., next to a women’s arts-and-crafts store. The story of their move-in exemplifies the strong sense of community the bookstore would find in Andersonville: because the store was still operating with limited staff, Bubon and Christophersen organized around seventy volunteers to help move books and shelves to their new location. With their help, the bookstore moved and was open for business again in the space of a single weekend; many customers in the following years remembered their part in this for years to come.

bookstore10
A view of Andersonville at night.

The community of Andersonville has historically been an inclusive one. Dating back to the 19th century, when a large population of Swedish immigrants moved into the area, Andersonville has a rich history of independently-owned businesses; starting with various Swedish delis, shoe stores, and blacksmiths, and ending in present day, with its diverse range of restaurants and antique shops. As many Swedish residents moved into the suburbs in the Depression era, the neighborhood made efforts to celebrate its heritage with a rededication ceremony, an annual Swedish festival called Midsommarfest, and the creation of a Swedish American Museum in 1976.  

A more in-depth examination of Andersonville as it is today can be found in my previous post.

In more recent years, as the neighborhood has become more ethnically diverse, a growing LGBT+ population has also moved into the area, in part attracted by the presence of Women & Children First. Linda Bubon recounts a moment in the early days of the bookstore that I found particularly moving in regards to the LGBT+ population the bookstore serves: “I remember the first time I saw two women walk out of my store holding hands. I was walking to the store a little later because somebody else had opened that day, and when I saw them I cried. Because it was so rare in 1980 to see two women feel comfortable enough to just grab each other’s hands. And I knew that they felt that way because they’d come out of this atmosphere in which it was okay” (Chamberlin). This moment speaks to the bookstore’s importance as a safe space for a population that has both in the past and in recent years been subject to marginalization and discrimination. The bookstore has served as a safe space for women as well.

In this sense, Women & Children First fulfills a function laid out by Archibald MacLeish in his American Booksellers Association address; MacLeish states that books, as well as booksellers, have a duty to represent the world as it is and to shape time periods. He says it is the duty of booksellers to make sure that books “reach the hands of those who need them and who know they need them but do not know in practice how to satisfy the need” (MacLeish 15). Women & Children First, with its focus on quality feminist and LGBT+ literature, seeks to fulfill this need in populations that have historically been denied a voice.

bookstore8
An example of an event sponsored by Women & Children First.

In more recent years, the bookstore has become known for its many events — author readings (both established and beginner, well-known and local), a weekly storytime for local children on Wednesday mornings (typically run by co-founder Bubon), and group discussion events for feminist and LGBT+ issues. There are typically one to three events per week, and the total cost of these events is approximately $50,000 per year. In 2004, during a fundraiser gala for the bookstore’s 25th anniversary, Bubon and Christophersen announced the Women’s Voices Fund, a nonprofit which covers these events through donations. With this fund, the bookstore no longer has to limit itself to events that will be profitable, and can host events that are relevant and fulfilling for the community. The importance of these events has only increased over time, as the bookstore enters a new era.

In 2012, Bubon and Christophersen announced their desire to retire and hand Women & Children First over to new owners. They wished to keep the bookstore independently owned and in the hands of those who understood its focus on the feminist movement; they did not want to see the bookstore become something it was not. After searching for potential buyers for nearly two years, the co-founders finally selected two new owners in July 2014 — Lynn Mooney and Sarah Hollenbeck, both employees of the bookstore at the time. Mooney, the store manager, worked in the publishing industry for 20 years, with companies such as McGraw-Hill and HarperCollins. Hollenbeck earned her MFA in creative writing from Northwestern University and has had essays published in many literary journals and blogs. Though Christophersen has retired, Bubon still works part-time at the store; she typically runs the Wednesday morning story hour.

bookstore9
An event at the bookstore for Chicago Independent Bookstore Day with Mary Schmich, advice columnist.

Hollenbeck and Mooney officially took over the bookstore in August 2014. Their first order of business was a fresh coat of paint — they had a successful Indiegogo fundraising campaign for renovations. These included a new space for community events and an expansion of the programs offered by the bookstore (such as support groups, TEDx Talks, kids’ classes, and private parties). The campaign raised $36,405 for the cause and the renovations were completed in February 2015.

