with Christopher Heavener
After a few weeks of taking a breather, we’re opening up submissions again. As we put the finishing touches on the print issue we’ll be considering all submissions for web publication only. If you’re looking to get published on the website (and why wouldn’t you be?) bear in mind that being succinct is important. And if you’re going to going to submit something over 3000 words, it had better grip from the first sentence and never let up. Click here to submit them gems.
It’s officially been one year since the current site when live and we started publishing fiction and essays on a weekly basis. To celebrate, we’re taking 20% off the price of Annalemma Issue Six: Sacrifice and Annalemma Bundle for today and today only.
Also there will be a small ceremony in the break room during lunch. Cake will be served. Janelle will be collecting $2 from everyone to cover the cost of the cake.
The ink is dry on the papers that say we got permission to do something very cool for Annalemma Issue Seven: Endurance. Keep an eye out for a more formal announcement next week.
Looking or a laugh on a Tuesday morning? Check out Chadwick Whitehead‘s new joke book/zine, Knock Knock.
You get the idea. This last one’s a personal fave.
G’head and cheer up.
Chicago is a reading town. Reading towns demand good bookstores and it doesn’t get much better than Quimby’s. A landmark in Chicago’s literary scene for almost two decades, Quimby’s is the archetype for what a good bookstore should be: weird, intriguing, fun, surprising and a bit mysterious. Owner Eric Kirsammer answered a few questions about how Quimby’s achieved this level of awesomeness.
What’s the origin story of Quimby’s?
Quimbys was started in 1991 by Steven Svymbersky. He was doing a zine called Quimbys in Boston then he decided to move to Chicago and open a store by the same name. Steven sold the store to me in 1997.
What’s the curatorial process when choosing books to stock?
We look for any type of publication that is about things out of the mainstream. Anything weird and important. There are so many things being published that just do not get the exposure they deserve. For zines we take a very broad range of things on consignment. This allows us to carry a lot of different zines and allows someone just starting out to get their book on the shelf.
What helps a book sell? What are some of the more successful books at Quimby’s?
Quality writing in an interesting package. We do well with things that hit it on multiple fronts. Some of the books that we do well with are anything by Chris Ware, Dan Clowes or Dave Eggers.
Quimby’s has achieved this legendary status among independent bookstores. How did this happen and how do you maintain relevance in the age of Amazon?
We have stuck to our mission of carrying the offbeat and being very open to people just starting to publish. We also hold a lot of events which has built community support. We try to stock the books our customer wants. Quimbys is a niche bookstore are we have never had the desire to become mainstream.
Please describe the cat that lives in your store. If you don’t have a bookstore cat, please explain why.
We do not have a store cat for several reasons,
1. I would always be worried about the cat running out the door.
2. I don’t think the cat would get the attention it deserves.
3. Our store mascot is Chris Ware’s Quimby the mouse and cat and mice just do not mix.
Chop Suey Books owner and proprietor Ward Tefft is many things: cat owner, ordained minister, severely bearded. But first and foremost he is a bookseller. Chop Suey is the only bookstore worth going to next time you find yourself in Richmond, VA. Let Ward tell you why…
1. What’s Chop Suey’s origin story?
The store opened in March of 2002. We chose the name because the original building was an old Chop Suey restaurant, and the rusty sign was still hanging out front. I had spent about 8 years working in bookstores in NYC and in Buffalo, but wasn’t sure what to expect from Richmond. However, it quickly became apparent that Richmond was really happy to have a used book store that sold inexpensive literary and art books. Even though it was still pretty hand to mouth for the first few years, I decided to open a second location in Carytown in 2006. That move proved to be a great thing for us, as our original landlord jacked our rent by over 20% in 2008, after 7 years of us paying on time every month. It so happened that our Carytown landlord was able to lease us the upstairs right at the point, so we consolodated into one store. We’re now exclusively in Carytown and love it.
2. What’s the curatorial process when choosing books to stock?
We go with what we think is interesting. Of course, there are some books here that we stock because they are popular and in demand, but we really try to tailor the selection after our own taste.
3.What’s the arts/literature scene like in Richmond? What’s Chop Suey’s role in the lit/arts community?
With both the VCU MFA program and U of R’s great writing/literature department, Richmond has a great literary scene. Similarly, the visual art community is very strong. We have a joint relation with both, offering monthly art shows and dozens of readings throughout the year.
