Issue 1: Smells Like Indie Spirit
Yes, this is the Coffee House Press newsletter where we talk about Coffee House things. But in the process of going about our business, we’re always coming across a lot of great things that others are doing, all of which we feel compelled to share with you. We spend a lot of our time listening to how things are going awry. It feels good to reclaim some of that space and attention for good ideas and the people who make them happen.
One of our favorite local booksellers Hans from Micawbers began compiling lists of booksellers’ Top 50 books to handsell. What a great idea! These are booksellers who have worked in the biz for a long time and how lovely that someone is gathering and sharing these lists. You can read about how this project began and view his list (and all of the others) on Hans’s blog. What I like so much about Hans’s lists is how they celebrate the indie spirit and show how many different readers there are out there. Our independent booksellers contribute to this diversity and keep it going.
Speaking of indie spirit: this post published by the U. K. Guardian sings the praises of the Brooklyn Book Festival (which took place last month; Coffee House Press is a regular exhibitor) and the American indie press scene. This year’s Brooklyn Book Festival felt, as the article suggests, like a farmers market for indie presses. With tables and stalls set up in front of Brooklyn’s Borough Hall on a sunny September day, festivalgoers could browse the books and wares and talk directly to the staff of the small presses, several Brooklyn-based independent bookstores, and literary organizations. Several stages and auditoriums in the neighborhood were set up for readings, panels, and discussions. Brooklyn food trucks were parked at one end. It felt like a festival that could only happen in . . . Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Book Festival is very well attended and sits in the heart of a very active literary community. But I don’t think it’s the only one; book festivals are popping up all over, filled with local literary resources, presses, authors, and booksellers. There is probably one near you. (Psst: our next festival appearance will be at the fantastic Twin Cities Book Festival on Saturday, October 15th. Come by and visit us if you’re in Minneapolis!)
Last month, we were really excited to participate in the Spotlight on Local Presses at the Hennepin County Central Library, sponsored by the Friends. It’s always great to see local presses, libraries, and booksellers work in consortium. The Friends website explains this very well: “Local presses and the library have always had a shared mission to inform and inspire people to read. As collaborative crusaders in nurturing and celebrating the written word, it seemed only logical that we join together to promote the literary arts.” Coffee House Press authors Bao Phi and Ed Bok Lee read new poems to a crowd of nearly 400 people; it felt as much like a party as it did a reading. You can see a recap and photos (thanks to Simi Kang) of the event on the Coffee House Press blog and on the Litpunch blog. Upcoming events for this series feature Graywolf Press (November 3) and Milkweed Editions (December 8).
And to round out this month’s miscellany, read about the strange world of books by TV characters (The Atlantic), 12 books that have been ironically banned (Neatorama), a short imagined monologue from Comic Sans (McSweeney’s), and a video about eponyms (NPR).
Happy Reading,
Jessica Deutsch
Marketing & Sales Director
P.S. This was originally published in our October Newsletter, which we send by email. To view the complete e-newsletter, or subscribe to our e-newsletter.
