HarperStudio is a very cool new imprint of large publisher HarperCollins -- they're working on smart new models for publishing, paying authors, and marketing in the 21st century. They also have a very cool blog, 26th Story. Earlier this week, they asked me for an interview about Greenlight Bookstore.
And here it is!
Thanks to the HarperStudio folks for listening, and to Fort Greene for being the community that makes us not seem crazy.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Look Inside the Space
By now many of you have seen the lovely exterior of the future Greenlight Bookstore, either in the photos here on the blog or in real life on the corner of Fulton and South Portland in Fort Greene. (Just to clarify for the record: while the entire building is located at 680 Fulton Street, our storefront alone is known as 686 Fulton Street for mailing purposes, so that's how we'll refer to it from here on.) Today, only on the Greenlight Bookstore blog, we're giving you a look inside!
This is the floor plan we originally received from the landlords at IBEC, so you can get a sense of the shape of the space. (The blank rectangle on the right is Marquet, the coffee shop next door.) This drawing shows the setup as it was when the space was occupied by Nationwide Insurance, so as we did, you'll have to imagine it without the conference tables, cubicles, and dividing walls. What can't be imagined away is the central air shaft -- yep, that's a real donut-hole sort of chunk in the middle of the space. Along with the irregular lefthand wall, this makes for something far removed from the usual rectangle of retail space. Minus the airshaft, the space is just over 2000 square feet.
The more Rebecca and I looked at this the more we loved it for its funky-ness. The nooks and crannies, the windows in the middle -- they're all a source of inspiration, and require us to think creatively about how to use this space. Along with our architects, we've been enjoying doing just that. The first step was getting rid of what we didn't need so we had a blank space to work with, and that's just about where we are right now.
We looked at this drawing in various forms for so long that when we finally did get to see the inside, sans cubicle walls, it was a little like deja vu -- it felt like we'd been here before, even though we hadn't.
Here's a panorama shot our architect Fred Tang created, looking out from the back of the space toward the street. It's a composite shot -- hence the ghostly half-figure, which I think is our superintendent, Esdri. You can click for a larger view, though this still doesn't entirely do justice to the feeling of standing in the space. But you can see how expansive the front of the store feels, and those truly amazing windows on Fulton Street. Sneak (imaginary) preview #1: over to the left in this picture is where we plan to place the cash desk.
And here's a similar composite panorama looking in at the shop from the front. (Again, click for a larger view.) You can see that funky airshaft in the middle/right. Sneak (imaginary) preview #2: that nook straight back as far back as you can see is where the kids section will be.
We'll be posting much more detail about our plans, with lots of pictures, in the days to come. Hope you enjoy the peek inside, and share our excitement in imagining -- and observing -- Greenlight Bookstore taking shape in this space!
This is the floor plan we originally received from the landlords at IBEC, so you can get a sense of the shape of the space. (The blank rectangle on the right is Marquet, the coffee shop next door.) This drawing shows the setup as it was when the space was occupied by Nationwide Insurance, so as we did, you'll have to imagine it without the conference tables, cubicles, and dividing walls. What can't be imagined away is the central air shaft -- yep, that's a real donut-hole sort of chunk in the middle of the space. Along with the irregular lefthand wall, this makes for something far removed from the usual rectangle of retail space. Minus the airshaft, the space is just over 2000 square feet.
The more Rebecca and I looked at this the more we loved it for its funky-ness. The nooks and crannies, the windows in the middle -- they're all a source of inspiration, and require us to think creatively about how to use this space. Along with our architects, we've been enjoying doing just that. The first step was getting rid of what we didn't need so we had a blank space to work with, and that's just about where we are right now.
We looked at this drawing in various forms for so long that when we finally did get to see the inside, sans cubicle walls, it was a little like deja vu -- it felt like we'd been here before, even though we hadn't.
Here's a panorama shot our architect Fred Tang created, looking out from the back of the space toward the street. It's a composite shot -- hence the ghostly half-figure, which I think is our superintendent, Esdri. You can click for a larger view, though this still doesn't entirely do justice to the feeling of standing in the space. But you can see how expansive the front of the store feels, and those truly amazing windows on Fulton Street. Sneak (imaginary) preview #1: over to the left in this picture is where we plan to place the cash desk.
And here's a similar composite panorama looking in at the shop from the front. (Again, click for a larger view.) You can see that funky airshaft in the middle/right. Sneak (imaginary) preview #2: that nook straight back as far back as you can see is where the kids section will be.
We'll be posting much more detail about our plans, with lots of pictures, in the days to come. Hope you enjoy the peek inside, and share our excitement in imagining -- and observing -- Greenlight Bookstore taking shape in this space!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Today in Fort Greene: Totally Independent Book Fair!