In her book Reluctant Capitalists, Laura J. Miller says that independents, because they come from and take part in their surrounding communities, believe that “they can know community needs much better than any distantly administered chain” (82). Women & Children First is one such example of an independent bookstore understanding and administering to the needs of its community; this bookstore has been an integral part of the Andersonville neighborhood and has directly impacted its residents in a meaningful way. Though in the past bookstore chains have threatened its existence, Women & Children First withstands the test of time, and hopefully will continue to do so for many more years.

For more information, see the video below:

 

Sources

Websites

Andersonville Website, “History of Andersonville.” <http://www.andersonville.org/the-neighborhood/history/>

Announcing New Owners of Women & Children First <http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs100/1101357241095/archive/1117940469545.html>

Chamberlin, Jeremiah. Poets & Writers, “Inside Indie Bookstores: Women & Children First in Chicago.” <http://www.pw.org/content/inside_indie_bookstores_women_amp_children_first_in_chicago?cmnt_all=1>

Chicago Sun-Times, “Ownership changes at Chicago’s Women & Children First bookstore.” <http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/788479/ownership-changes-at-chicagos-women-children-first-bookstore>

Corley, Cheryl. NPR, “One Way For An Indie Bookstore To Last? Put Women ‘First’.” <http://www.npr.org/2013/10/27/239710557/one-way-for-an-indie-bookstore-to-last-put-women-first>

Indiegogo, Women & Children & YOU First. <https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/women-children-you-first#/>

Kirch, Claire. Publisher’s Weekly, “Anniversary launches fund: women & children first celebrates 25 years with fund to support bookstore programs.” <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=susqu_main&id=GALE%7CA126198272&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=susqu_main&authCount=1>

McGrath, Kathryn. Feminist Collections, “Pushed to the margins: the slow death and possible rebirth of the feminist bookstore.” <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=susqu_main&id=GALE%7CA124644046&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=susqu_main&authCount=1>

Women & Children First Website. <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/>

Photos

Andersonville at night. <http://www.budgettravel.com/feature/latest-turnaround-andersonville-chicago,7214/>

Chicago Independent Bookstore Day. <http://www.bookweb.org/news/windy-city-celebrates-chicago-independent-bookstore-day>

Glory vs The Wolves. <http://www.rachelbykowski.com/apps/blog/show/39883465-welcome-20-theatre-and-women-and-children-first>

Timeline Photos

Women & Children First opens. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/women–children-first-chicago-for-sale_n_4059622.html>

Women & Children First moves to Andersonville. <http://www.npr.org/2013/10/27/239710557/one-way-for-an-indie-bookstore-to-last-put-women-first>

Women & Children First announces Women’s Voices Fund. <http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/storytime>

Women & Children First announces retirement, sale. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-07/features/ct-tribu-remarkable-bookstores-20111007_1_linda-bubon-women-children-first-bookstore>

Women & Children First announces change of ownership. <http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Women-Children-bookstore-sold/48336.html>

Women & Children First begins renovations. <http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Women-Children-First-celebrates-renovation/50620.html>

Text

MacLeish, Archibald. “A Free Man’s Books: An Address.” New York, The Peter Pauper Press, n.d. Print.

Mantilla, Karla. “Feminist Bookstores: Where Women’s Lives Matter.” off our backs 1 Oct. 2007: 48-50. Print.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.

A Walk Down North Clark Street

I found myself trying, and failing, to imagine the small neighborhood of Andersonville, Chicago, where the bookstore Women and Children First is located. Quickly, I found myself turning to google maps to quite literally walk me through the quaint little neighborhood, specifically North Clark Street where Women and Children First is currently located. It rests near the southern border of Andersonville, only a block from the Southern border of West Foster Ave. Andersonville makes a pentagonal shape, with the Eastern Border laying on North Magnolia Avenue, the North Eastern slanted border on North Ridge Ave, the Northern border on West Victoria Street and the Western border on North Ravenswood Ave. Andersonville is a small neighborhood, and is only about .634 square miles.

Andersonville.

The neighborhood is known for its Swedish culture, and in fact, the Swedish American Museum is only a few blocks from Women and Children First. There are Swedish cuisines, such as Svea, which serves classic Swedish dishes and is even served by people with Swedish accents—how authentic!

