Around Indies

Eight Cousins Issues Fundraising Challenge

Children's bookstore Eight Cousins has donated 10 percent of one day's sales to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund – and store owner Carol Chittenden has challenged Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble to do the same.

The donation, which came from one of the Falmouth, Massachusetts, store's busiest days, will support the Red Cross' flood relief efforts in Pakistan. “We're a small fish, and we're not rich, but we feel darned lucky to be able to give this much,” said Eight Cousins owner Carol Chittenden. "Letters have gone out to Jeff Bezos at Amazon and Len Riggio at Barnes & Noble asking them to pony up too. We're eagerly awaiting word on how they plan to respond."

Poets & Writers Features Tattered Cover

Denver's Tattered Cover is the latest bookstore to appear in the “Inside Indie Bookstores” column in Poets & Writers. P&W columnist Jeremiah Chamberlin interviewed Tattered Cover owner Joyce Meskis.

“I don't think I had a goal to have a huge bookstore by any means,” Meskis is quoted as saying. “But I certainly wanted to grow it to a size that would accommodate a fine representation of the wonderful books that are published. So every time one of our neighbors in the building would move out, we would take the space if it were available and if it were the right timing for us. We were fortunate in that way. There was growth in the commercial area, there was growth in what was possible in the book business in Denver, and we took the opportunities.”

Nicola's Makes Author's Day

“After walking out of Borders feeling like crap, I walked out of Nicola’s feeling really fine,” wrote Percival's Planet author Michael Byers on his blog.

Byers, an Ann Arbor resident and University of Michigan professor, was happy to find his book, recently published by Holt, on display at Nicola's, his local independent bookstore – especially after finding that Borders was not carrying the book, in its flagship Ann Arbor location or in any other store.

“Nicola Rooney is a peppery little treasure; the excellent staff makes hearty and carefully considered recommendations, they carry litmags and brand-new hardcovers (and ones that aren’t so new), tons of sci-fi and children’s books, and they’re next to a bagel shop, so your entrance is wonderfully perfumed. Long live the independents. It matters where you buy your books, it really does,” wrote Byers.