It seems there's something about the corner of Fulton and South Portland that attracts the literary types. On the very stretch of Fort Greene street where Greenlight Bookstore will open this fall, a different kind of literary marketplace is in effect today, June 13: the Totally Independent Book Fair!
You can read more about the TIBF on the New York Times' Local blog. The fair is the brainchild of Nehprii Amenii, a children’s author and illustrator, and aims to give self-published and independently published authors a chance to pool their resources and interact directly with readers and book buyers. Authors bring their own table to set up on the sidewalk (no permit required to sell books on the street in NYC!), and the fair is in effect. It's kind of like when everyone on the block has their stoop sale on the same day -- the excitement generated is more than if any one person had done it on their own, and that means more publicity (and hopefully more sales) for everyone.
Participating authors include Ms. Amenii, erotica author Monica Martinez, poets KL Belvin and Janice Brabaw and graphic novelist Jemir Johnson, as well as MAS Media Studios, Street Fiction writer David L. and Marvelous Harrison. I haven't read or seen any of their work -- but I'm always a fan of independent literary ventures. So take a stroll over to Fulton and South Portland today between 10 and 5, and support another great DIY bookish experience in the neighborhood.
You can read more about the TIBF on the New York Times' Local blog. The fair is the brainchild of Nehprii Amenii, a children’s author and illustrator, and aims to give self-published and independently published authors a chance to pool their resources and interact directly with readers and book buyers. Authors bring their own table to set up on the sidewalk (no permit required to sell books on the street in NYC!), and the fair is in effect. It's kind of like when everyone on the block has their stoop sale on the same day -- the excitement generated is more than if any one person had done it on their own, and that means more publicity (and hopefully more sales) for everyone.
Participating authors include Ms. Amenii, erotica author Monica Martinez, poets KL Belvin and Janice Brabaw and graphic novelist Jemir Johnson, as well as MAS Media Studios, Street Fiction writer David L. and Marvelous Harrison. I haven't read or seen any of their work -- but I'm always a fan of independent literary ventures. So take a stroll over to Fulton and South Portland today between 10 and 5, and support another great DIY bookish experience in the neighborhood.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Greenlight announcement in the news!
It's fun to watch the buzz starting about our new location! Here's a bit of who's been talking about Greenlight Bookstore:
Brownstoner got the jump on coverage with a great post about "the little bookstore that could" (and a very interesting and energetic discussion in the comments)
Fort Greene's own New York Times Local blog had a bit (written by yours truly).
Shelf Awareness gave us a number of column inches and quoted from our blog.
The book blog at Gather.com (written by longtime indie publishing stalwart Chris Steib) starts with the great line "Print is dead...long live print!", and predicts that Greenlight "is sure to become a local favorite and a worthwhile trip to Fort Greene."
Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn reported the story -- timely and local-focused as always.
New York Press gave us some ink on its staff blog.
Bookselling This Week (the American Booksellers Association newsletter) also gave us some column space.
Galleycat posted the news, noting that the store will be a block away from one of the popular literary blog's editors (hope to see you at events!)
HTML Giant has the link (and a very interesting comment discussion)
The Village Voice blog has a fierce post that links the announcement to the post-BEA "hint of indie optimism," and ends with the irresistible rallying cry "Let's not fuck this up, Brooklyn."
Moby Lives, the blog of Melville House (a fantastic Brooklyn indie publisher with a storefront in DUMBO), correctly identifies the bookstore as our "baby" -- and points out that our location is the corner of Time Out New York's "best block in New York."
Publishers Marketplace breaks the news (though you'll need a login to read the article).
Shelved @ NYC, a librarian blog, juxtaposes our news with the sadder tidings of Morningside Bookshop closing on the Upper West Side. We're thinking of Peter and co. these days, and hope we can be half the community institution that Morningside has been.
The Brooklyn Paper has a brief article with a picture of our smiling mugs in front of the store space (on an unfortunately rainy June day)
Racked has a great little post focused on the community angle.
I think there will probably be more coming (I did an interview with the Brooklyn Eagle this morning) -- I'll add them here as I come across them. We're trying to keep a record of our press coverage (helps with lenders, publishers, and others we need to impress, we've found), so if you see any pieces we've missed, we've love it if you could link them in the comments!
Update: The Brooklyn Eagle ran the story on Monday, with a wonderful "dreams come true" angle, pointing out that the projected opening date is one year after our launch party at BAM.
Brownstoner got the jump on coverage with a great post about "the little bookstore that could" (and a very interesting and energetic discussion in the comments)
Fort Greene's own New York Times Local blog had a bit (written by yours truly).
Shelf Awareness gave us a number of column inches and quoted from our blog.
