Crawford Doyle Booksellers will close its Upper East Side store on January 10 after more than 21 years in business. In an email to customers, owners Judy Crawford, John Doyle, and Thomas Talbot explained the store exceeded expectations — “our hope was to operate the store for ten years.” The operation is “not going out of business” entirely, as Doyle will “continue to sell first editions of Modern American and British Literature and other unique volumes” at his library on 21 E. 90 Street. Awards PEN America is releasing its award longlists daily over the course of this week, beginning Monday with […]
Bookstores
Bookselling: NYT on What it Takes To Open A New Store; Lexington, KY’s Morris Book Shop Closes
The NYT looks at signs of a comeback for new independent bookstores in the city, most recently Greenlight Bookstore’s just-opened second location in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, as well as around the country. One commonality behind a number of new stores across the country is community financing “that gives neighborhoods a stake in the businesses.” Greenlight co-owner Jessica Bagnulo talked of two major questions when opening a new store: which city neighborhoods need one and which can support one. “It’s sort of joking, but the rule of thumb is, if the neighborhood can support a farmer’s market, the neighborhood can support a bookstore.” […]
Barnes & Noble News: Albuquerque Store Closed by Fire, Minnesota Store Opens with Bar, and More Bookselling
Barnes & Noble’s store in the Coronado Mall in Albuquerque, NM was struck by arson on Saturday night and is reported to have “suffered heavy fire, smoke and water damage.” The store is closed for repairs, as is an Old Navy store in a different location that also suffered from a fire that evening. Spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating said that store employees would continue to be paid while the repairs are made, and some are working at another area B&N temporarily. A man has been charged for the Old Navy fire, though it’s not clear yet whether he will be […]
Bookselling: Books & Books Westhampton Beach to Close; Kramerbooks Gets New Owner; and More
Books & Books Westhampton Beach will close on December 3 after more than 6 years in operation, Shelf Awareness reports. Owners Jack McKeown and Denise Berthiaume said in a statement: “For a variety of reasons of personal reasons, including the desire to retire to other pursuits, to travel more extensively, and to spend time with extended family in Virginia… the time was right to make the change.” They continued: “We are proud to have participated in the indie bookstore resurgence that began several years ago, and has proceeded apace in this decade, resulting in the opening or expansion of hundreds […]
Bookselling: BN “Commits” to Staying in the Bronx; Three Lives Stays Put in Greenwich Village; and More
With Barnes & Noble set to close its only location in the Bronx at the end of the year — leaving the entire borough without a bookstore — there are plans to reverse course and for the chain to return to the Bronx “within 24 to 36 months,” according to the Bronx Times. BN vp, development David Deason said in a statement: “We remain committed to working diligently with local officials to reopen a store in the Bronx in the future as we finalize our new store openings.” Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. says, “My office will continue to work with […]
People
The Zora Neale Hurston Trust is now being represented by the Joy Harris Literary Agency. (Hurston’s work was previously represented by Victoria Sanders & Associates.) Singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist Leonard Cohen, 82, died Thursday. Jared Bland at his longtime publisher McClelland & Stewart said in a statement, “His work, in all its forms, touched our hearts, informed our lives, and made our world better. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without his singular voice. His presence will never be forgotten. His profound art will endure.” Literary agent Ed Victor celebrated 40 years in business at a party in London on […]