While I was back in my ancestral home last week I thought I'd check out one of the new bookstores on the block. Boswell Book Company was one of two stores born out of much-missed local chain Harry W. Schwartz earlier this year, both of which took over the old Schwartz locations. For Boswell, that meant keeping its prime corner storefront on Downer Avenue on Milwaukee's artsy East Side, home of UWM, Lake Park and two Landmark Theatres. I went to see Zadie Smith read here right after WHITE TEETH came out and during the Q&A she told me I had asked a "terrible question." I can't remember what the question was.I don't know how many of you will pass through Milwaukee but I highly recommend a stop if you do. Consider this my online postcard to you: Looking at books in Wisconsin! Wish you were here.
Boswell's interior hasn't changed that much since its former incarnation. Aside from the mismatched shelves there are a lot of odd pieces of furniture used for displays, particularly old library-style card catalogs. From checking out the owner's blog (whom I think I actually met when I was there taking these) it seems he has been selling a lot of copies of LITTLE BEE, foreground, this summer.
The biggest change to the space has been the conversion of this back room, formerly devoted to secondhand books, into a children's section. (The store still sells some used stock, it's just distributed throughout.) I had a college alumni interview back in that right corner where the green plastic chairs are.
IndieBound's Indie Next picks get pride of place.
Hey, remember when we talked about that Newsweek list-of-lists? This table picks up on another of the magazine's recent book features, Fifty Books For Our Times, for suggestions. To the right of the typewriter you can see Philip Roth getting Munroed.
OH MY GOD STOP FOLLOWING ME. Ahem. (In fiction.)
Spent a lot of time looking at this shelf. Why do birds suddenly appear...
Our tour concludes with a chair perfect for curling up in with your back against one arm and your legs dangling off the other to read for hours, undignified yet comfy.
For more information about Boswell Book Company, visit them at 2559 N. Downer Ave. or online at Boswell.Indiebound.com.
1 comment:
That looks like a great store. My local favorite independent bookstore, Talking Leaves, looks entirely different, but they both have distinctive independent-bookstore trademarks (staff recommendations that are actually recommended by the staff instead of by publishing houses) is probably my favorite.
Post a Comment