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6F6F356A4281D94D2301C1052634EEC4

Left: Svea. Right: Swedish American Museum.

While this neighborhood does have a strong Swedish culture, it is primarily known for its diversity and strong LGBT community. During my stroll down google maps, I found many gay bars and restaurants in the surrounding blocks of Women and Children, the closest being Atmosphere Bar, just a couple blocks down the road! Andersonville is considered a very queer friendly neighborhood. Women and Children First, a bookstore known primarily for its books for and about women, prides itself on carrying many wonderful gay and lesbian fiction, and non-fiction selections. Andersonville is also known for its women-owned businesses, which is part of the reason Women and Children first decided to move into this neighborhood.

Atmosphere Bar.

Andersonville is also known for its diversity. Andersonville has a large population of over
15,00 residents in this small area, making it much more dense in this Screen Shot 2016-02-05 at 10.22.42 AMsmall area than Chicago is as a whole. The median household income is $48,272, and around 67% of those occupationally employed in this area are considered white collar, compared to the 33% considered blue collared. Clearly, this is a wealthier neighborhood. Also, right around 50% of the citizens living here identify as “white” racially, perhaps due to the large Swedish culture here.

However, if we were to “stand” on the corner in front of Women and Children first, there are three or four different kinds of places to purchase food right across the street, or down the road a few feet within the same block (one of which being Svea!). In Andersonville, there are American cuisine choices, Swedish Cuisine, Italian, Middle Eastern, Southern, etc. Just through food choices in this area, the cultural diversity quickly becomes clear despite the high “white” population.

Farraguts (across the street).

Svea (across the street, to the left of Farraguts).

Reza’s Restaurant: Persian/Mediterranean/Vegetarian Cuisine (within the same block). 
I found the focus in this neighborhood, rather than the clear cultural diversity, definitely seems to be the queer-friendly atmosphere. Stores like Brown Elephant (which would also metaphorically be seen on our stroll down North Clark Street) collect donations which are then sold to the public and all of the profit goes back into the Howard Brown Health Center, which is a huge LGBT organization that provides health care, as well does research on diseases like HIV/AIDs.

Andersonville as a neighborhood is a clear example of a space that “someone” (or the many ‘someones’ in this community) have made “meaningful” (Creswell 7). They’ve created this inclusive and welcoming enviornment that has welcomed many different kinds of lifestyles, communities and cultures—most obvious being this LGBT community. Women and Children First fits right into this culture, especially when looking at the three fundamental aspects John Agnew lays out as the aspects for a place as a “meaningful location.” He describes these three as aspects as: location, locale, and sense of place (Creswell 7). The actual ‘location’ of this bookstore, on North Clark Street, places it right in the middle of this heavily populated queer-friendly community. The ‘locale’ of the bookstore then fits right in since they have such a large collection of gay and lesbian fiction/non-fiction selections, and they have a strong focus towards the women in a neighborhood comprised with a female population of 48.1%. The ‘sense of place’ is given to this bookstore through the connection the surrounding community has with the books inside—the large collection of LGBT friendly books, and the over 30,000 books catered towards women and children.

Women and Children First.

It is then interesting to conclude with a look at how this “place is a way of understanding the world” (Cresswell 79). Each different place creates a very different environment, a very different atmosphere, and having a bookstore like this one would not thrive in a community that does not have these same specific ideals. This bookstore understands the way this community works, and has thus created an understanding of, and meaning in, its own individual world within Andersonville.

 

Sources

Images

American Swedish Museum <http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods-and-communities/andersonville/things-to-do/>

Population Photo <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Andersonville-Chicago-IL.html>

Svea Photo <http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods-and-communities/andersonville/things-to-do/>

Maps

Google Maps: Andersonville, Atmosphere Bar, Farraguts, Reza’s Restaurant, Svea Restaurant, Women and Children First.

Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Web

Education Level.  <http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/IL/Chicago/Andersonville-Demographics.html>

Median Income. <http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/IL/Chicago/Andersonville-Demographics.html>

 

 

 

Women & Children First: A Center of Acceptance and Diversity

andersonvillesign

Known for its thriving community of independent businesses, the Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville attracts a wide variety of people. Home to roughly 15,000 inhabitants, there are nearly twice as many people per square mile in this neighborhood than there are in the greater Chicago area.

