DIESEL Revs Up

John Evans and Alison Reid, co-owners of DIESEL, A Bookstore, in Oakland, California, recently opened a second DIESEL, in Malibu, which had been without a bookstore for years. Evans and Reid reported that the Malibu community was thrilled to have the store, which has been "doing gangbusters" since its Memorial Day weekend opening.

The new DIESEL, A Bookstore, in Malibu.

The couple had wanted to open a bookstore in Malibu over 15 years ago, but back then it already had an independent bookstore. That store has since closed. Evans told BTW that Malibuites are a sophisticated lot and were "embarrassed, frustrated, and sad" about their lack of a bookstore. Now the couple hears countless thank-you's every day and has received many hugs and treats from an appreciative customer base.

The new store is furnished with modern, light-colored wood fixtures and is 1,800 square feet, about half the size of the original DIESEL. Like the Oakland DIESEL, it's a general bookstore reflecting the interests of the community and the owners, with strong sections of literary fiction, popular culture, poetry, religion, and metaphysics. Unlike the original, the new store won't have a section of used books. Evans and Reid travel between the two stores, which are about 400 miles apart.

Customers peruse the shelves of the new DIESEL.

Evans and Reid have another reason to celebrate: DIESEL Books will publish its first title, Barry Gifford's Read 'Em and Weep, this September. Gifford, whose previous works include Do the Blind Dream? (Seven Stories Press) and Wild at Heart (Grove), approached the pair with the proposition they co-publish his latest book. The book evolved from Gifford's list of favorite authors, a disparate group, including Raymond Chandler, Thomas Wolfe, Jack Kerouac, Patricia Highsmith, and Ernest Hemingway. Evans explained that Gifford has often talked about the influence of these authors on his work, and many of Gifford's fans and friends asked him to write his experiences down. Read 'Em and Weep is a series of short personal essays; some read like reviews and some limn his experiences at readings and meeting other authors.

Evans said he was immediately interested in the project. "It's satisfying to publish a book by someone I respect and to publish a book that people will get a lot out of," he said. He also noted that Read 'Em and Weep served another purpose dear to every bookseller's heart. "It inspires further reading," he said. "There are very few books that do that. The Da Vinci Code does, but that's rare.... In this case, it will direct people along to other books.... That's what I'm interested in more than anything else."

The book is being designed by DIESEL staff member Hannah Cox, who has her Masters Degree in Book Arts from Camberwell College in London. Evans said the initial run will be 3,000. Read 'Em and Weep will be sold at the two DIESEL stores, through the stores' Web site , http://diesel.booksense.com, and through Barry Gifford's Web site. Booksellers who are interested in carrying the book should e-mail Evans at John@DIESELbookstore.com. --Karen Schechner