"I've been waiting for this moment for 15 months now." The excitement was palpable in Scott Naugle's voice, and with good reason. More than a year after Hurricane Katrina washed Pass Christian Books out to sea, Naugle and co-owner Richard Daley expect to reopen in a storefront location. "It feels good and comfortable to have a bookstore again," Naugle told BTW.
After nearly a year of conducting its bookselling business almost exclusively online due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, Pass Christian Books in Pass Christian, Mississippi, is hoping to reopen a storefront in early October -- thanks to the help of a local resident, Scott Naugle told BTW.
When Hurricane Katrina blew into Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, at about this time last year, it destroyed roads, homes, and businesses, and put many retailers out of business, including the popular independent bookstore, Bookends.
Nearly a year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, for many of the area's booksellers life is still far from normal, and each day comes with a sense of uncertainty. This week, and last week, BTW talked to several booksellers who are facing difficult decisions regarding their businesses and others, in sections of New Orleans not heavily damaged by the storm, who are back in business, with sales going well. Maple Street Book Shop & Maple Street Children's in New Orleans
It has been nearly a year since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and since that time, there have been countless stories detailing the storm's destruction and residents' frustration and despair, their struggles to rebuild, and their bravery and determination. Yet, little by little, the reports about Katrina's aftermath are declining in number as media attention centers on more immediate events.
On Tuesday, March 14, a number of Gulf Coast booksellers who were severely affected by Hurricane Katrina came together at Galatoire's restaurant on Bourbon Street for an ABA Booksellers Forum, hosted by ABA COO Oren Teicher, BookSense.com Director Len Vlahos, and Director of Special Projects David Walker.
Hurricane recovery is progressing slowly in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana, and members of local arts and literary communities are facing tremendous challenges. In addition to coping with personal loss, they are faced with unprecedented cuts to public arts programs, private support jeopardized by a struggling economy, and the absence of vital community members who are scattered throughout the country.
The Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF) recently distributed $80,000 to Gulf Coast booksellers most severely affected by Hurricane Katrina. The disbursement was the second phase of a plan created by the Bookseller Relief Fund Board to provide humanitarian assistance to those most in need.
As reported previously in Bookselling This Week, the Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF) is now accepting applications for additional assistance under its Phase Two procedure. The owner of any retail bookstore establishment within the federally declared disaster area is eligible to apply.
The following bookstores, publishers, distributors, regional booksellers associations, and individuals have all generously contributed to the Bookseller Relief Fund, which was established by the American Booksellers Association in response to the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