Tim Cresswell identifies place as, among other things, “spaces which people have made meaningful” (7). Through the creation of a neighborhood that seems in many ways at odds with the world around it, with its independent businesses instead of chains, its openness to other cultures, and its significant LGBT+ population, the residents of Andersonville have most definitely created a space that is uniquely meaningful to them. So what does Andersonville look like?

Andersonville residents are typically about 3-4 years older than the average Chicago resident, and they earn an average income of approximately $10,000 more than Chicago residents as a whole. (More statistics on this neighborhood can be found here). This increased amount of income helps to support the neighborhood’s many retail and restaurant options, and the interesting locations clustered in this small space attract many people from other states (30.7% of Andersonville residents have moved there from somewhere else in the U.S). Stretching just 0.634 square miles, Andersonville is a tight-knit community.

Situated in the southern end of the neighborhood, at 5233 N. Clark Street, is feminist bookstore Women & Children First. The bookstore’s website describes Andersonville as a place “known for its diversity, queer-friendliness, women-owned businesses and community spirit.” As someone who values all of those things, I find hope in the success of Women & Children First and Andersonville in general; it not only shows that independent bookstores are nowhere near extinction, but that bookstores focused on topics that some may call narrow can find a wide audience. Women & Children First is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the U.S., and carries many books for women, children, and members of the LGBT+ community, which there are a significant number of in Andersonville.

The bookstore itself sits on a busy street, hemmed in by dozens of other local businesses, restaurants, furniture stores, and even a dance studio. Its awning advertises everything from feminist books to music and posters; books are displayed across the long line of windows underneath it. Its colorful exterior fits right in with the others — the various members of the Andersonville community all make their mark on N. Clark Street.

andersonvilledemoThough historically a Swedish neighborhood (as showcased with its Swedish American Museum, Swedish Bakery, and the restaurant Svea, located just across the street from the bookstore), in more recent years Andersonville has seen an expansion of stores, restaurants, and inhabitants from a wide range of backgrounds. While most residents are white, the amount of people of other ethnicities has increased with the addition of new businesses and restaurants that focus on different cultures.

N. Clark Street is a good example of this. The street is home to coffee shops such as La Colombe and The Coffee Studio for the younger crowds, as well as Reza’s, a Mediterranean and Persian restaurant, the Southern-style Big Jones, the Polygon Cafe, a Thai kitchen and sushi bar, and Diamante Azul, a Mexican restaurant. Bars such as Hopleaf cater to an older crowd.

The retail end offers, along with Women & Children First, comic-book store AlleyCat Comics (found by walking through an actual alley), clothing boutique Milk Handmade, eco-friendly shop GreenSky, antique shops like Brimfield, and the Andersonville Galleria, a collection of community-run stores.

On nearby streets, other hang-out places of note include the Las Manos Gallery and the pH Comedy Theater. All of these locations can be found on the map below, with the bookstores highlighted in red, the restaurants in brown, the retail stores in blue, and other locations in green.

In a community as small as Andersonville, places (particularly businesses) gain importance to residents through their interactions with the area as a whole. According to Laura J. Miller in Reluctant Capitalists, many independent booksellers such as Women & Children First gain part of their appeal through personal connections with their community. Miller says that one such method of providing “community service” is by “offering a much-needed public space” (122). In the case of Women & Children First, this often means events such as book launches and author readings, as well as events for a more general audience like kids’ activities and LGBT+ parties and open mic nights. The bookstore’s event calendar can be found here.

womenandchildrenfirst

For me, part of the appeal of Andersonville’s ‘small town’ vibe is this sense of unity, of interaction; though this neighborhood is located in a big city, the people who live in it work together to create an environment of interdependence and acceptance. Women and Children First is a vital part of that environment.

Sources

Images

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20131028/andersonville/cardinal-taco-opening-andersonville-spring

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Andersonville-Chicago-IL.html

http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/

Online

http://www.andersonville.org/

http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/andersonville-residents-tell-us-their-favorite-neighborhood-spots

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130105/andersonville/andersonville-used-illustrate-economic-impact-of-indie-businesses

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140909/andersonville/women-children-first-bookstore-get-honorary-street-designation

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Andersonville-Chicago-IL.html

Maps

Google Maps

Print

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

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.