4. What helps books sell? What are the more successful books at Chop Suey?
A lot of things help. If there is a buzz around a book, it isn’t to hard to sell it. We have a lot of “face out” books on display, and we usually either choose the titles that are going to grab people’s attention (David Sedaris, Cormac McCarthy, etc) or ones that we feel are underappreciated and need to get some face time. We also try to have a working knowledge of what is a good read in all of the sections, even if we haven’t read it. That way, if someone is looking for a recommendation, we can tailor it to what kind of books they have liked in the past. And then there are the books that we force on customers who we know because we know their tastes and know they will love it. An example of this is the book Saguaro by Carson Mell. Carson is an animator whose work we found through Wholphin (McSweeney’s quarterly DVD) and then through his website. We all really liked his short films, and jumped at the chance to buy his self published book Saguaro.
I think we got 5 copies originally, and those were gone in a week because it turned out to be a great book. Since that time, word has spread and we’ve sold over 60. This is pretty cool considering that we are the only bookstore besides one in Carson’s LA neighborhood that sells it, and that it is the only new self-published book that we have in stock. If you haven’t read it, do so now. We ship!
5. How does a brick-and-mortar store not only survive, but maintain relevance in the age of Amazon?
One way is that we are always buying inventory, and we try to keep our store well stocked so that our customers can feel that there is a good chance that we will have a book that they are looking for. That is one of the great things about Amazon; the ability to get your hands on the exact book you are looking for immediately, and that is difficult to compete with for any store. We just keep our heads down and try our best.
But we have a saying here, and one day I’ll finally get the bumper stickers made for it: You might not find the book you want, but you’ll find the book you need. I truly believe that. That’s the old style of shopping at a used bookstore. Before the internet, you would go into a used book store hoping to find a specific book, but the number of quality books that you had never heard of would be way to intriguing to ignore. That is how I found some of my favorite books. Yes, internet sites can offer you everything you want. But smaller shops that are run correctly wouldn’t want to even compete with that. We are curators, and have selected a very specific inventory that gives us a credibility that a one-stop-shop won’t ever have. This is also what makes us, and every other small used bookstore, completely original. We have created an environment and experience at Chop Suey Books that is like no other place. That is our relevance.
6. Please describe the bookstore mascot.
WonTon is our store cat and mascot. He started coming to our original location in the Summer of 2008. Basically, he would walk through the open back door sometime in the morning, hang out with us all day, eat a little, and then disappear by closing time. This happened for about 3 weeks before we decided that he had chosen us as a store. We outfitted him with a collar so that if he was out at night and anything happened to him, someone could let us know. The very next day, a young girl who lived down the street came into the store to see if she could hang up a “lost cat” flier. Before asking, she kind of looked around the store as if looking for a cat. Then she handed us the flier, which, it turned out, was the only flier she had. On it was a picture of WonTon with the plea “Lloyd is missing. Please help!!!” We told her that WonTon, or, rather, Lloyd had spent every day of the last week with us. “Oh, well he has spent every night with me!” So, the mystery of what he did after 5 pm was answered!
It so happens that this girl, who worked at the SPCA, had adopted WonTon and his sister a couple of months back, but he and the sister weren’t getting along so the girl let him out during the day to give them space. Then, one night, her cat comes home with a tag proclaiming a different name and owner. Instead of just telling us, she concocted the scheme of “The Missing Cat.” It was a funny way for her to deal with it, but it was obviously her cat, so we returned him.
However, the next morning, WonTon showed up promptly for his morning shift, and did the same over the next 5 days. I had the girl’s phone number, so I called her and told her that WonTon obviously wanted to be at the store, and offered that we co-parent. This was fine with her, and by the time the store closed at the end of the Summer, he had chosen us as full time family. With the girl’s consent, WonTon was moved to Carytown, where he has become the mayor of our block.
Issue Five contributor Max Kauffman is throwing his first solo show in a long time in Chicago. Go and check out his freakiness next month. From the press release:
R’fuah- new works by Max Kauffman
presented by Pawn Works
1050 N Damen Ave Chicago, IL
opening reception Friday Sept 10th 6-10 pm
available by appointment 312-841-3986
R’fuah: a renewal of spirit. A way of looking at things you hold dear, without idolizing them: knowing that these inanimate things you keep are important because of the emotions you impart on them. Are they real? Are the emotional ties meaningful because of the item or because of the emotion itself?
These thing we hold dear: they keep us happy, bittersweet, positive, appreciative of the things in our life. Why? Are they simply coping mechanisms or do they actually uplift us? From prophets and idols and relics to symbols and talismans of today, we alternately assign them power and draw power from them. We are actually pulling on the strength within ourselves, our thoughts and spirits when we look to these things. When we fall on dark times, we become even more attached to the inanimate—sure and committed to the power we believe they bring, until the storm passes and we relinquish them until next time.