The book blog at Gather.com (written by longtime indie publishing stalwart Chris Steib) starts with the great line "Print is dead...long live print!", and predicts that Greenlight "is sure to become a local favorite and a worthwhile trip to Fort Greene."
Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn reported the story -- timely and local-focused as always.
New York Press gave us some ink on its staff blog.
Bookselling This Week (the American Booksellers Association newsletter) also gave us some column space.
Galleycat posted the news, noting that the store will be a block away from one of the popular literary blog's editors (hope to see you at events!)
HTML Giant has the link (and a very interesting comment discussion)
The Village Voice blog has a fierce post that links the announcement to the post-BEA "hint of indie optimism," and ends with the irresistible rallying cry "Let's not fuck this up, Brooklyn."
Moby Lives, the blog of Melville House (a fantastic Brooklyn indie publisher with a storefront in DUMBO), correctly identifies the bookstore as our "baby" -- and points out that our location is the corner of Time Out New York's "best block in New York."
Publishers Marketplace breaks the news (though you'll need a login to read the article).
Shelved @ NYC, a librarian blog, juxtaposes our news with the sadder tidings of Morningside Bookshop closing on the Upper West Side. We're thinking of Peter and co. these days, and hope we can be half the community institution that Morningside has been.
The Brooklyn Paper has a brief article with a picture of our smiling mugs in front of the store space (on an unfortunately rainy June day)
Racked has a great little post focused on the community angle.
I think there will probably be more coming (I did an interview with the Brooklyn Eagle this morning) -- I'll add them here as I come across them. We're trying to keep a record of our press coverage (helps with lenders, publishers, and others we need to impress, we've found), so if you see any pieces we've missed, we've love it if you could link them in the comments!
Update: The Brooklyn Eagle ran the story on Monday, with a wonderful "dreams come true" angle, pointing out that the projected opening date is one year after our launch party at BAM.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Big Announcement: Greenlight Is Go!
It's the moment we've all been waiting for: the lease is finalized, the contractors are on their way, and we've got an opening date target for Fort Greene's own independent bookstore! At last we can reveal the mystery location:
On June 1, Greenlight Bookstore became the official tenant of 686 Fulton Street, at the corner of South Portland -- right in the heart of Fort Greene.
If you're not already familiar with this corner, we recommend checking it out in Street View on Google Maps to get a sense of the bookstore space in context (it's the former Nationwide Insurance space.) Across the intersection is Habana Outpost, one of the most exciting restaurants in Fort Greene and a neighborhood staple. Around the corner on South Portland is the C train, Lafayette Avenue stop, making us accessible from anywhere in the 5 boroughs. The G train is two blocks northwest on Fulton, and if you continue strolling in that direction for a few blocks more, you'll find yourself at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, one of Brooklyn's finest cultural institutions.
And just look at those beautiful windows!!
The space is about 2000 square feet -- just right for stocking a wide variety of books in many categories, and for hosting great author readings and other events, while still feeling cozy. The funky layout has both wide open spaces and nooks and crannies, perfect for a quiet browse, for reading a picture book with a child, or for chatting with friends and neighbors over a cup of coffee from Marquet, right next door.
We have great landlords who have been invested in the neighborhood for a long time: Samy and Hesky Brahimy of IBEC Building Corporation. We're also working with a local Brooklyn architect team, Jarrett Pelletier and Frederick Tang of deFT Projects, on a plan to make this a beautiful, welcoming space that incorporates the best traditions of bookstores and Brooklyn style, as well as the new energy and ideas that define our borough, and that we hope to bring to bookselling.
If all goes smoothly (and with construction projects being what they are, that's a fairly big if), we hope to be open in September. When we get a little bit closer, we'll start planing a grand opening party that will top even our amazing launch party last September at BAM. In the meantime, we'll be posting regular updates on the store's progress on our blog and Facebook page, and you can feel free to email us with your thoughts and comments.
Thank you for walking with us as we move toward our bookstore dream. We're looking forward to continuing to share this journey with you, and welcoming you into Greenlight Bookstore this fall.
P.S.: The Financials
Among our good news is the fact that we've just been approved for a business loan from the World Trade Center Small Business Recovery Fund, which means that we will definitely have the funding to make Greenlight Bookstore a reality. However, we're still accepting community lenders, since as we've been told by our mentors in bookselling, everything always costs more than you think it will. The additional funds we're able to collect, in increments of $1000 or more, will help to ensure that Greenlight Bookstore is able to stock a wide range of books, sustain a fully functional e-commerce website, and pay a living wage to its bookstore staff. And as a community lender, you'll be entitled to special discounts until your loan is paid off, and lender privileges throughout the life of the store. Details about becoming a community lender can be found here on our website, or you can feel free to email us with any questions. Thanks so much to the many lenders who have gotten on board already -- you are helping to make this happen!