Women and Children First: A Meeting Place

As I meander virtually up North Clark Street in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, courtesy of Google Street View, I recognize few of the businesses surrounding the feminist bookstore Women and Children First.  North Clark Street, the location of the bookstore, is a center of commerce in Andersonville and also a hub for independently owned stores. As I scan the length of the street, only a few chain stores appear: 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Walgreens. All of the other stores have unfamiliar names.

Women and Children First Bookstore

The spirit of the local independent store thrives in this community, as the Andersonville website emphasizes. Women and Children First, started by Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen in 1979 and still independently owned, fits with this spirit. Just a few steps past the book shop sits the Andersonville Galleria, which is not a mall full of chain stores, as the name might suggest to those unfamiliar with the area, but a building housing almost one hundred independent vendors. A large portion of the stores along the street deal in home décor and furnishings. Women and Children First has very little direct competition; the closest bookstore to their establishment is Alleycat comics.

Andersonville Galleria

In addition to the many independent shops in the area, North Clark Street boasts an assortment of restaurants. Eateries include bars, breweries, and sushi joints, although there seems to be a particularly high number of establishments selling Italian cuisine. Once again, few chain restaurants appear in this community. Along North Clark Street, the only chain that I recognize is a Subway.

Map showing the boundaries of the Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago.
Map showing the boundaries of the Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago.

The Andersonville neighborhood stretches east to west from North Ravenswood Avenue to North Magnolia Avenue, and north to south from Victoria Street to Foster Avenue. Located in northern Chicago, the neighborhood abuts Edgewater, which, as the name implies, includes part of Lake Michigan’s shoreline. The Andersonville Commercial Historic District encompasses a large swath of North Clark Street, the location of Women and Children First. In fact, the National Register of Historic Places lists this area.

In the mid nineteenth century when settlers first began to construct homes in the area, the land that would become Andersonville was a far-flung suburb of the city. Movement to the area increased drastically in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire. After the destruction caused by the fire, a new ordinance prohibited the construction of wooden houses in the city. As such, the bulk of the people who moved into the Andersonville area at that time were Swedish immigrants who could not afford to build houses out of more expensive materials (Figueroa). Their presence in the neighborhood is still prominent today.

Swedish American Museum

Intervening years have transformed the neighborhood into a more diverse area. Although the majority of the residents in the area are white, there is a substantial Hispanic population. Furthermore, Andersonville claims to be home to one of the largest gay and lesbian communities in Chicago. The total population is 7.58K, and the median age for residents is thirty-six. Eighty-seven percent of residents have a degree above a high school diploma, including associate, bachelor, and post-graduate degrees. The median household income is $72,887.

As I scan the storefronts around Women and Children First, there is at once a feeling of familiarity and strangeness. The sidewalks, street lamps, and brick and stone façades fit with my notion of the old American main street, an aesthetic sought after by a shopping center in my home  town misleadingly named Main Street at E—. Perhaps this is part of our search for “‘authenticity’ and rootedness” as argued by David Harvey (Cresswell 60). In our age of time-space compression, we try to create a place for ourselves that seems unique.  This could also characterize Andersonville’s emphasis on the independent retailers that populate the neighborhood. To build a community, a place, that differs from mass culture, the residents focus on the independent store. Harvey calls this militant particularism, or “the political use of the particularity of a place as a form of resistance against the forces of global capitalism” (Cresswell 61). Andersonville crafts its sense of uniqueness partially through commercial retail space.

In considering Women and Children First specifically, I look to Doreen Massey’s exploration of place as a network. Massey defines place as meeting place, as a point of intersection in social relations (Cresswell 69). As such, uniqueness of interaction, the confluence of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and many other factors, is the driving force behind this feminist bookstore in Chicago.

Sources  

Images 

Figueroa, Sonia. “Andersonville: A Chicago Neighborhood.” See Sonia. N.p., n.d. Web.

Maps 

Google Maps: Woman and Children First, Andersonville Galleria, Swedish American Museum

Text 

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Figueroa, Sonia. “Andersonville: A Chicago Neighborhood.” See Sonia. N.p., n.d. Web.