There’s nothing like spending an hour getting lost in a bookstore, alone or with a friend, discovering writers whose voices speak to you. In the name of pages that can be touched, penciled on, ripped out, dog-eared and shared (in the old-fashioned sense), we’re highlighting the New York City independent bookstores we love.
First off is Cobble Hill, Brooklyn’s BookCourt! Check out A Women’s Thing on the shelf, sandwiched between BookForum and the New York Review of Books and saying hello from above to The Paris Review!
While other neighborhood bookstores (like Community Books) are saying bye-bye, Brooklyn, BookCourt is still standing strong. With its ample natural light, impeccable selection, and friendly staff, it’s no wonder the store has stayed around! This family-run business has been serving the neighborhood a healthy dose of lit since 1981.
“The Cobble Hill community makes a point to come to us for their books despite many other options,” says Andrew Unger, who heads up BookCourt’s events and publicity. Andrew tells us that neighbors come to the store for recommendations, while writers like Paula Fox and Jhumpa Lahiri have showed their enthusiastic support for the store.
BookCourt also hosts readings and discussions with the likes of—just this summer—Roxane Gay, Amy Hempel, Sandra Beasley, Julia Dahl and other amazing writers across genres. Can’t get that on Amazon!
Thanks, BookCourt, for providing such a beautiful home for AWT!
Stay tuned for more posts about our local bookseller partners!
Printed Matters is an AWT Blog series that examines the ongoing relevance of print media in our daily lives.