On June 1, Greenlight Bookstore became the official tenant of 686 Fulton Street, at the corner of South Portland -- right in the heart of Fort Greene.
If you're not already familiar with this corner, we recommend checking it out in Street View on Google Maps to get a sense of the bookstore space in context (it's the former Nationwide Insurance space.) Across the intersection is Habana Outpost, one of the most exciting restaurants in Fort Greene and a neighborhood staple. Around the corner on South Portland is the C train, Lafayette Avenue stop, making us accessible from anywhere in the 5 boroughs. The G train is two blocks northwest on Fulton, and if you continue strolling in that direction for a few blocks more, you'll find yourself at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, one of Brooklyn's finest cultural institutions.
And just look at those beautiful windows!!
The space is about 2000 square feet -- just right for stocking a wide variety of books in many categories, and for hosting great author readings and other events, while still feeling cozy. The funky layout has both wide open spaces and nooks and crannies, perfect for a quiet browse, for reading a picture book with a child, or for chatting with friends and neighbors over a cup of coffee from Marquet, right next door.
We have great landlords who have been invested in the neighborhood for a long time: Samy and Hesky Brahimy of IBEC Building Corporation. We're also working with a local Brooklyn architect team, Jarrett Pelletier and Frederick Tang of deFT Projects, on a plan to make this a beautiful, welcoming space that incorporates the best traditions of bookstores and Brooklyn style, as well as the new energy and ideas that define our borough, and that we hope to bring to bookselling.
If all goes smoothly (and with construction projects being what they are, that's a fairly big if), we hope to be open in September. When we get a little bit closer, we'll start planing a grand opening party that will top even our amazing launch party last September at BAM. In the meantime, we'll be posting regular updates on the store's progress on our blog and Facebook page, and you can feel free to email us with your thoughts and comments.
Thank you for walking with us as we move toward our bookstore dream. We're looking forward to continuing to share this journey with you, and welcoming you into Greenlight Bookstore this fall.
P.S.: The Financials
Among our good news is the fact that we've just been approved for a business loan from the World Trade Center Small Business Recovery Fund, which means that we will definitely have the funding to make Greenlight Bookstore a reality. However, we're still accepting community lenders, since as we've been told by our mentors in bookselling, everything always costs more than you think it will. The additional funds we're able to collect, in increments of $1000 or more, will help to ensure that Greenlight Bookstore is able to stock a wide range of books, sustain a fully functional e-commerce website, and pay a living wage to its bookstore staff. And as a community lender, you'll be entitled to special discounts until your loan is paid off, and lender privileges throughout the life of the store. Details about becoming a community lender can be found here on our website, or you can feel free to email us with any questions. Thanks so much to the many lenders who have gotten on board already -- you are helping to make this happen!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Greenlight at BEA
Rebecca and I will be making the rounds this weekend at Book Expo America, the U.S. book industry's largest trade show. We're looking forward to seeing old friends and talking to new vendors. We've got some big news in the cooker that we'll be officially announcing very soon, but in the meantime we'll be spreading the word one-on-one to friends and colleagues. You can also follow us on Twitter to see what we're up to: @booknerdnyc and @arrbecca. Hope to see you at the show!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Fort Greene Open Book
It's a new project (something we tend to sympathize with): Open Book TV.
Here's the official description:
"Open Book is a new half-hour weekly television program about books and writers focusing on the contemporary and historical literary production in a different spot on the planet each week."
But the really important thing about Open Book?
The first show focuses on that most literary of all spots: Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Not only does the show spotlight the neighborhood's literary history with readings of Walt Whitman, Richard Wright, and Henry Miller, but it features the current resident literary and creative lights: Jennifer Egan, Jeffrey Wright, Carl Hancock Rux, Moustafa Bayoumi, Ishmael Beah, Bill Lee, Darryl Blaine, and Suheir Hammad.
Also featured: Madiba (best South African restaurant I know), M & H deli(Halal), the Walt Whitman Houses, the Navy Yards, Spike Lee's dad's house, and what I'm pretty sure is the inside of the Methodist church on Hanson Place.
Authors I was looking forward to: Egan and Rux (and they didn't disappoint).
Authors whose descriptions and evocations of Brooklyn and Fort Greene unexpectedly choked me up: Bayoumi on a rich and open-eyed multiculturalism, Hammad on a particularly local youth and pride, Wright on an almost mystical but humorous continuity across the centuries.
All of them made me love this neighborhood even more.
Oh come on, just watch it, and relish the literary joy available in our local "spot on the planet"!
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