Gibbs M Smith - Books & Mortar: A Celebration of the Local Bookstore

Books & Mortar

A Celebration of the Local Bookstore

Gibbs Smith

Art by Gibbs M. Smith

Books & Mortar

A Celebration of the Local Bookstore

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2018 Gibbs M. Smith

Illustrtation Copyright 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-5119-2

Gibbs M. Smith, Joseph Beth Booksellers, 2010. Oil on linen, 16 20.

Gibbs M. Smith, St. Marks Bookstore in the Rain, 1995. Oil on linen, 20 30.

Founded in 1953 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, City Lights is a historic literary hangout that has attracted dynamic individuals and promoted freedom of thought and ideas ever since it opened.

City Lights regulars over the years have included Jack Kerouac and poet Allen Ginsberg, and the store helped to establish new guidelines regarding freedom of speech after publishing Ginsbergs poem Howl and successfully defending the work in court.

City Lights large inventory of books reflects its support of progressive ideas and artistic freedom. The staff makes an effort to promote non-mainstream, thought-provoking titles, from gender studies to world literature to theological debate and much more. The stores selection of poetry and small press books is particularly impressive.

Gibbs M. Smith, City Lights Bookstore, 1988. Oil on canvas, 36 40.

Riverow Bookshop began in 1976 as a small used bookstore and moved into their current building in 1983, restoring the exterior to its Victorian style. The store has grown to offer three floors of books that are open to the public, as well as author readings, book clubs, and social events.

Second generation owner, Laura Spencer Eberly, builds book sculptures and paper craft displays to captivate booklovers and wanderers alike. The bookshop, consisting of 50,000 new, used, and rare books, is open seven days a week and is a centerpiece amidst Owegos downtown historic shopping district.

Riverow Bookshops first proprietor, John Spencer, is proud of his second edition and passing on the spirit of volunteering and community activism. Riverow has been active in the community, participating with the area merchants to make Owego a vibrant special place to live and visit. Having contributed to the creation of a local swimming pool, a senior center, neighborhood park improvements, and also promoting the local arts and agriculture, Riverow is truly an asset to its community.

Gibbs M. Smith, Yellow Bookstore, 2005. Oil on linen, 16 20.

Located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood and surrounded by universities and research institutions, Kramerbooks & Afterwords is home to a diverse collection of titles. The stores customers are sophisticated, well read, intelligent, and interesting. This stimulating bookstore is livelier than most thanks to its bar, full-service restaurant, and operating hoursopen early to late seven days a week, all night Friday and Saturday. There is late supper and brunch on weekends and live music Wednesday to Saturday nights.

Kramerbooks is owned and operated by Bill Kramer, who grew up in the book business. His father opened Sidney Kramer Books at the end of World War II and operated it until his death in 1968. Bill took over as manager of Sidney Kramer Books, then opened his own store, Kramerbooks & Afterwords, in 1976.

Gibbs M. Smith, Kramerbooks, Washington, D.C., 2009. Oil on linen, 16 20.

Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch; especially on a day in January, when the wind is blowing, the ice is treacherous, and the books inside seem to gather together in colorful warmth. Its hard to leave a bookstore any day of the year, though, because a bookstore is one of the few places where all the cantankerous, conflicting, alluring voices of the world co-exist in peace and order, and the avid reader is as free as a person can possibly be, because she is free to choose among them.

Jane Smiley

Gibbs M. Smith, Duttons Beverly Hills, 2007. Oil on linen, 16 20.

Garcia Street Books has been a neighborhood landmark in Santa Fes East Side for more than twenty-five years. The store is supported by longtime residents, second-home residents, and the almost year-round flow of tourists. The store, through five owners, has continued to be well loved by the community for its well-curated selection of books that allows for engaging the senses in pursuit of literary works. The display approachcovers facing forwardsupports this multisensory experience and encourages touching, talking, and browsing. The book choices reflect the communitys wants and interests, offering an unusual assortment of art, style, and cooking, a unique section focused on living well, as well as literary fiction and serious nonfiction, both new and classic.

Regulars of the bookstore are fiercely loyal and order their books through the store rather than online retailers. It is common to find patrons stopping in the store to share with the owner the latest reviews from the New York Times, PBS, or other respected sources. These visits serve to shape and influence book selection. Looking to the future, there will be a focus on providing a personal sense of place, where patrons can interact with each other, while opening amazing places for the mind and spirit to go. In a community where the pace is more deliberate and interactive and filled with so many people of great artistic, cultural, and literary talent, Garcia Street Books will continue to be a beloved friend.