This renewal, this evolution, this cycle of spirit and material. Does it make us more or less human? By putting our faith in objects, are we overpowering or overpowered by them?
They calm us; they bring us peace. R’fuah.
R’fuah will feature new mixed media paintings on paper and wood, ceramic works and a site specific installation.
Show runs through October 10th
for more information contact marz09@yahoo.com or mhkauffm@gmail.com
This is Sasha Fletcher. His writing is like walking towards a door but first putting on a blindfold and spinning in circles and then trying to walk towards a door and eventually ending up at the door but you’re not entirely sure how you got there. Sounds nauseating, but it’s a delightful experience.
Sasha emceed the Dzanc Best of the Web reading that took place last Tuesday at McNally Jackson. Other people read there. And I took videos of them too, but I was too far from the PA and they reading in semi-hushed tones. Sasha speaks loud when he reads in front of an audience. He knows how to perform. That’s what you’re doing when you’re reading at an event by the way. You know that, right? You’re supposed to be entertaining the folks in the audience. If you move some people on an emotional level, that’s fantastic, but priority number one is to be compelling. Sasha’s compelling. Take note, readers.
Leigh Stein read some very good poems. Elissa Bassist read some interesting anxieties on writing about Infinite Jest originally published on The Rumpus. For an extensive take on the evening, head over to Vol. 1.
Below is the tentative roster for Annalemma Issue Seven: Endurance. Tentative because not all of these people have gotten back to me yet. If you haven’t, please do. I want to print your stuff.
Poetry:
Coming For To Carry Me Home
Poem: Sasha Fletcher
Image: Jake Blanchard
Fiction:
You Will Be The Living Equation
Story: Amber Sparks
Images: Margaret Durow
2001 or This is How the Century is Born
Story: Salvatore Pane
Images: Justin Chen
The End, Temporarily
Story: Matthew Simmons
Images: Patrick Savile
Water-Filled Jugs
Story: Brian Allen Carr
Images: Erin McCarty
Rainbow Dogs
Story: Justyn Harkin
Images: Sam Brewster
Five Pieces of a Broken Heart
Story: Roxane Gay
Image: Bryan Schutmaat
The Worst Thing My Father Did In His Life
Story: Patrick deWitt
Images: Cali deWitt
What is Your Favorite War?
Story: Joe Meno
Images: Kristian Hammerstad
Dieback
Story: Nick Ripatrazone
Images: Rose Wind Jerome
The Difference Between
Story: Andrea Kneeland
Photo: Kristie Muller
Relations
Story: Nicolette Kittinger
Birth in the Memory
Story: Carl Fuerst
Image: Jonas Norway
Nonfiction:
Lions
Essay: Paul Kwiatkowski
At the Window
Essay: Jen Knox
(image by angela n.)
Do you love indie bookstores so much that you were refraining from buying Annalemma Issue Six: Sacrifice online just so you’d have an excuse to visit your local independent book seller? I hear you. I do that too sometimes. We got you covered, for the most part. Issue Six is now available in the following fine brick-and-mortar stores:
(*** indicates a recently-added retailer)
Long Beach, CA
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
Durango, CO
Maria’s Books ***
Miami, FL
Orlando, FL
Atlanta, GA
Iowa City, IA
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, IN
Lawrence, KS
Louisville, KY
Brookline, MA
Portland, ME
St. Louis, MO
Oxford, MS
Baltimore, MD
Minneapolis, MN
Bozeman, MT
Missoula, MT
Raleigh, NC
Buffalo, NY
New York, NY
Ithica, NY
Cleveland, OH
Portland, OR
Ottowa, ON
Doylestown, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Providence, RI
Austin, TX
Richmond, VA
Seattle, WA
“Hey!” you say, “That’s not a hell of a lot of stores there, partner!” You’re right. If your favorite bookstore isn’t on our list then shout it out in the comments. We’ll contact them and say there’s folks in their area clamoring for a piece of the Issue Six action.
If you are an American, you must allow all ideas to circulate freely in your community, not merely your …
“What if you are part of the problem? What do you do when you realize that your history is …
Rumpus: Is this interview being monitored right now? Potter: Maybe. The more important question: Is that going to stop …
“(C)ourage is vital piece of any well-lived life.” – Sugar on body image at The Rumpus.…
Copyright Annalemma 2009
